Surveillance Tech Is Wrongly Accusing Disabled Students of Cheating on Tests

Modern college students are often faced with stressful situations, such as managing massive debt and dealing with the global pandemic. To make matters worse there is a growing narrative about cheating in higher education. This narrative has widened the divide between faculty and students, inspired stricter policies and created additional challenges for today’s students.

Cheating is not an excuse, but it should always be dealt with. Many college administrators and faculty across the country believe that cheating is increasing in popularity. They are taking a more severe approach to policing the issue.

For example, University of AlabamaCheating is broadly defined by students who use unauthorized materials, study tools, or computer-related information without the approval of their instructor. Depending on the professor’s definition, this could include the use of online study resources such as Quizlet or YouTube. The consequences for using these tools include suspensions. The policies on academic misconduct are vague and students are discouraged to use online resources to assist them in studying, even if they need additional support.

The University of Alabama isn’t the only one. Although academic institutions have had honor code for decades, the fear surrounding the pandemic when colleges moved away from traditional classrooms to virtual learning, and increased testing, was not new. academic dishonestyOnline education has grown in popularity, and academic institutions started to implement it. stricter policies.

James Orr, however, is a board Member of the International Center for Academic Integrity told NPR, “Just because there’s an increase in reports of academic misconduct doesn’t mean that there’s more cheating occurring. In the online environment, I think that faculty across the country are more vigilant in looking for academic misconduct.”

Unfortunately, this hasn’t stopped colleges across the country from enacting harsher policies. These policies do not recognize the fact that millions of students rely on online study resources, study aids, and third-party materials. Employers value employees who can find and use outside resources after graduation. However, this new wave is limiting the use of supplemental study tools and forcing students to choose between falling behind and facing serious consequences.

Higher education should strive to create a learning environment that is conducive to learning. It is harmful to students and faculty to pit them against each other while limiting the resources they can use. It begs the question: Why are cheating disputes so common in higher education? And who is benefiting from them?

The global online exam-proctoring market is one industry that has seen tremendous growth. This sector was valued at nearly $355 million in 2019. It is expected to grow to almost $455 million by 2020. $1.2 billionBy 2027. This growth is at least partially due to growing demand from students for cheating.

It’s not surprising that these proctoring companies benefit from the public, especially faculty members, believing that cheating is widespread. After all, the bigger this issue appears, the greater the need for these proctoring companies’ often invasive services. These services include programs that monitor student computers and chat logs, and artificial intelligence technologies that detect and analyze the keywords spoken by students.

These programs are not designed to allow for nuance. Some students felt that they discriminated against them by using proctoring tools. unfairly requireTest takers need a reliable computer, a fast internet connection, and a quiet space to test. Underprivileged students who lack access to these resources are put in a difficult situation because the software can’t grant accommodations for their unique circumstances.

This isn’t the only way proctoring services discriminate or worsen the experience of students already disenfranchised. Students at Miami University in Ohio found that their school’s service, Proctorio, would often accuse students with ADHD of cheating. Proctorio, which is designed to track a student’s gaze and flag students who look away from their screens as suspicious, flagged students with ADHD symptoms as potential cheaters.

Not only that, the facial recognition technology used by many proctoring services registers a preference for lighter skin, which sometimes forces students with darker skin to “shine a light on their faces to be seen,” according to Shea Swauger, a librarian and doctoral student at the University of Colorado. This is just one of many reasons students choose that university. started a petitionProctoring services should be banned.

However, faculty began to believe that cheating is common and proctoring services became more popular, often to the disadvantage of the very students universities are supposed educating.

College students already face many difficulties. They shouldn’t have a hostile learning environment or fear of being reprimanded for using the available tools.

Faculty and students should have mutual respect and trust in order to make higher education work. Academic institutions must take a step back and reassess their current environment to restore respect and trust. Students should always be their first priority.