Remote online proctoring: a university student’s first-hand account

COVID-19 has thrown up many obstacles for students like myself this year. As a student in Melbourne, I’ve found it incredibly hard to not let the strict lockdown laws dominate and interfere with my studies.

It also dawns on me that this is the first time I’ve been able to look outdoors while undertaking an exam, as I compare my own bedroom to the giant isolating, windowless halls in which we’d usually complete our exams.

It’s not always just the exam that causes stress, it’s the logistics

Taking an exam is undoubtedly a stressful event for almost all of us but, funnily enough, the actual exam isn’t necessarily the worst part. Every year, during every exam period, there’s at least one horror story of a student either waking up late and missing the start time, or going to the wrong exam building, or missing their public transport, or – my personal favourite – their car battery going flat.

Anxiety spreads through student crowds

For me, and for a lot of my fellow students, the worst part of arriving at exams is actually those moments leading up to the start time. You find yourself queuing among many other students and there’s always at least someone who decides to ask what questions we all think will be in the exam. This means that you often start second-guessing yourself despite previously feeling prepared.

Not only is this moment overwhelming due to the number of students you find yourself crowded amongst, but the anxious atmosphere of unsure students questioning ‘what will be asked in the exam’ creates a contagious sense of doubt and uneasiness. What’s more, it all happens just as you’re about to enter the exam hall – the moment when you’d want to feel the most centred and confident.

A remotely proctored exam lets you control the environment

However this year those factors don’t exist, and instead a far more relaxed exam season awaits me. By being able to complete my exams online at home, I’m able to create an environment which enables me to focus and feel comfortable, while allowing me to control factors around me.

What it’s like to use the technology

1. Installing and onboarding

Before starting my exam, I’m instructed to install the Janison Remote application and follow the onboarding process. Installing Janison Remote takes me less than a minute and the instructions make each step clear and understandable.

After installing the application I’m guided through the onboarding process. This process allows me to get familiar with how the program works, while checking that my hardware was setup correctly. All this helps reassure me that no errors will occur during my actual exam.

2. My webcam’s face scan, ID check and room scan

A step-by-step process then guides me through the facial, ID and room scan. Some of the overall hesitation and criticism around remotely-proctored exams stems from students’ feeling of uncertainty of facial and room scans via their laptop’s web camera. But I found that the whole process didn’t create any feelings of doubt or uneasiness for me.

The facial and room scans felt transparent and straightforward because of the clear information provided to me by the software about the third party ID verification system and its privacy policy. During the entirety of the onboarding process I found the instructions to be clear and easy to follow, and a number of visual graphics were used to assist me in the process.