With the sudden shift to online classes, many students wonder “ how can I take my proctored exam?” This is because proctored exams are quite different from in-person exams. The traditional in-person exam does not really work online as it is nearly impossible to control the exam environment virtually.
In many situations, the ideal solution to avoid such issues is by having an entire day take home, open book paper. In which you do not need to control the environment or need to have an oral exam.
However, there are many courses such as quantitative subjects like chemistry, where a big number of students take that course, it can be nearly impossible to implement a 24-hour take-home exam. This is because they can easily google the questions or ask around, making the entire exam a waste of time.
Therefore, in courses like this, the concept of the remote proctored exam came into being. In which people may use Smart Exam Monitor or Exam lock to not only take classes but exams. These are two systems that do not allow students to open any other browser than their exam sheet.
You might still be wondering how I can take my proctored exam as it is still a new concept. Well, you are at the right place! In this post, we will discuss five ways you can learn how to take my proctored exam so that the entire system runs smoothly and reduces stress for both students and teachers.
Make Exam Rules Clear
Online exams are not only a new concept for instructors, it is a new concept for the students as well. Therefore, you need to make sure that all exam rules are crystal clear to everyone.
While the SEM page for students does lay out a few basic rules, you still need to add more context on the enforcement. For instance, reassure them that their siblings’ distant sounds or dogs barking at the back in the middle of the exam will not be a problem as long as they aren’t in the same room.
In addition, it helps to make it clear to all students that anything that gets flagged by SEM will be reviewed and checked by a human before we take any action on it. Those of the instructors or students who have already used SEM will know how the majority of flags used by SEM are completely spurious and can easily be cleared.
Therefore, having a TA is essential who can go through all the flashes and can remove the meaningless one. It is important to clear all of this to students beforehand as they are usually stressed about how to take the proctored exam the most.
Provide SEM Practice Sessions
You need to provide your students with practice SEM sessions. This way students can test the hardware and SEM before actually giving an exam.
Since SEM only allows you to have one attempt per session, you will need to design multiple practice sessions so that if a student runs into any problem, they can easily test a solution. You also need to test it out to make sure all issues are fixed.
Having learners test SEM before giving the actual exam means that they will have a good amount of time to get in touch with e Class support and get further assistance to resolve the issue.
Allow Automatic Extra Time
Online exams demand lots of technology in order to work flawlessly for an hour or more. We all are aware that this does not happen all the time and there will be various students whose machines will stop working in the middle of exams or will think that exam time is the perfect opportunity to reboot.
Instead of dealing with this problem on their own, an easy solution is to let such students double this time.
This habit reduces their stress and helps them adapt to the situation better which means you will receive lesser emails as well.
If you have certain students who need academic accommodations which are supported by Accessibility Resources, double-check their websites or try getting in touch with them directly to get more information.
Consult with Colleagues and Listen to Students
Whenever it is possible for you, try working with your fellow colleagues in order to develop your exam plan. They will be able to spot potential points for misunderstanding or confusion that you may have missed. They might be able to provide you with fresh ideas. You can contact the Teaching and Learning centre for a consultation session.
There is no doubt in admitting that none of us have little to no experience in online exams, so go give your students a means to provide your suggestions and ideas. After all, they are the generation born with advanced technology. It can be scary for students to give serious input in things like this, therefore make it clear that all kinds of feedback will be welcomed. It will encourage them to be more open about their sessions.
Have a Hidden Backup Exam Session
Exam times are stressful for everyone. Usually, stress means people will make more silly mistakes. For instance, some students might accidentally select the Finish exam button before completing the setup. When situations like this occur, SEM does not allow them to go back and redo the exam.
In order to fix such issues, design a separate SEM block for your eClass course. You can change its option to Available but not shown, and keep a copy of the SEM exam session in this hidden block. When you hide the SEM block, it prevents learners from seeing both exam sessions, preventing other confusion and chaos to occur of which one to use.
When a panicked student reaches out to you at the beginning of the exam to tell you that they accidentally pressed the “finish exam” button, simply send them the link to a hidden block.
Conclusion
While the proctored exam is still a very new concept, it is the future of online learning as it ensures that students get to give exams in a controlled environment.
Author Bio:
James Cordon has an ongoing affair with the words that capture readers’ attention. His passion for writing dates back to his pre-blogging days. He loves to share his thoughts related to education technology and business.
