Running head: PROCTORING 1
Written Assignment Unit 3: Proctoring
University of the People
UNIV 1001 Online Education Strategies
John Smith, Instructor
January 9, 2019
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Written Assignment Unit 3: Proctoring
Proctoring is monitoring a student and the exam-taking process during an exam to
prevent cheating (Norris, 2018). A proctor ensures that the student actually takes the exam and
verifies student identity. University of the People (UoPeople) uses proctors to maintain academic
integrity and prevent unethical behavior during testing. As Norris (2018) said, cheating is a very
real concern for online classes. Proctoring is one strategy UoPeople uses to assure academic
honesty. Students need to complete five proctored exams for an associate’s degree and 11
proctored exams for a bachelor’s degree (UoPeople, n.d.).
According to UoPeople (n.d.), students must select their own proctor and potential
proctors need to meet a number of criteria. Unless students use a proctoring service like
ProctorU, students are forbidden from paying the proctor. Proctors have to be both responsible
and 21 or older. Proctors also have access to internet because UoPeople must be able to contact
them. Most importantly, proctors cannot have any conflict of interest. “The proctor cannot be a
relative of the student, a student at UoPeople or an applicant, nor can the proctor have a conflict
of interest or a vested interest in the student’s grade or performance on his/her exam” (UoPeople,
n.d., para. 11).
While using a proctor sounds like a lot of work, the process is actually very easy. At
registration, the student needs to enter the proctor’s contact details (UoPeople, n.d.). This
includes full name and all contact information. The university then contacts the proctor to
confirm details. At the time of the exam the proctor needs to enter a code so the student can start
the exam, so ensuring accurate contact information is very important. The student is also
responsible for scheduling a time for the exam.
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As selecting a proctor is an important student responsibility, it is important to choose
carefully. A local librarian is a good choice for a proctor as librarians could meet all of
UoPeople’s requirements. A librarian would have no conflict of interest with student academic
achievement and would be at least 21 years old. In fact, librarians are a possibility listed on
UoPeople’s website (UoPeople, n.d.). However, a third-party system like ProctorU - while more
expensive than finding a volunteer proctor - would be far more convenient and would be the best
choice for this author.
Word count: 383
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References
Norris, A. (2018). The catch 22 of technology in higher education. EDUCAUSE Industry
Insights. Retrieved from [Link]
technology-in-higher-education
University of the People. (n.d.). Academic degree requirements. Retrieved from
[Link]