Remote Exams Research Articles

Usability And Feasibility of an in-Home Remote Exam Device in Children with Medical Complexity During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Children with medical complexity (CMC) account for high health care utilization. Telemedicine holds significant potential in CMC, as it allows a provider to engage with CMC in their home environment and can alleviate both financial and transportation burdens. Remote exam devices that enable the performance of a physical exam could expand the ability of providers to clinically assess CMC during a telemedicine visit. In this pilot study, our goal was to develop a process for integrating an in-home remote exam device into a complex care clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluate the usability and feasibility of this device. Methods: The remote exam device was distributed to caregivers of CMC cared for at a complex care outpatient center. Using deliberate practice framework, our onboarding process provided opportunities for caregivers and providers to learn how to utilize the device. Surveys examining usability and feasibility were administered to both caregivers and providers after each telemedicine encounter. Results: A total of 43 caregivers participated in the onboarding process, which included a total of 83 practice visits. The remote exam device was rated as having excellent usability by caregivers; however, providers rated the device as having lower usability. Feasibility was notable for technology issues contributing to 15% of encounters being cancelled or ending early. Conclusions: The remote exam device was successfully integrated into a complex care clinic. Data from this pilot study supports the usability and feasibility of deploying a remote exam device across a telemedicine platform in a busy and complex outpatient academic practice.

A Multifaceted Approach to Real Time Online Proctoring with Gaze Tracking, Facial Aspect Ratio Analysis and Object Detection

The proliferation of online education and examinations has necessitated the development of secure and reliable online proctoring systems to maintain academic integrity. In this research, we propose a comprehensive real-time online proctoring system that leverages gaze movement analysis, facial aspect ratio assessment, and mouth opening status detection to identify potential cheating behaviors during remote exams. Additionally, the system incorporates object detection using the You Only Look Once (YOLO) algorithm to identify prohibited items like phones and books within the examination environment. The gaze movement analysis module employs computer vision techniques, including eye tracking algorithms, implemented using Scipy, to monitor students' eye movements during the examination. By analyzing gaze patterns, the system can detect instances of prolonged off-screen viewing, flagging potential attempts to access unauthorized materials. The facial aspect ratio analysis component utilizes facial landmarks to calculate the aspect ratio of key facial features. This approach aids in detecting abnormal head movements or deviations from typical facial expressions, which may indicate dishonest behavior. Furthermore, the proctoring system incorporates mouth opening status detection, using a deep learning algorithms, to identify instances of verbal communication or whispering during the exam. In addition to gaze and facial analysis, our system integrates the YOLO object detection algorithm to identify phones and books in the examination environment. By employing a pre-trained YOLO model, the system can efficiently detect and flag any unauthorized items within the students' vicinity. This multi-faceted system contributes to enhancing the integrity and security of remote examinations in the digital education era

Virtual Overseer for Examination Using Artificial Intelligence

The Virtual Overseer for Examination using AI is a proposed system that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor and supervise online exams. The system aims to enhance the credibility and integrity of online exams by detecting and preventing cheating behaviors such as copying answers or using unauthorized materials. The proposed system utilizes computer vision and machine learning algorithms to analyze exam sessions in real time and flag suspicious behaviors for review by human proctors. The system also employs facial recognition technology to authenticate test-takers' identity and ensure that the right person is taking the exam. Overall, the Virtual Overseer for Examination using AI has the potential to revolutionize online education and assessment by providing a secure and reliable platform for conducting remote exams.

Using Artificial Intelligence for Proctoring Remote Exams: Advantages and Challenges

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced extreme changes in educational practices around the world. Many universities and schools have offered their educational curricula and activities completely via online learning. That is why universities and educational institutions have practiced conducting tests remotely to preserve the safety of their students. Meanwhile, these universities and educational institutions faced the challenge of evaluating the integrity of the remote tests. These institutions have sought, through a number of practices, to verify the identity of students and the reliability of their test performance by using a number of means to ensure that the exams are conducted without fraud. One of those means is the use of the artificial intelligence technology applied by the Saudi Electronic University, represented by AI proctor to monitor tests remotely. This study aims to investigate the advantages of using this technology as well as the challenges that faced its implication from the viewpoint of the examination supervisors at the Saudi Electronic University. The study revealed a number of advantages and challenges. The study made a number of recommendations. Keywords: Distance education, e-learning, COVID-19; E-exam; Distance exams.

