With online learning reshaping the traditional college experience, an emerging trend is taking place: the use of online proctoring services to prevent cheating.
While there are several proctoring services available, UW-Superior utilizes Honorlock, which uses a Google Chrome browser extension to track or limit student activity during exams. Though many colleges were introduced to proctoring services after the rise of remote learning during the COVID pandemic, UWS was ahead of the curve.
In 2019, after the university prohibited the use of outside proctors, such as librarians, a small group of instructors were tasked with providing solutions. Dr. Steven Rosenberg, a Mathematics and Computer Science Department professor, was part of that team and recalls they looked at proctoring solutions based on, “affordability, student-friendliness, and reliability.”
The university administration chose Honorlock, which is now used in some online courses at UWS.
Heather Kahler, a teaching professor in the Mathematics and Computer Science Department, was also a part of the team and says that using Honorlock is about integrity. “I feel that it is my responsibility as a professor to evaluate student work and, when assigning a grade, to do my best to ensure that the student to whom I am assigning a grade is, in fact, the one who did the work,” said Kahler.
Honorlock is an online proctoring service Chrome extension that allows distance learning students to take quizzes and test with transparency.
Photo: Promethean File
Similarly, when the online computer science major was introduced at UWS, Rosenberg said his only concern was, “To find a way to ensure that each student was the one doing the work they turned in.”
A typical exam using Honorlock might begin with a student showing a photo ID, giving a 360-degree room scan, and taking a picture of their face. The Honorlock website states that instructors are able to choose from a selection of proctoring features such as browser lockdown, voice detection, ID verification, and can even use AI-enable technology to alert live proctors to the presence of nearby devices.
While these features are meant to create a fair test environment, some are worried. UWS student Talon Morton said he has concerns about what the company might do with the information they gather and finds certain requirements invasive. “I think it is ridiculous that Honorlock requires me to show a photograph ID and to take a scan of my room,” stated Morton.
Kahler understands that students might feel uncomfortable being watched, saying, “The setting I use does not involve a live proctor and I watch the recording only if necessary.”
While Rosenberg has not received criticism from students about his Honorlock requirements, he states that he does not require students to show a photograph or ID before taking an exam.
Nevertheless, students like Morton have justified concerns about the safety of any data collected. Major companies like AT&T, Ticketmaster, and even the United States Postal Service have all disclosed data breaches in the past year. According to Honorlock, the standard retention period for student data is one year.
One solution regarding privacy concerns might involve less intrusive photo identification. Currently, UWS does not provide student IDs to distance learners, forcing them to use other forms of photo identification, such as a driver’s license, when required by Honorlock.
Morton suggests that timed exams and tests designed to encourage critical thinking, rather than just answers that can be looked up, are better ways to combat cheating while also protecting student privacy.
“Generally, I feel like that Honorlock is an effective cheating measure as it would intimidate students to not cheat,” Morton explained. “The risk of harming students through a privacy violation significantly outweighs the potential cheating that will happen on the exam.”
Kahler and Rosenberg say they know people can find ways around Honorlock rules but believe that the service is the best option they have to ensure academic integrity. One thing is for sure, with UWS’ growing number of online courses, online proctoring services are not going anywhere.
