Alternatives to Online Proctoring
If online proctoring with Examity or ProctorU is not the right choice for your class or is unavailable, consider other strategies to decrease academic dishonesty on your exams.
Online exam strategies:
1. Create large question pools.
You can create a large group of questions on the same subject and then instruct the Moodle Quiz to randomly assign a small number of them for an exam. This ensures each student will see different questions on each exam.
2. Shuffle choices within questions.
This will ensure that Choice A for one student will be different from Choice A for another student.
3. Use a time limit.
Choose a time limit that is appropriate to the amount of work that the student must do on the exam but avoid adding extra time if it is not needed.
4. Use a small testing window.
Use your traditional classroom meeting time as a starting point to calculate an effective start and stop time for your exam. Leaving the exam available for students to access for an extended time is not recommended unless a proctor is also used.
5. Ask open-ended questions.
Consider using the Essay question type to ask students questions wherein the answer may vary from student to student.
6. Assign open-book questions.
If you cannot prevent students from using the textbook, then write questions that are intended to be open book.
7. Use other tools in Moodle.
Outside of Moodle quizzes, you could add written assignments, discussion forums, and even multimedia projects (e.g., slideshow presentations, videos, podcasts, infographics, etc.) that students submit.
Learn about using Gradebook in Moodle 3.9.
8. Use VoiceThread.
Create a VoiceThread presentation that includes text, audio, and/or video-based questions. Students can submit answers to questions. With Comment Moderation enabled, students won’t see comments from other students unless you make them visible. Learn more about comment moderation in VoiceThread.
9. Use Zoom.
Although Zoom should not be used in place of an online proctoring service, there are tools within Zoom for assessment. Within a Zoom web meeting you can use polling as a quiz to check for understanding. You can choose to display the results to students as part of a discussion, or keep it hidden. Also, the individual student polling results can be saved and viewed by you after the meeting as a record for grading. Learn more about polling in Zoom.
Resource Links
The following resources provide a variety of tips and suggestions for how to replace online proctored exams with other types of assessments. In some cases, the alternatives may be more authentic than traditional multiple-choice exams and better aligned with the learning objectives being assessed.
Alternative Assessment Methods for the Online Classroom
Alternative Assessment Strategies
Alternatives to the Proctored Exam
Alternatives to Traditional Exams and Papers
The Case for Authentic Assessment
Online Courses Shouldn't Use Remote Proctoring Tools. Here's Why.
Options for Delivering Exams via Virtual Instruction
Should Professors (a) Use Multiple Choice Tests or (b) Avoid Them at All Costs?