Comprehensive Primary Eye Care: A Comparison Between an In-Person Eye Exam and a Tele-Eye Care Exam.

Proper access to primary eye care is essential in addressing vision impairment, and tele-eye care examinations are a promising solution that could facilitate this access in many rural or remote areas. Even though remote eye exams are becoming increasingly frequent, comprehensive tele-eye care exams are still limited by the lack of published data. The aim of this study is to compare a comprehensive tele-eye care exam with a gold standard in-person primary eye care exam with an emphasis on refractive measurements, ocular health assessment, confidence level of the eye care providers and patient satisfaction. Sixty-six participants underwent two comprehensive eye exams performed by two eye care providers. One was a gold standard in-person exam, while the other was a remote exam performed by an eye care provider through videoconference. An overall patient satisfaction survey and a questionnaire for visual comfort with a trial frame from each modality were completed and the eye care providers scored their confidence level for each test. Exam results and diagnoses were compared between both modalities. Tele-refraction has a good to excellent agreement with in-person subjective refraction in terms of sphero-cylindrical power and best corrected visual acuity. There was no statistically significant difference for visual comfort between both modalities. The agreement between in-person and remote exams for ocular health assessment ranged from fair to almost perfect, but there was a low prevalence of ocular pathologies within the study sample. The confidence level of the eye care providers and patient satisfaction were statistically higher in-person. Tele-eye care appears to be statistically and clinically non-inferior to in-person eye exams, especially for refraction, but the low prevalence of ocular pathologies somewhat limits the comparison of its efficacy for ocular health assessment. More studies on comprehensive tele-eye care exams are needed.

AI Proctor: AI-Based Platform for Remote Learning

Progressions in technology give headway to remote exams as a good alternative to on-site proctoring. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, educators and institutions have been forced to rely on remote synchronous and asynchronous operations. The rapid change left weaknesses in the old systems to surface. Furthermore, it is questionable that they are equal in function to on-site proctoring. Grounded on thorough research, I determined the operation requirements for AI Proctor, a solution that solves many of the concerns with remote proctoring.

A Kaleidoscope of Questions: Reimagining Timed Remote Exams

This presentation provides an overview of an innovative approach to deterring student academic misconduct when writing online tests and exams. Traditional exams which contain uniformly identical questions are swapped for multiple case study scenarios that are distributed randomly among students. Additionally, individual students are provided one of several course-based theories to apply to their given scenarios, and thus their tests and exams are comprised of question combinations that are unique to each student. There is then no utility in students trying to compare answers with each other, as the likelihood of them having the exact same question combination is remote. The move to a random case study / theory combo still achieves many course objectives, as critical thinking and understanding of core concepts is measured in the context of praxis instead of memorization. Presentation discussion includes benefits and limitations of this test / exam redesign, relative to course content and context. Attendees are invited to consider how moving to tests based on case studies can measure student learning in a way that mitigates the potential for academic misconduct through peer or textbook consultation during remote online timed examination.

