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Online Test Proctoring Policy

Responsible Office:
UW-Green Bay

Purpose

The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay supports instructor efforts to enhance academic integrity. These efforts may be pedagogical and/or technological in nature. This policy provides broad guidelines instructors should follow when leveraging either the online proctoring tool purchased by the institution or an online proctoring tool integrated with approved textbook or other third-party tool.

This policy does not supersede or replace institutional guidance on purchasing of technology or University of Wisconsin System policies intended to guide the purchase and contract process for digital tools and resources. Only online test proctoring tools that have completed both the institutional and the system purchasing process can be used and are addressed by this policy.

Definitions 

  • LMS. The LMS, or Learning Management System, is used to facilitate learning in both in-person and distance education courses. The platform is centrally administered and hosts course materials including instructor-prepared content, files, discussions boards, quizzes and exams.
  • In-person proctoring. An instructor elects to preside over their exams to monitor students and the integrity of the exam. The location of the proctoring can be on any one of our four locations but the instructor is present in the room with the student(s) taking the exam. Students cannot be required to pay for in-person proctoring facilitated by the instructor.
  • Online Test Proctoring. An instructor elects to use an approved remote proctoring tool specifically designed for online and electronic testing. Students may be required to pay for the online test proctoring tool.
  • Off-Campus Test Proctoring. An instructor elects to refer students to an off-campus test proctoring sites to complete one or more course assessments. Off-campus test proctoring sites may include another college or university, a local library or a private testing facility. Students may be required to pay for the off-campus test proctoring site.
  • Proctoring. A strategy or tool intended to enhance the integrity and security of course assessments completed by students.
  • SIS. The SIS, or Student Information System, is a centralized tool used as our institutional student record and course scheduling system. Students, Advisors and Instructors rely on SIS during the scheduling process.

Policy

It is the policy of the University of Wisconsin Green Bay that instructors may elect to use online test proctoring in a distance education class to enhance exam integrity and security when one or more of the following criteria are met:

  • The class leads to or is part of a program that leads to professional licensure as required by the accrediting or other licensing agency.
  • The class is offered as an online, asynchronous course.
  • The class is offered synchronously across locations and in-person proctoring during the class meeting time would be prohibitive.
  • The distance education class is partnered with an in-person class, e.g. an online science lecture class and its in-person lab, can offer online proctoring for both in-person and distance education course content to assure parity and equity in the exam experience.
  • The use of objective assessments supports the pedagogy of both the instructor and the course content and is best facilitated through an online proctoring tool.

Instructors who elect to use online proctoring should commit to adhering to the following guidelines in order to foster a positive learning environment.

A. Approved Online Proctoring Tool

Instructors may use those online proctoring tools pre-approved by UW-Green Bay and the University of Wisconsin System Use of software or programs not approved institutional policy may lead to employee discipline and may result in invalidation of the assessment performed implementing the unauthorized tool.

Prior to use of any tool which is not pre-approved, the requesting instructor must confirm that the tool is approved for use by contacting our LMS Administrator at dle@uwgb.edu not less than twelve weeks before the start of the semester in which the tool will be used. If the tool is not approved for use, the LMS Administrator will inform the requesting instructor of the process to seek approval for the tool but cannot guarantee that the tool will be approved in time for the intended semester. Prior to use the tool must be confirmed by GB-IT, CATL and the Dean of the College that UW-Green Bay Information Technology can support the tool; that CATL can provide education and support to the users of the tool; and that there are no other concerns about the use of the tool noting concerns about accessibility and equity in the use of these tools. 

B. Notification of Online Proctoring to Students

If a class will use an online proctoring tool, students must be notified of the technology requirements, which may include such things as a webcam, microphone, stable internet and any student fees associated with the online proctoring tool.

