Proctoring

Ever since the early days of the pandemic, the university has been preoccupied with proctored exams. This way students get to do their exams from home, but the trade-off is that they’re filmed and digitally monitored. In this dossier, we’ve compiled all articles related to this fiercely debated phenomenon.

The beginning: experiments at EUC

When it became clear that 22 exams couldn’t be held in a lecture room, Gera Noordzij and her colleagues at EUC went to great lengths to find a solution. They came up with the idea of using an application called Proctor

All students were recorded for the duration of the exam and the recordings were subsequently scanned for any unacceptable conduct. EUC is now checking whether this is actually allowed under privacy legislation.

In this article, several stakeholders and students are discussed about the privacy sensitivity that plays a role in proctoring.

Other faculties are interested

Legal clashes

They should be able to refuse the use of Proctorio during online exams, the students believe, without incurring a study delay.

According to the Central Student Council, the filmed home exams were not lawful, but the Amsterdam court determines that the software is still allowed to be used.

Fraud and technical issues

Do students commit more fraud in online exams? The number of suspected cases of academic misconduct during online exams is on the rise.

According to the faculty, students have helped each other via WhatsApp during the exam on 9 June.

In late May, second-year students in the Intermediate Accounting bachelor programme experienced technical difficulties with the Sowiso online examination system. In light of this, all students were allowed to resit the exam – if they wanted to, of course.

Some students have been told by the Examinations Board to quit their degree programme, and dozens of others have had one or several marks declared invalid.

Proctoring is intended to prevent fraud during remote exams. But this TikTok clip appears to show how easily the surveillance technology can be bypassed.

Second camera

Various faculties want to use an extra camera for proctored exams. The university will start talks on the matter.

Deans of education and students are divided on the introduction of a requirement that a two-camera set-up be used in proctored online exams. Nevertheless, all faculties will adopt the requirement.

Invalid diplomas

Nearly one hundred exams of law students have been deemed invalid after technical issues with proctoring software.

Students at Erasmus School of Law talk about their proctoring problems and their revoked examinations and diplomas. “We’re the victims of the university’s decision to use this proctoring program.”

Legal theory says that degree certificates can only be revoked if it is obvious that the student committed academic fraud. And in this case, it is not clear whether any fraud was committed.

The Examination Board of the Erasmus School of Law has eventually approved 102 exams that had previously been declared invalid.

Students have their doubts

Studenten share their experiences with proctored exams.

Students explain why they prefer to take their exams on campus.

In the next two weeks, the university will administer 19 in-person exams, so as to prevent students from falling behind in their studies.

Privacy and security

Journalists in Grongingen could secretly watch students’ rooms during an exam. The phone imagery was meant for online proctors, but the journalists didn’t need to identify themselves, nor did they need a password or access code.

PvdD-members of parliament have requested answers about the use of a second camera during proctored exams at EUR, and want universities to reprimanded for use of surveillance software.

Proctoring causes unnecessary stress amongst students and is too big an infringement on their privacy, according to the National Student Union. Therefore, they demand this form of surveillance to be stopped.

Minister of Education Ingrid van Engelshoven responds to parliamentary questions by the PvdD, and asserts that universities are entirely free to use proctoring software as they desire.

Discussions at Erasmus University

In an open letter, the twelve student members of the University Council call on the Executive Board to abandon the usage of a second camera in proctoring.

Both the University Council and 786 individual EUR students have raised serious concerns about the university’s plan to use a two-camera set-up in online proctored exams. Especially privacy is a big concern.

Four students share their experiences with proctored exams: from bad connection to a french-speaking helpdesk.

ESHPM student Anne-Marie Andreasen forgot to do a room scan at an open book exam and got an official warning for this. “The presumption of innocence does not seem to prevail for the Examination Board.”

All parties involved would like less invasive online examination methods, but for now, the Executive Board does not believe it is possible to use less online proctoring in remote exams.

Lecturer Noa den Hertog and professor Albert Wagelmans of the Erasmus School of Economics tell how they experience proctoring as teachers.

Jasper Eshuis, associate professor of Public Administration, thinks that the university is having the wrong discussion. “Most of the time, the discussion is about details – technical issues, should or shouldn’t we be using a two-camera set-up – even though the real issue at hand is students engaging in organised cheating when sitting exams.” A culture change is needed.

Student members of EUR’s highest participation council are considering legal action against the university’s use of two cameras for remote proctoring. Other members of the council – many of them staff members – vehemently oppose bringing this matter before the court.

A conversation between EUR Rector Frank van der Duijn Schouten and a student representative on the University Council, Bram Heesen, has resulted in a possible solution to the online proctoring crisis that has sown discord in the University Council. But this does not necessarily mean that students will refrain from instituting legal proceedings.

The final decision…