“It's not that I want to see the student's bedroom...”: Instructor Perceptions of e-Proctoring Software

K. Chaudhry and colleagues (2023) report that the study investigated the adoption of e-proctoring software by instructors and its impact on privacy. It found that privacy concerns persist regardless of the software provider. The study also highlighted the need for institutions to assess e-proctoring software for privacy protection. The temporary nature of emergency remote learning (ERL) was emphasized, as well as the compromises it may involve. The study provided insights into the consequences of e-proctoring platforms in the post-pandemic university. It also pointed out the lack of involvement of those most impacted by privacy decisions in the decision-making process. The potential privacy violations between proctors and students were mentioned, and future work was suggested to examine methods for protecting students' privacy.

The analysis involved 19 participants.

The researchers’ findings potentially strengthen previous work in this subject: “Online exams require instructors to invest more effort and resources than traditional exams due to complexities such as navigating departmental requirements and managing logistics,” Chaudhry suggested.

However, “The study had a small sample size of 19 participants due to a low number of interviewees. Generalizations about instructors and specific disciplines should be avoided. Despite these limitations, the study found interesting avenues for investigation on eproctoring in higher education. Factors influencing the adoption of eproctoring included the need to maintain academic integrity, the online remote format, logistical and pedagogical constraints, and departmental policies. Some instructors believed that academic integrity can be preserved without the use of eproctoring software,” note the authors.

They suggest that the research found tensions between instructor priorities and student privacy concerns in remote educational technology.