  1. Time of Registration: Students should be alerted to the intent to use an online proctoring tool at the time of registration through the inclusion of a note in SIS. The notice should be a brief statement that indicates the intent to use an online proctoring technology required and any fees associated with the use of the online proctoring tool. 
    • Sample Language: "Students enrolled in this class may be asked to complete online exams using an online proctoring tool. Additional information regarding the online proctoring tool for this class will be provided on the first day of class. Students should plan to have access to a laptop or PC with a camera and microphone and a reliable internet service or be able to visit one of our four campus locations to borrow such technology from our campus libraries to complete exams."
  2. Syllabus: Students should be alerted to specific information regarding the online proctoring tool required for the class and specific class policies regarding the use of online proctoring. A sample syllabus statement for online proctoring is available through the Provost Syllabi Resource.
  3. Timeliness: While the ideal timeline would allow instructors to include a statement in SIS, the process for the approval of technology may not allow such advance notice. If a note in SIS cannot be included when registration opens, instructors must email all registered students for the class as soon as a determination to use an online proctoring tool is made and must highlight the information regarding the online proctoring tool through inclusion of the syllabus statement, an announcement on the first day of class and a reminder forty-eight hours before the end of the add/drop period. If instructors do not include a notification of the online proctoring tool in the syllabus, instructors cannot elect to use an online proctoring tool after the start of the semester.
  4. In Class Overview: Instructors are encouraged to provide an overview of the online proctoring tool, including why the tool is used in the class and a reference to best practices for a positive student exam experience, before the end of the add/drop period. In class overviews can be delivered as a recording posted to the LMS, resource page in the LMS or a live presentation shared during a synchronous class meeting.

C. Instructor Training

Prior to using an approved online proctoring tool, instructors are strongly encouraged to participate in a training, either provided by the vendor or the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning in order to understand best practices in adopting the tool, how to interpret reports generated by the tool and the process to address any academic misconduct as described under UWS 14, Wis.Admin.Code. 

D. Online Proctoring Tool and Class Assessments

If a class uses an online proctoring tool, the instructors should clearly indicate which assessments must be completed using the online proctoring tool.

  1. Practice Assessment: The instructor should provide students a practice assessment or low-stakes assessment early in the term prior to any online proctoring assessment that is worth more than 5% of the student’s final grade. The practice assessment should allow students the opportunity to gain comfort with the tool as it will be used for their major assessments.
  2. Access to Technology: Students who are unable to meet the technology requirements of the online proctoring tool are encouraged to either travel to a campus location during normal business hours to use a study group room and the technology required to engage in the online proctored exam in a campus library or work with their faculty member to identify a mutually agreeable solution. 

E. Student Use of Online Proctoring Tool

All students are expected to use the online proctoring tool for all indicated assessments.

Instructors may be asked to provide exceptions and grant student(s) an in-person proctoring format for the assessment in the following scenarios.

  1. Student Accessibility Services Office (SAS) Accommodation: Students working with the SAS may have accommodations that would require the student to complete an assessment in the SAS Office. Instructors will receive a letter from SAS indicating that the student’s exams will be proctored in the SAS Office and should direct any inquiries regarding such accommodations to the SAS Office. Completing the exam in the SAS office does not necessarily eliminate the use of the online proctoring tool. The instructor should work with SAS and the student to determine the best path forward.
  2. Student Request: Students can request to take the exam in person on the grounds of substantiated significant concerns with the online proctoring tool. Request must be submitted via a UW-Green Bay provided email or LMS messaging system to the instructor at least 96 hours prior to the scheduled opening of the assessment. Faculty should work with the student to identify a mutually agreeable and convenient solution which might include completing the exam using university laptops at a campus library, leveraging an off-campus proctoring solution, or providing in-person proctoring for the student. 

F. Academic Misconduct

Online proctoring is one tool to assure the integrity and security of an exam. Faculty should carefully consider any report generated by an online proctoring tool and have substantiated and significant concern to warrant a negative impact on a student’s grade.

Faculty should follow the process outlined in Chapter 14 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code to report instances of academic misconduct. If faculty have questions regarding the interpretation and application of Chapter 14 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, they should seek guidance from their Chair and the Dean of Students Office.

Video, audio and other information captured and recorded through the online proctoring tool can be submitted by the faculty member in support of an investigation into an academic misconduct violation and such information may be used in any academic misconduct proceedings.