Proctoring has become an indispensable ally for academic institutions that want to guarantee the integrity of their digital exams.
The consequences of not controlling academic fraud in exams go beyond the economic sphere, which is why more and more institutions are relying on supervision services like SMOWL.
Some institutions, especially newly created ones, offer purely digital programs and are therefore familiar with online exam monitoring solutions. Others are actively searching for proctoring tools to protect their assessments as they digitalize their courses.
In this process, some doubts may arise, which we will resolve below. Before delving into the use cases of our tool, we will briefly review the most relevant questions related to online proctoring for exams.
Understanding online proctoring for exams
The development of technology and the easy access to generative artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot, with which students can get answers in seconds, have opened the door to new types of exam fraud.
This section is aimed at representatives of academic institutions who are exploring the concept of online exam supervision. If you are already familiar with proctoring, you can skip to the next section, where we explain the use cases of SMOWL for digital exams.
What is remote proctoring?
As we mentioned above, more and more institutions are adopting exam supervision solutions. Although proctoring is frequently referred to as remote, exam supervision programs can also be used for in-person digital assessments.
In general terms, proctoring refers to a set of solutions whose function is to guarantee the academic integrity of tests, preventing students from being impersonated or from cheating on exams.
What is proctoring software?
The term refers to the tools that schools and universities use to supervise their remote exams or their in-person digital tests. Ideally, these programs should be able to integrate easily with their Learning Management System (LMS) to facilitate their use.
It is also advisable to choose scalable solutions, thus avoiding platform changes as the institution and the number of students grow. Thanks to proctoring programs, institutions can save on travel, infrastructure, and paper, contributing to sustainability.
How does online proctoring work?
Each proctoring tool works differently but, broadly speaking, they are used to monitor exams from start to finish. These solutions generate evidence-based reports that examiners can use to make informed decisions.
The operation is determined by the type of proctoring used. There is automated proctoring, hybrid proctoring, real-time proctoring, etc., but all modalities have the same purpose: to protect the integrity of digital exams.
What options do academic institutions have?
Each proctoring provider adapts to educational centers and universities in a different way. In the case of SMOWL, institutions choose the plan that best suits them and the main supervision system: computer activity monitoring or activity limitation to the exam window.
Afterward, they decide what other additional supervision functionalities to use, according to their plan: user authentication, monitoring with one or two cameras, audio detection, etc. The program then monitors the exam session and, at the end, it produces a detailed report with incidents and evidence that institutions can consult.
SMOWL is available in two modalities: by activity (ideal for one-off exams, such as admission or language tests) or by user (for cases where the same examinee takes multiple tests, such as undergraduate and postgraduate degrees). In the second case, students can take an unlimited number of exams.
If you have any more questions about our product, we recommend visiting our recently updated FAQs section, where we answer the 25 most common questions.
How much does online proctoring cost?
Each provider has its own pricing system, often determined by the needs of each institution. The rates, therefore, are usually personalized. At Smowltech, we tailor our pricing to your needs. If you want to get a free demo and a tailored quote, you can do so here.
Next, we will see how academic institutions use our tool. We will focus mainly on the use cases, but here you can read more about our clients’ opinions on SMOWL.
SMOWL proctoring: use cases in education
Since it was founded, more than 300 international clients have trusted Smowltech. Let’s now look at the different use cases of our tool, with real examples of institutions that have adopted SMOWL.
SMOWL for online degrees
SMOWL is the ideal solution for universities and educational institutions, regardless of their programs. With our exam supervision tool, they can guarantee that digital tests are as reliable as paper-based exams.
In addition to universities, of which we will see some examples in the next block, SMOWL proctoring is suitable for monitoring exams of any institution that offers qualifications. For example, business schools like Regent Business School (South Africa), which reported an increase in student satisfaction since the adoption of SMOWL.
The Academia College of Short-Cycle Higher Education (Slovenia) is another one of our clients. Students highlighted the convenience of online exams, while professors valued the detailed reports as a key tool for improving the evaluation process.
SMOWL for degrees and postgraduate programs
Our system is gaining more and more traction internationally. To mention a few success stories, we have the examples of Amref International University (Kenya), the University of Burgos (Spain), or UNCAUS (Argentina).
The first institution noted that, thanks to SMOWL, it is possible to take exams in remote areas, even where the Internet connection is poor. The second highlighted an increase in demand for some of its online degrees as a result of adopting our exam supervision system.
In the third case, the university stated that, with the help of SMOWL, they managed to ensure that students reached the standards established in the study program.
SMOWL for admission exams
SMOWL is the perfect ally for admission processes, as it adapts to the large volumes of applications that institutions receive. Among our clients is the University of Applied Sciences – UAS (Finland).
The reasons that led this institution to adopt SMOWL include, but are not limited to, impartial monitoring, compliance with data security regulations, and the flexibility and convenience offered.
SMOWL for language certifications
Language certifications serve as a guarantee of knowledge, and can determine access to study programs, scholarships, or jobs. It is for this reason that evaluating entities such as universities, public administrations, or language certifiers rely on tools like SMOWL to guarantee the integrity of their tests.
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SMOWL for digital in-class learning
The use of proctoring goes beyond remote assessments; more and more institutions and educational centers are adopting exam supervision tools for in-person digital tests.
In this way, they can ensure that digital assessments are as secure as paper-based ones. Our clients include the Escola Superior de Comerç Internacional (ESCI-UPF) in Spain, which identified SMOWL as one of the few solutions compatible with Linux.
The Catholic University of Ávila (Spain) is another institution that has adopted SMOWL CLASS, our plan specially designed for in-person digital exams.
SMOWL for assessment platforms
SMOWL is the ideal complement for assessment platforms. Through LTI or API, our tool can easily integrate with any exam portal. In any case, your institution or center will receive support during the configuration process, from the very beginning.
SMOWL proctoring for vocational training
SMOWL is a versatile tool that can guarantee the integrity of any type of digital exam, including those for vocational training. Ramar FP (Spain), for example, adopted SMOWL to overcome the challenges of modern education, and described the experience with our tool as revealing.
Affordable and sustainable digital exams
With SMOWL proctoring, both universities and educational centers can save up to 75% on assessment costs.
First, because digital proctoring eliminates the need to conduct exams in a specific location, allowing educational institutions to save on infrastructure and travel costs in the case of remote exams.
Second, because conducting digital exams allows institutions to save paper. Remote assessments also help reduce CO₂ emissions, thus favoring a more sustainable educational model.
If you would like to know more about the impact of SMOWL in 2024, we recommend reading our blog article, where we explain the social and environmental contribution of our proctoring solution.
SMOWL, your ally in guaranteeing academic integrity
As education digitalizes and new opportunities for academic fraud emerge linked to technological advancements, universities and schools require solutions to guarantee the integrity of their digital tests.
The examples mentioned are just some of the more than 300 clients who, since the beginning of its journey in 2012, have trusted Smowltech to supervise their online exams.
From language tests to vocational training exams, SMOWL proctoring is the ideal solution for monitoring digital assessments.
Our tool complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Union, as well as with other privacy standards in other countries, such as the FERPA and CCPA laws in the United States, which makes SMOWL the perfect solution in any international context.
Our clients, distributed worldwide, rely on our tool to offer quality and accessible education, overcoming the barriers of in-person education. If you would like to try SMOWL proctoring without obligation, request a demo with 25 free licenses.
