To: OSU Faculty

From: Alix Gitelman, Vice Provost, Office of Undergraduate Education and Professor of Statistics, College of Science

May 20th, 2020

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to share that Oregon State University has developed a digital proctoring plan for supporting faculty in the remote teaching environment (please see note below about Ecampus courses).  This plan includes a few solutions ranging from Zoom for live proctoring to Proctorio for digital proctoring. Depending on the level of verified integrity you desire for each test, these options may be appropriate for you.  OSU has just concluded an agreement to augment the current Ecampus pilot program with Proctorio to provide a high-integrity testing solution at no additional cost to students in spring term.  Proctorio provides a flexible platform that can integrate into Canvas course sites, reducing the burden on faculty who require its use.  You can also learn about alternative assessments to minimize or even eliminate the need for examinations on the Keep Teaching website.

Because not every exam will require a high level of proctoring, I am sharing a number of options to administer examinations:

  1. Conduct examinations without the need to proctor.  This option relies on informing students of their obligation to adhere to the Code of Student Conduct.
  2. Conduct examinations using Zoom with a live proctor. This approach can be accomplished by using faculty or staff proctors.  We are working to assemble a list of people who are available to provide proctoring.  If you are ready to request this service for your exam, complete this form.
  3. Conduct examinations using Proctorio as the digital proctor. Proctorio can be integrated with your Canvas site and has a configurable interface to allow faculty to decide the appropriate controls for each course’s test environment.  Proctorio provides a protected browser that prevents internet access by students to anything other than the test instrument and an automated detection of anomalies based on faculty controlled settings.  Instructors can access reports about the test and review any video that has been flagged. Students should be advised that they will be recorded during their Proctorio session.

For faculty: I encourage you to use the assessment option(s) that best suits your courses. The Center for Teaching and Learning has many resources regarding effective assessment. CTL staff are also available to consult with you regarding specific assessment and content questions.  Follow this link for more information: https://ctl.oregonstate.edu/

For colleges: Since Proctorio is a limited resource for spring term, I encourage colleges to develop a process to determine which courses require testing with this level of integrity. Colleges can indicate the courses they authorize to use Proctorio by contacting UIT/Academic Technology. Two weeks notice before the exam is requested to allow for Proctorio to be integrated in the Canvas site and for Disability Access Services (DAS) to work with faculty and DAS students on any additional accommodations needed. Please email [email protected].

Please note that proctoring options for Ecampus courses through the Ecampus Testing Team have not changed for spring term; email [email protected] if you have questions about your online sections.

I truly appreciate the Ecampus and UIT staff that have made these options available to the university community.

As ever, thank you for all that you do.

Alix Gitelman
Vice Provost, Office of Undergraduate Education and Professor of Statistics, College of Science

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