SMOWL CLASS, hassle-free proctoring for your in-person exams

If you are part of a company or institution that conducts in-person certifications and exams, you’ve likely noticed the increasing difficulty of ensuring reliability and security in these tests.

The main challenge lies in the fact that these exams are increasingly being conducted through electronic devices such as computers or tablets, which give users access to everything the internet and many applications offer.

However, of course, during exams, as an institution or company, we may not want users to have access to all these possibilities. Or at the very least, we would like to be informed about which ones they have used.

In any case, the solution is not to go back in time and revert to the era of pen-and-paper exams with watchful teachers as “exam police.”

The solution lies in using technology as an ally to maintain the in-person nature of your entity’s exams while ensuring they remain reliable and secure.

That technology we are talking about is the SMOWL CLASS proctoring system.

What is SMOWL CLASS?

SMOWL CLASS is a tool specifically designed for organizations that need to conduct in-person exams or assessments using a computer.

This innovative solution ensures the integrity of evaluations by closely monitoring user activity or restricting access to certain computer functions.

For practical purposes, let’s give you an example: imagine that you need to conduct an exam for your organization through an LMS platform like Moodle or Blackboard (among many others).

For this purpose, you have physically called in around 100 students to your center, each with their respective computers. After identifying all the students, the most challenging part remains: preventing them from cheating or using unauthorized programs during the test.

This is where the advantages of SMOWL CLASS’s technology come into play.

You only need to decide whether you prefer to configure the tool for continuous monitoring during the exam (SMOWL CM) or opt for a more restrictive approach (SMOWL LOCK).

Don’t worry; we’ll explain the differences and provide examples.

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SMOWL CM – Monitoring user activity and post-assessment decisions

As we mentioned earlier, one of the options SMOWL CLASS offers is SMOWL CM (Computer Monitoring). This feature allows you to monitor the user’s computer activity during the exam. Through SMOWL CM, you can detect open applications and browser tabs, connected devices, and copy-paste actions, among other relevant aspects.

Continuing with the previous example, imagine you have chosen this option for the 100 users you called to your center.

People access their virtual platform through their computers and locate the exam they need to take. Only at this moment, when the test has started, and they can view the questions, does SMOWL CM begin monitoring.

From here, the tool will start collecting data.

Let’s say your exam requires writing a text in French. Users might decide to access artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT to request assistance with the writing. Once they’ve done this, they would copy and paste the generated text into the LMS platform, effectively completing the task.

If they choose to do it this way, SMOWL CM will not block these actions, but it will record all this data and include it in the final report for the student.

If it was established before the test that copy-pasting or using services like ChatGPT was not allowed, these actions would be marked in red in the report, and the teacher or evaluator can determine the consequences.

The same would apply if, during a math exam, users open a calculator application. This will also be reflected in the report. If such applications are allowed in the exam, the evaluator will overlook it. However, if it is prohibited, the evidence will be readily available and identifiable.

SMOWL LOCK – A more restrictive option for your exams

If you seek stricter monitoring that fully blocks user activity upon an infraction, you can choose SMOWL LOCK.

SMOWL LOCK seamlessly integrates into the user’s web browser through a simple extension. This extension provides an intuitive and user-friendly experience, smoothing the evaluation process. Students can comfortably take their exams without technical complications.

With this tool, you can limit users to only use authorized applications during the exam while blocking unauthorized ones.

Let’s imagine you want to apply SMOWL LOCK to your in-person exam. Following the previous example, if a user attempts to use ChatGPT to generate a French text, and your institution does not permit it, SMOWL LOCK will immediately issue a warning, preventing the action.

Similarly, if the user attempts to copy text from a document on their computer, SMOWL LOCK will detect it and issue another warning.

The extension will also issue a warning if the user opens other programs such as a calculator, PDF documents, or other web browsers.

Users will have a maximum limit of allowed incidents set by your institution.

Once the user exceeds the predetermined number of alerts, they will be expelled from the exam, and the browser will be closed, preserving their activity up to that point.

After the exam is completed or if the user is expelled, the browser extension stops functioning, allowing the user to continue regular browsing on their computer.

A SMOWL plan for every organization

In conclusion, SMOWL CLASS is an essential tool for organizations seeking to conduct secure and reliable in-person exams or assessments.

Thanks to its diverse functionalities (allows to chooste bewteen computer monitoring and browser locking), SMOWL CLASS guarantees the integrity of evaluations, reassuring administrators of an effective solution.

This tool can also be used for remote proctoring, although if you need additional features like webcam identification or monitoring, you can opt for one of our alternative plans, SMOWL+ and SMOWL PRO.

At Smowltech, we design proctoring plans tailored to your company or institution’s needs. Request a free demo and discover the potential of the leading proctoring service.

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