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Background: The global COVID-19 pandemic turned the adoption of on-line assessment in the institutions for higher education from possibility to necessity. Thus, in the end of Fall 20/21 semester Tel Aviv University (TAU)-the largest university in Israel-designed and implemented a scalable procedure for administering proctored remote examinations. This procedure is applicable to different kinds of examinations in diverse disciplines and to disparate degree levels. Objectives: This study aims to deepen the knowledge with respect to the design and adoption of remote proctoring at an institutional level Methods: First, based on lessons learned from the first semester of COVID-19, we describe the development and implementation of an institution-wide protocol for conducting on-line proctored assessment. We show the large-scale applicability of the protocol for administering examinations via Moodle with remote proctoring via Zoom. The accurately designed procedures that included careful consideration of all parties involved-academic staff members, students, administrative staff and proctors- enabled TAU to successfully assess the learning outcomes of its 25,000 students, while maintaining validity, compatibility and reliability of the assessment. Second, we report combined data from surveys of 4380 students and 188 faculty-members (18% and 12% response rate respectively), conducted at TAU following these examinations. Results and Conclusions: With over 90% of the students experiencing at least one, and 80% of faculty-members administering at least one proctored remote examination, these heterogeneous sources of data allow us to investigate a unique and complementary perspective of the process. Some of the significant findings consist of the over-all perception of the students' integrity by both groups surveyed;the discrepancy in the groups' perspectives of the adequate form of learning-assessment- with the instructors preferring proctored examinations and the students-formative assessment;and the influence of the pedagogical challenges on the perception of validity that outweighed other factors, for example, the pandemic-related stress, the on-line assessment challenges and other. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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Technological advancements have enabled remote exams as a viable alternative to in-person proctoring. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, educational institutions relied heavily on remote operation. The sudden shift exposed the weaknesses in available proctoring solutions, as pertains to fairness, economic viability, data privacy, network issues and usability. Moreover, whether they are equal in function to physical proctoring is questionable. Based on extensive research, we establish the system requirements and design for Dr. Proctor, a non-commercial solution that addresses many of the exposed concerns about remote proctoring.
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Background Objectives Methods Results and Conclusions The global COVID‐19 pandemic turned the adoption of on‐line assessment in the institutions for higher education from possibility to necessity. Thus, in the end of Fall 20/21 semester Tel Aviv University (TAU)—the largest university in Israel—designed and implemented a scalable procedure for administering proctored remote examinations. This procedure is applicable to different kinds of examinations in diverse disciplines and to disparate degree levels.This study aims to deepen the knowledge with respect to the design and adoption of remote proctoring at an institutional levelFirst, based on lessons learned from the first semester of COVID‐19, we describe the development and implementation of an institution‐wide protocol for conducting on‐line proctored assessment. We show the large‐scale applicability of the protocol for administering examinations via Moodle with remote proctoring via Zoom. The accurately designed procedures that included careful consideration of all parties involved—academic staff members, students, administrative staff and proctors—enabled TAU to successfully assess the learning outcomes of its 25,000 students, while maintaining validity, compatibility and reliability of the assessment. Second, we report combined data from surveys of 4380 students and 188 faculty‐members (18% and 12% response rate respectively), conducted at TAU following these examinations.With over 90% of the students experiencing at least one, and 80% of faculty‐members administering at least one proctored remote examination, these heterogeneous sources of data allow us to investigate a unique and complementary perspective of the process. Some of the significant findings consist of the over‐all perception of the students' integrity by both groups surveyed;the discrepancy in the groups' perspectives of the adequate form of learning‐assessment—with the instructors preferring proctored examinations and the students—formative‐assessment;and the influence of the pedagogical challenges on the perception of validity that outweighed other factors, for example, the pandemic‐related stress, the on‐line assessment challenges and other. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Computer Assisted Learning is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
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Objective: As the COVID-19 pandemic began, there were significant concerns for the strength and stability of the emergency medical services (EMS) workforce. These concerns were heightened with the closure of examination centers and the cessation of certification examinations. The impact of this interruption on the EMS workforce is unclear. Our objective was to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on initial EMS certification in the United States. In addition, we evaluated mitigation measures taken to address these interruptions. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional evaluation of the National Certification Cognitive Examination administration and results for emergency medical technician (EMT) and paramedic candidates. We compared the number of examinations administered and first-attempt pass rates in 2020 (pandemic) to 2019 (control). Descriptive statistics and 2 one-sided tests of equivalence were used to assess if there was a relevant difference of ±5 percentage points. Results: Total number of examinations administered decreased by 15% (EMT, 14%; paramedic, 7%). Without the addition of EMT remote proctoring, the EMT reduction would have been 35%. First-time pass rates were similar in both EMT (-0.9%) and paramedic (-1.9%) candidates, which did not meet our threshold of a relevant difference. Conclusion: COVID-19 has had a measurable impact on examination administration for both levels of certification. First-time pass rates remained unaffected. EMT remote proctoring mitigated some of the impact of COVID-19 on examination administration, although a comparison with mitigation was not assessed. These reductions indicate a potential decrease in the newly certified workforce, but future evaluations will be necessary to assess the presence and magnitude of this impact.
