The Univeristy of Illinois had finally announced that it will no longer use Proctorio, a remote-testing software that is used during exams to monitor students. The software will be discontinued in mid-2021.
The decision of the univeristy came a year after students filed complaints over the software and voiced their concerns about privacy violation, issues with accessibility and discrimination.
University of Illinois to discontinue remote-testing software
According to TechNewsTube, the University of Illinois has been using Proctorio for years in a classroom setting and the software has been available for years. However, it was only in 2020 that the public, especially the students took notice when they were forced to home school due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The software received major backlash from the students, the schools staff and the general public as they pointed out that it invades the students' personal space and it gives them anxiety over the thought of being closely monitored.
There were also accusations of discrimintation towards marginalized students, as the software allegedly recognizes white face more than it does with faces of students of color.
But what exactly is Proctorio and what does it do?
Proctorio is a software used by colleges and universities to monitor students and prevent cheating during exams.
It uses a machine learning technology and it uses advanced facial detection to record students through their webcams as they take their test and the software monitor the positions of the students' head.
If the software detects any suspicious behavior, it automatically notifies the professors, who can review the recordings. The software also enables the professors to see the websites that their students opened while they were taking the test, and it disables computer functions like copying, pasting and printing.
Privacy concerns
Also the software is helpful in the grand scheme of things, the idea of being monitored does not sit well with students and even other teachers.
The University of Illinois has been using Proctorio in a classroom setting during examination period, but due to the pandemic, students were forced to bring it to their homes, which invades their privacy.
Because of this, more than 1,000 people, students and teachers alike, signed a petition asking the university to discontinue the software.
Proctorio is not the only remote-testing software that is used by colleges and universities, a university in Miami was also forced to discontinue a remote-testing software after a petition with more than 500 signatures was passed, citing the same issues.
The software ProctorTrack, a remote-testing software used by the University of Regina, will also get the boot after a petition with 3,500 signatures was passed. Honorlock, a smiliar software used by the University of Central Floria, will also be discontinued after a petition with 1,200 signatures was passed.
No matter what type of remote-testing software is used and in which university the petition was given, the main concern is the same. Students, teachers and even parents are worried about security and privacy.
Proctorio's feature which lets professors record their students through webcams is problematic enough, let alone having access to the computer activities of the students. And also, since students are now taking classes at home through their webcams, the software can record parts of the students' home.
Aside from privacy, discrimination is another factor that made students ask for the end of the software. Proctorio, in particular, can't propery identify the students because it can't properly recognized dark skined students.
This issue can lead to confusion in the university, and it is obvious that the software is built for lighter skined individuals. Students with darker skin tones are in danger of being falsely accused of cheating because of the software's failure to recorgnize them.
Despite the study and evidence shown, Proctorio denied that the software discriminates individuals who use it. The company claims that lighting, the position of the webcam and the quality of the webcam are the only factors why it won't work, and it has nothing to do with a person's skin tone.
Because of the dangers that it imposes, there are now movements to ban these types of softwares, according to DailyCal.org. Those who are part of the movement states that cheating during an examination is not a threat to society and that there is no need to invade the privacy of students who are trying to get a degree.
