Topics Map > Online Learning > Credit Learners

InterPro - Online Learning - Online Exam Proctoring - Honorlock Information for Students

Honorlock is the UW-Madison supported digital proctoring tool.

To get started, you will need Google Chrome and download the Honorlock Chrome Extension. UW-Madison recommends creating a new Chrome profile to use during assessments with Honorlock. This profile creates a fresh version of Google Chrome, free of all existing data, and, when finished, students can simply switch back to the default profile. This is an added security measure but no data is tracked or stored outside of FERPA related use during the exam period. 

 When you are ready to complete your assessment, log into Canvas, go to your course, and click on your exam. Clicking "Launch Proctoring" will begin the Honorlock authentication process, where you will take a picture of yourself, show your ID, and complete a scan of your room. Honorlock will be recording your exam session through your webcam, microphone, and recording your screen. Honorlock also has an integrity algorithm that can detect search-engine use, so please do not attempt to search for answers, even if it's on a secondary device.

If you are taking a proctored exam in a setting that requires a mask, Honorlock may ask you to briefly slide the mask down for identity verification prior to the start of your exam.

Additional Honorlock information:

  • If an instructor wants ID verification, a student ID is acceptable and is only used to set up the exam the first time. It is only used to verify the test-taker. We do not collect any other personal identifying information.
  • There is no invasion of privacy if other voices/images are seen during the exam. A flag may appear for the instructor to view but it is not voice tracking or infringing on privacy. All data is stored and reviewed using FERPA compliant servers. 
  • Facial recognition is FERPA compliant and ensures that the test-taker is the same during the full assessment period. 
  • Honorlock does not scan home networks or monitor data from any device on the network other than the one used for testing. Secondary devices, such as phones, can be detected, but this is not accomplished by network snooping. Other users connected to the same network during a student’s Honorlock session can process personal or confidential information concurrently without fear of eavesdropping on secondary device activities. In addition, the application does not have the capability of intercepting network communications from devices connected to the same network during the student’s session.
  • Honorlock does not access the test-taker’s network, nor does it monitor or access any secondary devices that are on the test-taker’s network. Honorlock monitors the internet connection to ensure and document the quality of the connection during the test-taking experience. This helps with addressing situations where the test-takers internet connection becomes unstable during the test-taking experience.
  • Students using their smartphones to search online resources for test questions should note that Honorlock utilizes a manual technology to detect academic integrity issues. Specifically, Honorlock hosts websites with seeded test questions that, when assessed during an examination session, sets off an action, such as a sound alert, on the phone. This action is picked up during the student’s session and may alert instructors to review for academic integrity issues. Honorlock does not initiate any technologies to eavesdrop on the student’s smartphone activity either during or after an examination session.
  • The Chrome Web browser extension allows Honorlock to interact with the student and the exam content during the exam. During the exam, the following data may be captured, analyzed, and stored, depending on the options enabled by the instructor:
    1. webcam video, including audio, and screen recording
    2. student information presented by Canvas, such as student name, course number, and exam name;
    3. webpages visited during the exam session;
    4. specific behavior that may indicate academic dishonesty, such as attempts to copy/paste into search engines.
  • Because Honorlock requires the use of a Google Chrome browser, some international students may need to use a VPN while taking their exam. UW-Madison recommends and provides a VPN for all staff and students with a netID, which can be downloaded as described in this Knowledgebase document. Students are not required to use the UW-Madison VPN, but it is considered more reliable than others.
  • During the exam, Honorlock’s AI analyzes and flags certain behaviors. Then, an instructor with legitimate educational interest can review the exam session’s flags to determine if any academic integrity violations occurred. 
  • Honorlock’s AI monitors students during the exam and automatically generates a flag if unusual activity is detected. Once an exam session is complete, instructors are able to review flags to determine if there was an academic integrity violation. Please note that flags are not confirmations of cheating or misconduct, only that unusual activity was detected. All flags are tagged as either low, medium, or high risk and require manual instructor review. 
  • Prior to your exam, it is best to alert your instructor if you do not have a private, quiet space to take your exam. Knowing this in advance is helpful, because it provides your instructor with context about your testing environment and allows you to concentrate on your assessment instead of fearing you’ll be accused of cheating.
  • We recommend that test-takers find a quiet room to take an exam where others are not present. But we also understand that may be impossible in our new reality and videos are reviewed with this understanding and following FERPA best practices for review, storage and compliance to protect the rights of our students. 
  • No data is transferred to a third party or stored by a third party. UW-Madison is the sole owner of all data collected during an exam period. 
  • This link provides additional information on Honorlock's  Student Privacy Statement.

 




Keywords:
exam proctor proctoring Honorlock 
Doc ID:
105659
Owned by:
Learning Design and Technologies Team in Interdisciplinary Professional Programs
College of Engineering
Created:
2020-09-08
Updated:
2021-06-30
Sites:
Interdisciplinary Professional Programs