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As COVID-19 spread in early 2020, a lockdown was implemented across Canadian provinces and territories, resulting in the shuttering of physical post-secondary campuses. Universities quickly pivoted to remote learning, and faculty members adjusted their instructional and assessment approaches to align with virtual environments. Presumably to aid with this process, a number of institutions acquired licenses to remote online proctoring services. This paper examines the research around online remote proctoring, examining the justification offered for the adoption of online remote proctoring, and contemporary research on assessment practices in higher education. Throughout the paper, I demonstrate a lack of research that speaks to the efficacy of this mode of assessment while also acknowledging shifts in the testing environment, and an increase in student anxiety. I argue that online remote proctoring is not only embedded within neoliberalism and audit culture, but supports a continued reliance on testing culture. It concludes with a discussion of assessment culture, offering some alternative assessment approaches that might disrupt the very need for online remote proctoring.
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COVID-19 is disrupting assessment practices and accelerating changes. With special focus on K-12 and credentialing exams, this article describes the series of changes observed during the pandemic, the solutions assessment providers have implemented, and the long-term impact on future practices. Additionally, this article highlights the importance of the balanced assessment system, the use of assessments both for learning and of learning, and using assessments to support for social justice, equity and inclusion. These desired uses and outcomes will continue to challenge assessment and measurement experts on how they design, develop, and implement assessments moving forward.
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Background Proctoring represents a cornerstone in the acquisition of state-of-the-art cardiovascular interventions. Yet, travel restrictions and containment measures during the COVID-19 pandemic limited on-site proctoring for training and expert support in interventional cardiology. Methods and Results We established a teleproctoring setup for training in a novel patent foramen ovale closure device system (NobleStitch EL, HeartStitch Inc, Fountain Valley, CA) at our institution using web-based real-time bidirectional audiovisual communication. A total of 6 patients with prior paradoxical embolic stroke and a right-to-left shunt of grade 2 or 3 were treated under remote proctorship after 3 cases were performed successfully under on-site proctorship. No major device/procedure-related adverse events occurred, and none of the patients had a residual right-to-left shunt of grade 1 or higher after the procedure. Additionally, we sought to provide an overview of current evidence available for teleproctoring in interventional cardiology. Literature review was performed identifying 6 previous reports on teleproctoring for cardiovascular interventions, most of which were related to the current COVID-19 pandemic. In all reports, teleproctoring was carried out in similar settings with comparable setups; no major adverse events were reported. Conclusions Teleproctoring may represent a feasible and safe tool for location-independent and cost-effective training in a novel patent foramen ovale closure device system. Future prospective trials comparing teleproctoring with traditional on-site proctoring are warranted.
Subject(s)
Cardiac Surgical Procedures , Telemedicine , COVID-19 , Cardiac Surgical Procedures/education , Foramen Ovale, Patent/surgery , Humans , PandemicsABSTRACT
In 2020, the onset of COVID-19 greatly restricted access to admissions testing in higher education and required innovative solutions and flexibility such as at home testing with remote proctoring, reducing testing time, pop-up locations, and additional testing dates. Increased focus on social justice, diversity, and fairness continued to concern admissions professionals during this time. This article is intended to provide an update (Camara) on admissions testing as we enter 2022, documenting enhancements and changes across testing programs. In addition, we report recent data and findings on applications, enrollment, and test taking, as well as the prevalence of test optional and test blind policies and its impact on score sending in undergraduate, graduate, business, law, and medical schools. It is important to note that many questions remain unanswered. Our original intent was to include more information on the impact of test-optional polices on diversity as we thought the pandemic would be in the rear-view mirror by now. Given the lingering effects of the pandemic, it will be critical to evaluate the impact of these policies changes on the entering class of 2021 and beyond as those data become available.
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BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected assessment practices in medical education necessitating distancing from the traditional classroom. However, safeguarding academic integrity is of particular importance for high-stakes medical exams. We utilised remote proctoring to administer safely and reliably a proficiency-test for admission to the Advanced Master of General Practice (AMGP). We compared exam results of the remote proctored exam group to those of the on-site proctored exam group. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was adopted with candidates applying for admission to the AMGP. We developed and applied a proctoring software operating on three levels to register suspicious events: recording actions, analysing behaviour, and live supervision. We performed a Mann-Whitney U test to compare exam results from the remote proctored to the on-site proctored group. To get more insight into candidates' perceptions about proctoring, a post-test questionnaire was administered. An exploratory factor analysis was performed to explore quantitative data, while qualitative data were thematically analysed. RESULTS: In total, 472 (79%) candidates took the proficiency-test using the proctoring software, while 121 (20%) were on-site with live supervision. The results indicated that the proctoring type does not influence exam results. Out of 472 candidates, 304 filled in the post-test questionnaire. Two factors were extracted from the analysis and identified as candidates' appreciation of proctoring and as emotional distress because of proctoring. Four themes were identified in the thematic analysis providing more insight on candidates' emotional well-being. CONCLUSIONS: A comparison of exam results revealed that remote proctoring could be a viable solution for administering high-stakes medical exams. With regards to candidates' educational experience, remote proctoring was met with mixed feelings. Potential privacy issues and increased test anxiety should be taken into consideration when choosing a proctoring protocol. Future research should explore generalizability of these results utilising other proctoring systems in medical education and in other educational settings.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Pandemics , Cross-Sectional Studies , Humans , SARS-CoV-2 , StudentsABSTRACT
Remote proctoring by advanced digital technologies may help to overcome pandemic, geographic, and resource-related constraints for mentoring and educating interventional cardiology skills. We present a case series of patients undergoing high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention (HR-PCI) with mechanical circulatory support (MCS) guided by remote proctoring to gain insights into a streaming technology platform with regard to video/audio quality, visibility of all structural and imaging details, and delay in transmission. According to our experience, remote proctoring appears to be a reliable, quick, and resource-conserving way to disseminate, educate and improve MCS-supported HR-PCI with implications far beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.