{"id":122540,"date":"2021-02-04T14:36:43","date_gmt":"2021-02-04T13:36:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=122540"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:25:22","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:25:22","slug":"proctoring-fails-to-take-the-wellbeing-of-students-into-account","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2021\/02\/04\/proctoring-fails-to-take-the-wellbeing-of-students-into-account\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Proctoring fails to take the wellbeing of students into account\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0<\/strong>Erasmus University\u00a0should not work with\u00a0software that cannot prevent students from accidentally skipping required steps or that constantly asks students to share their screens.\u00a0To issue warning letters is neither fair nor decent. Introducing further guidelines risks increasing the stress level among students further. Alternative assessments seem to be the solution.<\/p>\n

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Anne-Marie Andreasen.<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

Last Thursday, on 28 January, I received an official warning from the ESHPM Examination Board regarding an online test I had sat two weeks earlier \u2013 an open book exam, that is. It appeared I had not performed the so-called \u2018room scan\u2019 prior to the exam, to show that my workplace was \u2018free of unauthorised devices and materials\u2019 that make it possible to commit fraud.<\/p>\n

The letter said that the warning would be filed in a dossier, and when [not if] the Examination Board were to receive other notifications via ProctorExam, they would weigh in the fact that I had not followed the rules of online testing before: \u201cIf such is the case, the Examination Board might take sanctions. Because this is your first warning, there will be no sanctions for this test.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018I was deeply shaken by the letter as I thought I had completed all steps prior to the exam\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

That is, I am acquitted in this case<\/em>, but the case conditions my future actions. It is reminiscent in many ways of getting a suspended sentence. The presumption of innocence does not seem to prevail for the Examination Board.<\/p>\n

I was deeply shaken by the letter as I thought I had completed all steps prior to the exam. By gaining access to the exam room, one naturally assumes everything is in order. Just as is the case in Remindo, online payments, registration forms, or any other kind of online process where several steps are required before access to a service or product is granted. I could not remember anything about a room scan and got nervous about whether it would have consequences for the online exam I had sat two days before, where I had not done a room scan either.<\/p>\n

My first reaction was to call a representative of the Examination Board and the study administration. I was subsequently told that the call would not be answered or even activated because all employees work from home. After several unsuccessful calls, I replied to the sender of the letter, also a representative of the Examination Board, who returned with an explanation: apparently, I had not paid enough attention to the text box with the exam instructions, where the link to the exam is. She acknowledged that the box is rather small for such important information but said they expect students to read it carefully. I am glad I did not discover that I had to perform a room scan two minutes before my exam. It would have meant additional stress and falling behind, and, as a result, a worse performance.<\/p>\n

This because Erasmus University provides an online proctoring platform (with a score of 2.3 on Google, 2.9 on Trustpilot, and 1.3 on the App Store) that has too many malfunctions for it to be justifiable to use it. First, it lacks a simple setting that prevents one from proceeding to the exam room without having completed all steps. Secondly, several students have experienced constantly being asked via a popup window to share their screen, causing delay and stress to them (fortunately I\u2019ve \u2018only\u2019 had this problem a few times).<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018I am also tempted to ask if any of the employees at Erasmus University have tested ProctorExam themselves?\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

Shouldn\u2019t Erasmus University\u2019s \u2018Team Online Proctoring\u2019 be aware of these problems by now? I am also tempted to ask if any of the employees at Erasmus University have tested ProctorExam themselves? This also applies to Remindo.<\/p>\n

I was told that the university is currently working on a document for students with tips and tricks for online testing, as if there wasn\u2019t enough with ProctorExam\u2019s \u2018General video instructions\u2019, \u2018General exam rules\u2019, \u2018Other questions\u2019 and Erasmus University\u2019s \u2018demo video Online Proctoring\u2019, instructions, and infographic. I call for a balancing that considers the wellbeing of the students. If this cannot be sufficiently ensured, other types of examination must be considered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI get that a warning like this does something to you, since you have worked hard. But it is \u2018just\u2019 a warning. It will not influence your grade. Your grade will still be published,\u201d the representative of the Examination Board told me.<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018If you do not understand what it means to accuse people of crimes they have not committed, then you simply lack basic empathy\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

If you do not understand what it means to accuse people of crimes they have not committed, then you simply lack basic empathy. In her defence of the university\u2019s action, she points out the importance of students getting a certificate that \u2018has value and is not seen as a so-called corona degree which one got by doing some easy tests at home where one was able to use some sort of extra help every now and then from sources that are not allowed\u2019.<\/p>\n

In addition to showing strong distrust of the students, she associates corona with something easy, which is a great misunderstanding. It is just the opposite. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the number of students with symptoms of stress, anxiety, loneliness, or depression. I wonder if the university\u2019s \u2018DESTRESS study\u2019 and \u2018Student Wellbeing Monitor\u2019 will come to the same conclusions.<\/p>\n

I recognise that Erasmus University is challenged and that there may be initial difficulties. But at the present time there is no excuse for not ensuring proper exam conditions.<\/p>\n

Anne-Marie Serena Andreasen (30) is a student Health Economics, Policy & Law (HEPL) and graduated from the master Public Health.<\/p>\n\n\t

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