On-line Interpreter Accreditation Tests for the Bodies and Institutions of the European Union

Multilingualism being one of the core values of the European Union, EU bodies and institutions rely heavily on the work of interpreters. To select the best candidates, the three biggest institutions organize a common accreditation test for the auxiliary conference interpreters they intend to work with. This paper aims to examine why such an accreditation test is needed by giving an overview of the necessary skills and competences of a professional conference interpreter and by explaining the sub-tasks to be completed during the examinations. Then it presents how new technologies were gradually integrated in the testing methods in an attempt to cut travel costs and to simplify the organization of the accreditation tests. Finally, the most recent, fully online testing procedure will be presented, with an analysis of the possible advantages and drawbacks of a remote exam setting, especially in the context of the lessons learnt about remote interpreting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Impact of Online Exams on the Quality of Distance Learners' Exam and Exam Revision Experience: Perspectives from The Open University UK

This paper reports findings from a research study at The Open University, UK into the quality of distance learners’ online exam experience and the differences in experience between online (pandemic) and in-person (pre-pandemic) modes of examination. Our research responds to the ongoing need for greater insight into the exam experience and is uniquely positioned in two ways. First, we made use of a robust reference dataset collected before the COVID-19 pandemic and compared this with a second survey administered a year after the pandemic started; second, we asked students about their experience preparing and revising for the exam as well as the exam itself. Exam revision represents an important transitional period for learners. Our results show that, overall, the shift to online remote exams did not impact the quality of distance learners’ experience of revising for exams or taking the exam itself. We found no significant change in the revision experience across six of eight measures, including the learning benefits of learning while revising, enjoyment, and support. However, students reported feeling less anxious when revising for online exams. The quality of the exam experience itself was largely unaffected by the move from in-person to online remote exams. No significant differences were found for seven of the nine measures of exam experience. However, we found satisfaction with the exam environment was significantly higher for online exams and that learners felt the online exam was harder than they expected. Age and gender differences are also explored.

Anxiety Related to Online and Remote Exams among Spanish University Students

Exams are a common part of university studies, and they often generate a significant amount of anxiety, which can increase when they are taken remotely and online. The aim of this multi-centric, cross sectional study was to provide additional knowledge on this subject. The sample consisted of 1,024 Spanish university students with a mean age of 20.34 (SD: 1.78), 66.4% of them women. They were recruited from seven different universities and six areas of study. The instruments applied were the Exams Anxiety Self-Assessment Questionnaire and the Anxiety subscale of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). For the purposes of data analysis, frequency and descriptive statistics were used. The results showed moderate to high rates of anxiety related to online and remote exams in 50.1% of the sample for generalized symptoms, levels not explicable by anxiety related to the person and their context, which was 32.9%. Anxiety is greater among women and among students in the disciplines of economics, business and law, followed by arts and humanities and health sciences. Based on the results, interventions to reduce anxiety related to online and remote examination techniques are recommended.

OpenCare5G: O-RAN in Private Network for Digital Health Applications

Digital Health is a new way for medicine to work together with computer engineering and ICT to carry out tests and obtain reliable information about the health status of citizens in the most remote places in Brazil in near-real time, applying new technologies and digital tools in the process. InovaHC is the technological innovation core of the Clinics Hospital of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (HCFMUSP). It is the first national medical institution to seek new opportunities offered by 5G technology and test its application in the first private network for Digital Health in the largest hospital complex in Latin America through the OpenCare5G Project. This project uses an Open RAN concept and network disaggregation with lower costs than the traditional concept used by the telecommunications industry. The technological project connected to the 5G network was divided into two phases for proof-of-concept testing: the first with an initial focus on carrying out examinations with portable ultrasound equipment in different locations at HCFMUSP, and the second focusing on carrying out remote examinations with health professionals in other states of Brazil, who will be working in remote areas in other states with little or no ICT infrastructure together with a doctor analyzing exams in real time at HCFMUSP in São Paulo. The objective of the project is to evaluate the connectivity and capacity of the 5G private network in these the proof-of-concept tests for transmitting the volume of data from remote exams with higher speed and lower latency. We are in the first phase of the proof of concept testing to achieve the expected success. This project is a catalyst for innovation in health, connecting resources and entrepreneurs to generate solutions for the innovation ecosystem of organizations. It is coordinated by Deloitte with the participation of the Escola Politécnica da USP (The School of Engineering-University of São Paulo), Airspan, Itaú Bank, Siemens Healthineers, NEC, Telecom Infra Projet, ABDI and IDB. The use of 5G Open RAN technology in public health is concluded to be of extreme social, economic, and fundamental importance for HCFMUSP, citizens, and the development of health research to promote great positive impacts ranging from attracting investment in the country to improving the quality of patient care.

