We have all been there, having to go to school and learn with the eventual knowledge of having to take a test where you, the student, has to be assessed in some form or another. Assessments and examinations are apart of many learning environments and online learning environments are not excluded. But how do instructors or proctors effectively invigilate online exams whilst still maintaining academic integrity and fairness. Cue, Respondus Monitor and Lockdown Browser. These online proctoring software tools provide “cost effective, scalable, and convenient solutions for protecting the integrity of online exams” (Respondus, 2016, 3:10). The Lockdown Browser software does not allow students, or those individuals taking the exam, to access other browser content such as google or other programs that promote cheating. The Respondus Monitor software tool allows for proctors and instructors alike to watch students take the exam and identify students accordingly to maintain academic credibility/integrity of the class…arguably the institution as well. In conjunction, the two programs tandemly working together are a formidable technological tool to be used within online learning environments.
When analyzing the technology first hand, through the Respondus learning tutorials and videos, I was able to grasp the importance and difficulty of maintaining academic integrity principles and practices within online learning environments. However, I must ask, is this type of proctoring online technology a necessity for all online environments? The answer in my opinion, no. It is reasonable to surmise that summative assessments may be a good candidate for such protective software programs, in that, these assessments must take student identify verification, student hardware, student software, and bandwidth into consideration (Benson & Brock, 2010).
After analyzing the merits of the Respondus program, I had to decide what my critical focus or individual topic will be in this course. I intend to focus on: Feasibility of Online Assessment in High Stress Learning Environments: An Air Traffic Control Perspective. Most individuals consider air traffic control to be a high-paced, demanding, and stressful job. In the general sense, most people would be accurate in this description. But as an air traffic controller myself, the true stressful part of the job was the training. The training environment was highly difficult to navigate and complex. But if one can get through the training, most controllers succeed with a bright career in a very unique field of work.
Please comment and help me in general thoughts or questions in regards to my topic I have chosen. Thanks.
Reference
Benson, R., & Brack, C. (2010). Online assessment. Online learning assessment in higher education: A planning guide (pp. 107-151). Whitney, UK: Chandos Publishing Oxford. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy.royalroads.ca/lib/royalroads-ebooks/reader.action?docID=1582338&ppg=128
Respondus. (2016). Respondus monitor: Protecting the integrity of online exams [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=197&v=hv2L8Q2NpO4&feature=emb_logo
April 23, 2020
Mark I think most people would agree with you that air traffic control is very high up the scale of jobs where we want no-one but the most well-trained people in the towers. It’s interesting to hear about the high levels of stress experienced in training. Some food for thought: Is this attributable more to the difficulty and complexity of the tasks that need to be mastered, the way training is conducted, or the methods used to conduct summative assessments? Ideally there would be a strong similarity between these elements, perhaps making the final exams more a formality than an all-or-nothing, high-stakes proposition regardless of the delivery method and (understandable) security requirements. This is just one possible line of inquiry to follow, though there are many others as well and I look forward to hearing ideas from the class.
April 23, 2020
Thanks Irwin for your thoughts. You are absolutely correct when selecting those two questions. Currently at this time, supervisors like myself are discussing how we can effectively conduct summative assessments without discouraging the learning process or taking away from the needed knowledge and understanding students need to possess in order to perform well. The standards are very high in the testing, however, I feel that the Royal Canadian Air Force can present some more innovative ways to summatively assess students and candidates throughout their air traffic control training. Thanks for your very valid questions.
April 23, 2020
I worked as a manager in Corporate Security for a major airline based out of YVR. We worked closely with Transport Canada, CATSA, the RCMP, and the airline crew. There was a high level of scrutiny applied to all members of these groups, and many of the groups had to undergo stringent exams, many of them through online resources. I personally did not write any of these exams (mine were classroom based), but heard many stories of how difficult they were. I am not aware of any of the mechanics involved. I’m looking forward to your critical inquiry in this space.
April 23, 2020
Thanks Earl,
There are many forms and types of testing air traffic controller go through; it is very dependent on what stage of training or application they are undergoing. The learning environment is extremely multifaceted, and sometimes instructors will be quick to judge a persons failures as a simple lack of innate control abilities; however, by doing this, these particular instructors are closing the doors on critical inquiry into the learning system as a whole. Errors in instruction, testing, and the overall training system can be apart of the problems students face as well. I am seeking to better training through identifying these ‘need improvement’ areas in order to innovate air traffic control training for the betterment of both instructor and student…and arguably the organization itself. Thanks for your thoughts – would love to know your particulars of your corporate security job.