Good proctor or "Big Brother"? AI Ethics and Online Exam Supervision Technologies
Project Overview
The document explores the transformative role of generative AI in education, particularly in the context of online learning accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It emphasizes the rising prominence of online exam proctoring technologies that aim to uphold academic integrity while simultaneously raising ethical concerns regarding student privacy, autonomy, and the potential for bias within AI systems. The authors stress the importance of educational institutions critically assessing these ethical implications when adopting such technologies, highlighting the need to strike a balance between the advantages of improved oversight and the risks of infringing on student rights and fostering inequitable practices. Overall, the document underscores the necessity for a thoughtful approach to integrating AI in educational settings, ensuring that technological advancements do not compromise ethical standards or the fairness of the learning environment.
Key Applications
Online proctoring technologies
Context: Higher education institutions implementing remote exams during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Implementation: Integration of AI and machine learning components for remote exam supervision.
Outcomes: Improved scalability and efficiency in exam supervision; increased detection of cheating.
Challenges: Concerns over student privacy, potential bias in AI algorithms, and the perception of surveillance.
Implementation Barriers
Ethical
Concerns regarding student privacy and autonomy due to surveillance during exams.
Proposed Solutions: Establish transparent policies on data usage and ensure informed consent from students.
Technical
Issues with the reliability of online proctoring software, including false positives and negatives in detecting cheating.
Proposed Solutions: Continuous improvement of AI algorithms and training sets to reduce bias and inaccuracies.
Social
Student apprehension about the intrusive nature of online proctoring technologies, leading to distrust and concerns about privacy.
Proposed Solutions: Engagement with students to address concerns and involve them in the decision-making process regarding the use of such technologies.
Project Team
Simon Coghlan
Researcher
Tim Miller
Researcher
Jeannie Paterson
Researcher
Contact Information
For information about the paper, please contact the authors.
Authors: Simon Coghlan, Tim Miller, Jeannie Paterson
Source Publication: View Original PaperLink opens in a new window
Project Contact: Dr. Jianhua Yang
LLM Model Version: gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18
Analysis Provider: Openai