Online exams: exploring student experience and integrity behaviours as we return to campus

On campus activity is resuming following two years of working and studying at home. Institutions are now faced with the opportunity and challenge of reconnecting students with an on campus environment while retaining the flexibility of online learning and assessment. During the pandemic there was a large uptake in the use of online remote exams combined with a variety of assessment security measures including proctoring tools designed to monitor student behaviour. Scholars and commentators alike have reported on positive and negative effects of these online assessment and security measures (Coghlan et al., 2021; Harwell, 2020; Selwyn et al., 2021; Stewart, 2020; White, 2020; Zhou, 2020). In particular, online proctoring technologies have been reported by some scholars to improve academic integrity behaviours (Dawson, 2020; Dendir & Maxwell, 2020; Dyer et al., 2020; Gudiño Paredes et al., 2021; Hylton et al., 2016) while others have reported less favourable results impacting the broader student experience. For example, online exams have been shown to impact student satisfaction with their online exam experience (Dawson, 2020; Gudiño Paredes et al., 2021; Harwell, 2020; Jaap et al., 2021) and academic performance (Dendir & Maxwell, 2020; Lee & Fanguy, 2022; Milone et al., 2017). As students return to campus, institutions are faced with the dilemma of deciding what online assessment practices should be retained, adapted, or discarded. This Pecha Kucha reports on a comparison of off campus and on campus student experiences of online exams and assessment security measures including online proctoring. This Pecha Kucha will report on one of Australia’s largest university-wide student exam experience surveys. Our large dataset comprising over 12,000 total responses will reveal preliminary findings of student experience during Semester 2 2021 where students mostly completed online exams remotely at home, compared to student experience during Semester 1 2022 where students mostly completed online exams on-campus. Overall, proctoring conditions between the two teaching periods are relatively comparable, with the major difference being that for the on-campus held exams in Semester 1 2022, students were required to check-in at a physical booth and receive a wristband with QR reader allowing them subsequently check-in to the exam room where they then used their own device to complete the online exam. This study offers unique student perspectives and has allowed us to understand the impact of the varied proctoring and exam conditions on student satisfaction and wellbeing, as well as on academic integrity attitudes such as temptation to cheat and self-reported cheating behaviours. In keeping with the conference ‘reconnect’ theme we focus on comparing the online exam experience of students who have returned to campus with the experience of students who sat an online exam remotely in a private setting. In particular, we explore their satisfaction, preference, perceived academic performance, as well as their motivations and behaviours in relation to (not)cheating. This Pecha Kucha offers actionable insights in relation to the implementation of online exams and online proctoring for student who are studying off campus, but also for those who are returning to campus.

The Anatomy Course During COVID-19: The Impact of Cadaver-Based Learning on the Initiation of Reflection on Death.

BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person cadaveric dissection laboratories for teaching anatomy were omitted by many schools around the world. While knowledge domains can be easily evaluated via remote exams, non-traditional discipline-independent skills such as those encouraged through reflection on the topic of death are often overlooked. This study investigated how different anatomy course formats played a role in initiating students’ reflections on death during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodIn fall 2020, 217 medical, dental, premedical, and health sciences students from 13 international universities discussed differences in their anatomy courses online. Formats of anatomy courses ranged from dissection-based, prosection-based, hybrid (combination of dissection and prosection) to no laboratory exposure at all. Students’ responses to the question, “Did/does your anatomy course initiate your thinking about life's passing?” were collected, and they self-reported themes that were present in their reflections on death using a multiple-choice prompt. Statistical analyses to detect differences between students with and without exposure to cadavers were performed using the chi-squared test.ResultsWhen comparing students who had exposure to human anatomical specimens to those who had no exposure, the majority of students with exposure thought that the course did initiate thoughts about life’s passing, compared to students without exposure (P < 0.05). Reflection themes were consistent across groups.DiscussionThese findings indicate that anatomy dissection courses are important for the initiation of students’ feelings about the topic of death. Omission of cadaveric dissection- or prosection-based laboratories will decrease the likelihood that students initiate reflection on this topic and gain important transferable skills.

