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Proctoring Exams Using Zoom

Live-Proctoring your Exams over Zoom

When live-proctoring your exams over Zoom, your class meets as usual (or within another given window of time) so you can observe the students as they take the exam.

View this guide on selecting and using proctoring software.

To-Do Prior to your Exam Time:

  • You MUST create the Zoom session for your exam from your personal Zoom account at temple.zoom.us. If you create the session in your Canvas classroom, then the recording will be available to all students as soon as it processes. This session must be kept private only to you. Once you create the Zoom session for your exam, you must share the link to join the session with your class.
  • Add a password to the exam in Canvas so you can relay the password to students once they are in the session with you.
  • Select “Registration Required” when creating your Zoom exam meeting.
  • From your personal Zoom Account go to the Settings > Recordings tab, you should make sure that “Cloud Recording” is turned on. Switch your Cloud Recording Settings to record “Active Speaker with Shared Screen,” “Gallery View with Shared Screen,” and “Record active speaker, gallery view and shared screen separately.” (See Image)
    • This step is necessary because your recording settings may be set by default to only record the active speaker during a session. This means that even if you are watching students in gallery view, the recording may not be recording as many students as possible. This step will ensure that your gallery view screen is recorded no matter what is happening in the session.
    • Remember, you will have to scroll through your students in gallery view if they do not all fit on one screen in order to observe and record as many of them as possible throughout the exam.
Cloud recording options dialog

To-Do During your Exam:

  • Begin your session early to set up your preferences.
  • Disable Private one-on-one chats between Zoom participants. From the Chat Box, select “More > Participants Can Chat with Host only.”
  • Select “Mute All” from the Participants Panel. You can unmute students individually if needed. You may consider randomly unmuting the class throughout the exam to ensure no one is playing or hearing answers from a source you cannot see.
  • Make sure your Zoom window is in Gallery View so you can watch as many students as possible from the main Zoom window. You can cycle between screens if you have more students than will fit in the gallery at the same time.
  • Record the session to the cloud and be sure to inform students that you are recording them.
  • Require all students to turn on webcams and keep them on for the duration of the exam. Inform them that they cannot exit Zoom or turn off their webcam until they have submitted the exam.
  • Optional Requirement: Students must privately message you to inform you that they have completed their exam. You can then check on the “Moderate this quiz” screen in Canvas to see if they have submitted the exam before approving them to leave the Zoom session.

Note:

  • If you are proctoring a large class using Zoom, consider whether you can have a TA assigned to assist you with proctoring your exam. They may watch a portion of students in a Breakout Room or separate Zoom session.
  • Do NOT ask any student to screen share during the exam. This will allow other students to see their exam answers.

Students Submitting Exam Recordings

When having students record their exams using Zoom, they take the exam in their own private Zoom meeting. Students must use the Zoom record feature to capture their webcam video and screen share during the exam, then submit the video recording to you. You can review these videos at your own discretion.

Recommendations for successful student recorded exams in Zoom:

  • Share this Guide on Recording Exams in Zoom with your students.
  • Reiterate to students that they need to record their sessions to the cloud. This is because it is preferable to share the streaming link of the exam instead of the MP4.
  • Ask students to do a sweep of their exam space with their webcam before beginning the exam. Request that they place their phones to the side or behind them, where you can see the phone on camera throughout the exam.
  • Inform students that they must keep their audio and video ON throughout the exam but that NO headphones are to be worn during the exam.
  • They must begin screen sharing using the Zoom Share tool before they begin the exam, and must keep screen sharing until after they have submitted the exam.
  • Students must submit the recording of their exam within 24hrs of completing it, either to an assignment created for this purpose or through email (your preference). If Zoom has not processed their recording within 24hrs they must inform you of the delay. You may decide if there is any loss of credit should they not submit their recording on time.
  • When reviewing exam recordings, pay special attention to where student’s eyes are during their exam. While it is natural to look away from your computer when thinking or working on scratch paper, if allowed, it is suspicious when the eyes leave the screen repeatedly focused on one spot. Remember that cheaters often post cheat sheets somewhere behind their computer screens or on their monitors where their webcams do not capture.
  • Optional: Require students to hold a picture ID in front of the webcam before beginning their exam so you can confirm their identity.
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