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Read more Louella Morton
Executive Director
TestReach
Remote Invigilation is the
future for high-stakes
assessment
So, you decide you want to buy a new watch
on the internet. You browse the various styles;
you spend time choosing the colour, the
brand, the size and you meticulously go
through all the steps to check out. Now comes
the bad news, you have to drive to a
warehouse 200 miles away to collect your new
purchase.
This is what happens every day with online
learning processes, especially for formal, highstakes qualifications. The growth in online
education means that a student can access
their education online, but when it comes to
being formally assessed - they still have to
travel to a test centre on a specific day and sit
their exam at the same time as many other
students. Why move most of the process
online, only to have a last step that requires
significant time and effort?
Assessment of learning and for learning is a
key part of the education process. The
phenomenal worldwide growth in e-learning
means that technology needs to deliver
reliable and valid assessments, for any
number of candidates, in any location and in
any time zone. The digital generation expect to
have their assessment delivered conveniently
and the industry has to invest in new
technologies to meet this demand.
Is remote invigilation the answer?
Remote invigilation, also known in the US as
'online proctoring', is the process by which an
exam candidate can sit an invigilated exam
online. Essentially the exam hall experience is
recreated in an online environment. There are
different ways that it can be provided, and the
most secure one is where a live invigilator, or
proctor, monitors the candidate in real-time
while they sit their exam.
The technologies vary for this, but usually will
involve some form of video and audio link.
Some more advanced systems also have
remote screen share, instant messaging and
video recording.
This can have a huge impact on how
qualifications can be assessed. Many
professional membership bodies now provide
accredited high-stakes examinations using
remote invigilation. It is important to these
organisations that their members have the
flexibility to sit their exam at a time that suits, in
the privacy of their own home or office, and
close to the period of tuition.
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