Stress generated by remote exams during the Covid-19 crisis and its relationship to physical activity: a cross-sectional study among medicine students

Background: Stress Generated by Remote Exams During the Covid-19 Crisis and its Relationship to Physical Activity: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Medicine Students. The study aimed to verify the autonomic alterations that occur in medical students in remote exams during the Covid-19 crisis and their relationship with physical activity. Study conducted with 22 medical students (9 women and 13 men) with a mean age of 19±1.5 years (18-24 years). The dependent variables were: changes in HRV. The independent variables of the study were physical activity (number of steps/day), age and sex. The results showed that the evaluation did not generate changes in the measured autonomic indicators, indicating that this model minimizes stress. It was evident that the greater the number of steps, the lower the stress index (r=-0.920). The other autonomic variables did not show a significant correlation with the number of steps. The remote assessment model used in the medical course during the Covid-19 crisis did not generate autonomic alterations indicative of stress in medical students. However, there was a low level of physical activity in this sample through the number of daily steps, on the other hand, those who had a higher number of steps had a lower stress rate.

Digital Storytelling Review in a Pharmacy Self-Care Course.

Digital storytelling is a type of active learning that allows instructors to simulate real-life situations through a series of connected videos. While this technique has been used in other healthcare education disciplines, its use in pharmacy has not been well documented. A digital storytelling model was incorporated in a required self-care pharmacy course to assess if the technique was helpful to improve the knowledge, confidence, and satisfaction of students. Due to a shift in online learning, the self-care course offered a remote exam review session containing a digital storytelling model, and this approach was compared to an in-person exam review that followed a lecture-based model held earlier in the course. Pre- and post-knowledge assessments were given to determine the impact of the digital storytelling review. There were 50 students involved in both sessions and there was a 70% response rate in the digital storytelling group and a 90% response rate in the lecture-based group. Students’ knowledge numerically improved, but not to a statistically significant level for most questions. Nonetheless, students reported more confidence (p < 0.05) in their ability to pass the upcoming exam following the digital storytelling review. Thematic analysis revealed that the digital storytelling session was engaging and interactive, though time-management and breakout rooms could be further optimized. Based on these results, exam review in a required self-care pharmacy course using a digital storytelling format may be a suitable method for students to apply course content and may particularly be of utility in online or hybrid courses.

The reality of remote exams during the Corona pandemic crisis from the point of view of students of King Khalid University - An evaluation study: واقع الاختبارات عن بعد خلال أزمة جائحة كورونا من وجهة نظر طالبات جامعة الملك خالد - دراسة تقويمية

The study aimed to identify the reality of remote exams during the Corona pandemic crisis from the point of view of the students of King Khalid University. The study followed the descriptive analytical method. the sample was chosen randomly. A questionnaire was prepared and distributed electronically after ensuring its validity and reliability. The study sample consisted of (456) female students from King Khalid University, The results of the study indicated that there were statistically significant differences at the level (0.05) between female students for the advantages of remote exams due to specialization and in favor of female students of scientific specialization, and the absence of significant differences between female students due to obstacles and challenges of remote exams due to specialization, and the absence of significant statistically significant differences between The female students for the proposals for developing remote exams are attributed to the specialization, and the presence of statistically significant differences in the opinions of female students in favor of the postgraduate students, and the presence of statistically significant differences in the opinions of female students in favor of the variable years of experience in the axes (excellence - obstacles - and future proposals) for the remote exams, and they also answered The results of the study questions for determining the advantages, challenges and obstacles of remote exams and the most important proposals for its development. The study recommended working on using the results of the study to enhance the application of remote exams in the future. Because of its positive advantages in supporting the measurement of student achievement, developing plans and programs to benefit from them, and establishing a mechanism for immediate technical support while performing remote exams in the e- learning deanships in Saudi universities.

