Online Proctoring Software: A Comparison of the Tools and Functions You Actually Need

Many online proctoring solutions on the market set out to address the challenges of online test administration but fail to meet the diverse needs of students, educators, and institutions.

Proctoring software may offer advanced AI technology but lack human insight, resulting in bias and inaccuracy. It may offer great usability but violates the institution’s privacy policies. It may be highly scalable but is built on biased algorithms. With state-of-the-art technology, however, institutions don’t have to compromise. Our proctoring software comparison can show you how Rosalyn’s assessment experience meets all your needs.

Understanding Proctoring Options

Most institutions understand how online proctoring works on a basic level. What many don’t fully understand is that online proctoring software can come in many forms that provide vastly different exam experiences.

A recent EDUCAUSE QuickPoll of higher education institutions found that 80% were using more than one type of proctoring software, and 20% used all four methods of proctoring software on the market. These four include:

These methods are paired with live online proctoring, recorded online proctoring, advanced automated proctoring, or human-in-the-loop proctoring.

Live
Proctoring

A proctor reviews live footage of test-takers in real time.

Recorded Proctoring

A proctor reviews recordings of students after the test is completed.

Advanced Automated Proctoring

AI scans the test environment in real time and flags suspicious activity.

Human-in-the-Loop Proctoring

AI analyzes students during a live or recorded exam and flags suspicious activity. Flagged events are sent to a student advocate for review, either in real time or after the fact.

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Online Proctoring Software Comparison

The EDUCAUSE poll shows that many institutions have serious concerns about the online proctoring software they are currently using, including cost, privacy protection, and the ability to meet accessibility standards. However, using multiple solutions to meet the needs of students, educators, and institutions results in an expensive and ineffective way to conduct exams. With this student assessment experience and online proctoring software comparison, you can find a better way.

Online Proctoring Software Comparison

Pro: Active video surveillance can approximate a classroom setting by allowing proctors to monitor multiple students at once in real time.

Con:
Live proctoring requires a large number of proctors across an institution, exams must be scheduled based on proctor availability, and proctors must monitor students continuously throughout the exam, making this a costly and inconvenient option. Proctors may also miss potential infractions, compromising the results of the exam.

Recorded Proctoring

Pro: Passive video surveillance allows proctors to review exam footage at a later date, minimizing scheduling challenges. 

Con:
Proctors must review all footage, which can be costly and time-consuming, offers limited scalability, and introduces the risk of proctor fatigue. If a student experiences problems with the software, they may have no ability to notify proctors in real time, potentially affecting their results or ability to take the test.

Advanced Automated Proctoring

Pro: AI technology provides great scalability, reduces costs, and minimizes scheduling challenges by eliminating the need for human proctors. 

Con:
Flawed AI technology presents significant problems. Poor facial recognition software has been known to discriminate against students of color, students with disabilities, and students of certain cultural backgrounds. Subpar and overly sensitive AI may flag benign movements and sounds as exam violations, and students may have little recourse. Furthermore, AI-based online proctoring software has prompted serious ethical and legal questions about student privacy and data protection.

Human-in-the-Loop Proctoring

Pro: Human-in-the-loop (HITL) student assessment software eliminates many of the problems associated with automated solutions by pairing AI with human insight. Flagged events are evaluated by human proctors to ensure accuracy. This event-based system is highly efficient and minimizes the number of human proctors needed, making it a scalable, cost-effective, and convenient option. 

Con:
Real-time HITL assessment requires scheduling according to proctor availability.

Rosalyn: An Innovative Approach

Rosalyn AI offers a cutting-edge HITL solution that combines AI with human wisdom.

Purpose-Built Functionality

Our purpose-built AI is trained on a large and diverse dataset representing test-takers of different skin tones, ethnicities, genders, and neurotypes. Rosalyn’s AI models are continually updated with new test session data to improve accuracy, reduce bias, and maintain the integrity of assessments.

Deterrence, Not Failure

Many student assessment solutions measure success by the number of violations they catch. We think it’s better to prevent those violations from occurring in the first place. With Rosalyn, students understand how the exam is proctored and the consequences of test misbehavior. Just as importantly, we create a comfortable test environment to reduce test anxiety and help students trust in the assessment process. This can keep students from trying to gain an unfair advantage.

Reducing Human Bias

The Rosalyn experience eliminates the need to monitor individual or small groups of students and reduces the amount of time a student advocate “personally” spends with a test taker. This helps to minimize human bias and keep assessments fair.

Efficiency 

Rosalyn saves time and resources as student advocates only monitor specific events rather than entire sessions. Efficiency is no longer tied to how many students a proctor can handle, but to how fast they can make a decision on specific events. This also acts as a safeguard against flawed AI to improve reliability.

Scalability

Our event-based approach means Rosalyn is truly scalable without compromising accuracy or affordability.

Accessibility

We believe that all students have a right to learn. That’s why Rosalyn works on most computers and operating systems, even in low bandwidth environments.

Privacy

Rosalyn has a fully transparent data capture and usage policy. We only collect data needed to identify a test taker and for the exam process. We never sell data to third parties. We are compliant with BIPA and believe that users should know what data is seen, how it is analyzed, and what it is used for.

When selecting online proctoring software, a comparison of all features is essential. Rosalyn was designed to include everything you need to create superior exam experiences for students, educators, and institutions alike.

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