After one of my usual Twitter rants about proctoring software, I was asked to turn the rant into an Op-Ed. Elearning Inside liked it enough to publish it:
In a recent op-ed about online proctoring, ProctorU CEO Scott McFarland made some concerning claims about how he feels proctoring online exams is “essential” and “indispensable.” Many were quick to point out their skepticism of the owner of a proctoring company making such a claim.
One important detail that McFarland left out was that the exams or tests themselves are not essential. Not only that, he skipped over some of the largest concerns with proctoring, while also not accurately addressing the research that is happening in this area…..
You can read the rest of the article, where I make wild references to assessment gods, 5000% of students cheating, and general debunking of the current “cheating is everywhere” FUD. But the main point is that there is a better way based on solid course design.
Matt is currently an Instructional Designer II at Orbis Education and a Part-Time Instructor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Previously he worked as a Learning Innovation Researcher with the UT Arlington LINK Research Lab. His work focuses on learning theory, Heutagogy, and learner agency. Matt holds a Ph.D. in Learning Technologies from the University of North Texas, a Master of Education in Educational Technology from UT Brownsville, and a Bachelors of Science in Education from Baylor University. His research interests include instructional design, learning pathways, sociocultural theory, heutagogy, virtual reality, and open networked learning. He has a background in instructional design and teaching at both the secondary and university levels and has been an active blogger and conference presenter. He also enjoys networking and collaborative efforts involving faculty, students, administration, and anyone involved in the education process.