Student and Faculty Perceptions of Dental Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In fall 2020, the Academy of Distinguished Educators convened a working group to examine how the curriculum changes in response to COVID had affected the students and faculty at NYU Dentistry. The changes made to the dental and dental hygiene curricula to comply with University and local and federal guidelines were provided: 1) remote instruction 2) small group discussions 3) faculty office hours via Zoom 4) performing preclinical lab work remotely with equipment delivered to students at home 5) discussing clinical cases with faculty via Zoom prior to the student seeing patients face-to-face 6)taking exams remotely via ExamSoft. The working group sent out two similar surveys: one to instructors and one to students to gather the opinions of community members. Responses were collected in December 2020 and January 2021. A total of 248 people responded to the survey (74 faculty and 174 students). Students liked taking exams and attending lectures remotely via Zoom, but very much disliked doing preclinical work remotely. Faculty liked to discuss clinical cases remotely and to give lectures via Zoom and disliked remote exams. Students felt more positive than faculty about remote exams, while the reverse was true for Zoom breakout rooms and preclinical work done remotely. Both students and faculty members were anxious about how remote learning would affect the students' future clinical abilities. Finally, we asked students what they would like faculty to know about the student experiences in the pandemic. The most common student responses were that faculty members need to be proficient in the technology used (Zoom), and that they need the appropriate equipment (good microphones and cameras). Students also reported that they needed more engagement and interaction with faculty members and classmates, that communication among administration, faculty, and students should be improved, especially regarding schedule changes. Students don't feel that their voices are heard; they do feel that student mental health is declining as a result.

Экзамен в условиях дистанционного обучения

The existing forms, methods and tools for conducting the exam in a distance format, their potential and risks are analyzed in the article. Attention is drawn to the fact that the methods and tools used for remote monitoring have drawbacks, such as significant costs in organizing proctoring and difficulties in assessing one of the key competencies of a student, namely, the willingness to use systematized theoretical and practical knowledge to formulate and solve research problems. The authors see the solution to the problem in the application of the activity-based and competence-based approaches to the certification, offer methodological recommendations for conducting the exam remotely. Based on the developed methodological recommendations, tasks are formulated in accordance with the upper levels of Bloom's taxonomy, which makes it possible to increase the objectivity of the assessment, since the test will concern the ability to apply theoretical knowledge in practice. Possible options for practice-oriented examination questions for disciplines of natural science and social-humanitarian orientation for an online exam are presented. As a result of discussing the prospects for conducting a remote exam in accordance with the proposed methodological recommendations, it was revealed that the majority of the interviewed teachers and students are interested in the transition to a new format of the exam.

Academic Lecturers Towards the Students' Examining. Similarities and Differences of Stationary and Remote Exams in the Pandemic Era

Academic Lecturers Towards the Students' Examining. Similarities and Differences of Stationary and Remote Exams in the Pandemic Era

METHODOLOGICAL SUPPORT FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF EXAMS IN TECHNICAL DISCIPLINES DURING DISTANCE EDUCATION

Current realities have revealed an urgent need for the development and improvement of distance forms of educational processes. The most important of which are to control and obtain assessments of the knowledge of the examinees who are not in direct physical contact with the examiner. This article presents the results of a review and analysis of various forms of organization of distance examinations in technical disciplines. There are revealed the main disadvantages of each form of organization of the remote exam, including those that do not allow recommending them for widespread, widespread use. There is considered in detail physical implementation of the most simple form of conducting a distance exam, called “Assignment by e-mail”. This form has been used many times when organizing remote exams at the BMSTU and can be successfully implemented in educational institutions that do not have their own sufficient experience in distance education.