Photos by Chris Swann
Tyler Junior College has made changes to its testing center procedures and services to accommodate the school’s influx of online and hybrid classes. TJC has also made online proctoring services available for professors wishing to monitor academic integrity during online exams.
The testing center is allowing students who are unable to take online exams from home to schedule an in-person testing appointment. To reduce the number of students in the testing center at one time, students must email testingservices@tjc.edu to schedule an online exam. Students should include their name and A number, exam window, passcode (if necessary), and whether or not the exam is set to be proctored online through Honorlock.
According to the company’s website, Honorlock is a software system designed to provide “on demand online proctoring services for schools and universities with no scheduling, headaches or bulky software downloads.” TJC made this software available for professors to implement within their online and hybrid courses. History professor Dr. Kahne Parsons shared her thoughts on implementing Honorlock proctoring in her classes.
“I liked the program very much because it gave me more control over setting my own exam parameters and aided tremendously — I believe — in eliminating much of the cheating associated with internet testing,” Parsons said.
Both students and professors alike have expressed concerns surrounding Honorlock’s methods of proctoring via live webcam recording. A camera recording you and the room surrounding you the entire time doesn’t help with the preexisting nerves of taking an exam,” said TJC freshman Ally Wilcox. “I feel that TJC should search for a different option for testing, whether it be spacing out test days or finding a different program that feels slightly less invasive.”
Such a video recording of a student’s exam, although monitored by both artificial intelligence and live proctors, requires professors to watch the recording to examine any possible “red flags” after the exam is taken.
“This increases the potential workload of professors by placing the onus of visual examination for an entire class upon that professor,” Parsons said. “Having said that, I believe the bonuses of Honorlock outweigh the loss of the one feature.”
Honorlock requires Google chrome, a working webcam, microphone and stable internet connection in order to operate. This poses a challenge for students who do not have access to these requirements. However, such students qualify to request an online exam appointment in the TJC testing center.
According to Chris Fontaine, executive director of academic advising and testing services, “In the event a student needs to use the testing center after being recommended by their professor, there is a way to override Honorlock since a live proctor will be monitoring the student taking the exam.”
The testing center operates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursdays; and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays. The testing center is closed on weekends except for special registration events.
For more information on TJC’s testing services, visit tjc.edu/info/20031/testing_services
