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Protect student privacy: ban eproctoring

baneproctoring.com

61–70 of 324 posts

Re: Protect student privacy: ban eproctoring

#61
post #28

> A federally-funded study found that even the best facial recognition algorithms fail to work on Black and brown people, trans and non-binary people, as well as children and women in general. I assume it is black and brown trans and non-binary people. I don't see an algorithm fail because someone identifies as anything. However, why even mention it here, in this context? It makes the people behind this sound ridicul…

Recognition algorithms often make assumptions about the way people "should" be shaped according to their recorded gender or the way the machine attempts to "guess" said gender, and a clash in expectations gets flagged and generates false negatives because things aren't in the "right" places it thinks they should be. For a really simple example if this problem, the TSA body scanner machines flag on trans people consta…

>Now you get a full grope patdown from a suspicious TSA officer, because a machine was coded to make binary assumptions about bodies.

No, you get a full grope patdown from a TSA officer because the United States' reaction to 9/11 was disproportionate and insane.

In no other free nation on Earth* would a machine detecting a suspicious, dick-shaped lump where your vagina should be cause an airport security agent to want to sexually assault you.

*Yes, I'm sure there are a few, and I'm sure someone will respond to my comment with at least one of them.

Re: Protect student privacy: ban eproctoring

#63
My institution is currently undergoing a review of our assessment policy and I am participating as a stakeholder.

Nobody, academic or otherwise, wants to use e-proctoring ongoing. It was a kludge for sudden covid in 2020 but ongoing use will be restricted by policy to where it is used to accommodate a student's need for an alternative assessment arrangement.

Re: Protect student privacy: ban eproctoring

#64
post #11
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>We employed the method of mixing the order of questions, not giving question titles, and having a pool of subtly different questions (a negation or a different constant slipped in) What an awful burden to put on the shoulders of the already overworked and underpaid professors.

We did this through the exam software (Browser-Based). Everything not checked automatically (multiple choice) was sorted by question in the backend. We (the examiners) had all the information. It was just hidden from the students.

Might I ask, was the exam software you used something you acquired from a third-party, or was it something you built yourselves? Would you recommend it? I have been dissatisfied with everything we have tried so far in my organization, and what you used sounds pretty good.

Re: Protect student privacy: ban eproctoring

#65

I can see why universities want to use a system like this. A friend of mine is a University lecturer for physics and one of his students gave him an invite to the discord channel where half his students are in there sharing all the answers during the final exam. He basically told me there is nothing he can do about it. He talked to the head of department and they basically said if you have proof of specific people ch…

Even for people who have cheated in a very obvious way, nothing is done. A friend of mine copied an assignment right down to the name and student number as he didn't even bother to read the whole block of code so also copied the comments with the submission information. He got 100%, but was told not to do it again.

This is in the United States?

Re: Protect student privacy: ban eproctoring

#66
I was recently sponsored by my employer to do a professional certification which involved an online e-proctored exam. I was asked to install the e-proctoring software on my personal computer, because corporate security policy does not allow unvetted 3rd party software onto company devices. I told my employer that's my policy too, and that I would need to be supplied with a separate laptop if they wanted me to take the exam. They did.

I think if universities want to mandate use of e-proctoring software, they need to provide temporary/burner devices too.

Re: Protect student privacy: ban eproctoring

#67
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We did this through the exam software (Browser-Based). Everything not checked automatically (multiple choice) was sorted by question in the backend. We (the examiners) had all the information. It was just hidden from the students.

Might I ask, was the exam software you used something you acquired from a third-party, or was it something you built yourselves? Would you recommend it? I have been dissatisfied with everything we have tried so far in my organization, and what you used sounds pretty good.

I don’t know what you use for your LMS, but I know Canvas can do most of that as part of its Quiz system (randomize questions given, randomize constants and answers, etc). I’m sure Blackboard and moodle have something similar.

https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Instructor-Guide/How-do-I...

Re: Protect student privacy: ban eproctoring

#68
post #2

We employed the method of mixing the order of questions, not giving question titles, and having a pool of subtly different questions (a negation or a different constant slipped in) in order to vastly increase the amount of necessary communication to collaborate. We had the students turn on their webcams just to discourage them sitting in the same room, which basically would negate our former efforts. Neither did we f…

Especially at universities I don't see the reason for invasive e-proctoring.

When I was studying (physics, early 2000s in Germany), we didn't even have a honor system, we had the assumption that everybody is there to learn something. If you cheat, you harm yourself.

Progress was assessed by weekly excercise sheets where you were encouraged to work together with others, and to learn how to use the library to find solutions. After each semester there would be a test for each course, and you would get a certificate if passed. Attendence to lectures was usually not checked. The tests were "closed" and watched, but if you were determined you could probably have easily cheated. Anyway regular cheaters would have failed miserably at the latest in the oral exams or the lab courses.

I think a major function of universities is to teach people to be independent and responsible, and if we school-ize them we loose a lot.

Re: Protect student privacy: ban eproctoring

#69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even for people who have cheated in a very obvious way, nothing is done. A friend of mine copied an assignment right down to the name and student number as he didn't even bother to read the whole block of code so also copied the comments with the submission information. He got 100%, but was told not to do it again.

This is in the United States?

Canada. Heard plenty of similar stories though for the USA as well.

Re: Protect student privacy: ban eproctoring

#70
post #31

Related: Bengaluru (India), Student alleges invigilator addressed her as ‘baby’, sparks row. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/bangalore/bengaluru...

Not related, really.

I think it's related because eproctoring often forces people to electronically invite strangers into their homes and show them round.

Creeps are going to creep, but it's legitimate to want to reduce the number of avenues they can do that.

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