ai-remote-proctoring-solutions

AI Remote Proctoring: How To Choose A Solution

Nathan Thompson, PhDMay 17, 2022

AI remote proctoring has seen an incredible increase of usage during the COVID pandemic. ASC works with a very wide range of clients, with a wide range of remote proctoring needs, and therefore we partner with a range of remote proctoring vendors that match to our clients’ needs, and in some cases bring on a new vendor at the request of a client.

At a broad level, we recommend live online proctoring for high-stakes exams such as medical certifications, and AI remote proctoring for medium-stakes exams such as pre-employment assessment. Suppose you have decided that you want to find a vendor for AI remote proctoring. How can you start evaluating solutions? 

Well, it might be surprising, but even within the category of “AI remote proctoring” there can be substantial differences in the functionality provided, and you should therefore closely evaluate your needs and select the vendor that makes the most sense – which is the approach we at ASC have always taken.  We have also prepared a list of the best online proctoring software platforms for your use.

What is AI Remote Proctoring?

AI remote proctoring is a cutting-edge technology that uses artificial intelligence to monitor and supervise online examinations. Unlike traditional in-person proctoring, which requires human invigilators to oversee exams, AI remote proctoring leverages advanced algorithms to ensure the integrity and security of the testing process. This system typically employs a combination of facial recognition, screen monitoring, and behavior analysis to detect any suspicious activity during the exam.

The main benefits of using AI for remote proctoring

One of the primary advantages of AI remote proctoring is its ability to provide a scalable and flexible solution for educational institutions, certification bodies, and corporations. It allows students and test-takers to complete their exams from the comfort of their own homes or any other location with an internet connection. This not only reduces logistical challenges but also opens up opportunities for a wider range of candidates to participate in assessments.

Moreover, AI remote proctoring enhances the fairness and accuracy of the examination process. The technology can continuously analyze multiple data points in real time, identifying potential instances of cheating such as looking away from the screen, using unauthorized devices, or receiving external help. These automated systems can flag suspicious behavior for further review by human proctors, ensuring a robust and reliable evaluation process.

In addition to maintaining the integrity of the exams, AI remote proctoring also respects the privacy of test-takers. Many systems are designed with stringent data protection measures to ensure that personal information and exam data are securely handled and stored. This combination of security, flexibility, and reliability makes AI remote proctoring an increasingly popular choice for modern educational and professional assessments.

How does AI remote proctoring work?

Because this approach is fully automated, we need to train machine learning models to look for things that we would generally consider to be a potential flag.   These have to be very specific!  Here are some examples:student remote proctoring software

  1. Two faces in the screen
  2. No faces in the screen
  3. Voices detected
  4. Black or white rectangle approximately 2-3 inches by 5 inches (phone is present)
  5. Face looking away or down
  6. White rectangle approximately 8 inches by 11 inches (notebook or extra paper is present)

These are continually monitored at each slice of time, perhaps twice per second.  The video frames or still images are evaluated with machine learning models such as support vector machines to determine the probability that each flag is happening, and then an overall cheating score or probability is calculated.  You can see this happening in real time at this very helpful video.

If you are a fan of the show Silicon Valley you might recall how a character built an app for recognizing food dishes with AI… and the first iteration was merely “hot dog” vs. “not hot dog.”  This was a nod towards how many applications of AI break problems down into simple chunks.

Some examples of differences in AI remote proctoring

   1. Video vs. Stills: Some vendors record full HD video of the student’s face with the webcam, while others are designed for lower-stakes exams, and only take a still shot every 10 seconds.  In some cases, the still-image approach is better, especially if you are delivering exams in low-bandwidth areas.

   2. Audio: Some vendors record audio, and flag it with AI.  Some do not record audio.

   3. Lockdown browser: Some vendors provide their own lockdown browser, such as Sumadi.  Some integrate with market leaders like Respondus or SafeExam.  Others do not provide this feature.

   4. Peripheral detection: Some vendors can detect certain hardware situations that might be an issue, such as a second monitor. Others do not.

   5. Second camera: Some vendors have the option to record a second camera; typically this is from the examinee’s phone, which is placed somewhere to see the room, since the computer webcam can usually only see their face.

   6. Screen recording: Some vendors record full video of the examinee’s screen as they take the exam. It can be argued that this increases security, but is often not required if there is lockdown browser. It can also be argued that this decreases security, because now images of all your items reside in someplace other than your assessment platform.

   7. Additional options: For example, Examus has a very powerful feature for Bring Your Own Proctors, where staff would be able to provide live online proctoring, enhanced with AI in real time. This would allow you to scale up the security for certain classifications that have high stakes but low volume, where live proctoring would be more appropriate. 

Want some help in finding a solution?

We can help you find the right solution and implement it quickly for a sound, secure digital transformation of your assessments. Contact solutions@assess.com to request a meeting with one of our assessment consultants. Or, sign up for a free account in our assessment platforms, FastTest and Assess.ai and see how our Rapid Assessment Development (RAD) can get you up and running in only a few days. Remember that the assessment platform itself also plays a large role in security: leveraging modern methods like computerized adaptive testing or linear on-the-fly testing will help a ton.

What are current topics and issues regarding AI remote proctoring?

ASC hosted a webinar in August 2022, specifically devoted to this topic.  You can view the video below.

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Nathan Thompson, PhD

Nathan Thompson earned his PhD in Psychometrics from the University of Minnesota, with a focus on computerized adaptive testing. His undergraduate degree was from Luther College with a triple major of Mathematics, Psychology, and Latin. He is primarily interested in the use of AI and software automation to augment and replace the work done by psychometricians, which has provided extensive experience in software design and programming. Dr. Thompson has published over 100 journal articles and conference presentations, but his favorite remains https://scholarworks.umass.edu/pare/vol16/iss1/1/ .
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