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Table of Contents
Setting Up the Onboarding Exam
The onboarding exam is a mock exam that each student must complete as part of their initial setup. There are two purposes of the onboarding exam in Proctortrack:
- To confirm the student's identity in the Proctortrack system by comparing the student's facial scan with a valid photo ID.
- To allow students the opportunity to test their equipment (e.g. computer, webcam, microphone).
All students must complete onboarding in Proctortrack before they can take an actual exam. Student onboarding profiles last for 365 days and are valid for taking Proctortrack-enabled exams in other courses.
Updating LMS Settings
Blackboard
- Steps for setting up an onboarding exam in Blackboard can be found on slides 2-7 of the Instructor Guide for Proctortrack (PPTX hosted on OneDrive) document.
- Test questions:
- Make the test one simple question (e.g. "Is the sky blue?").
- Ensure the question (and the test) is worth zero points.
- Test options:
- Enable "Make available to students." Alternatively, ensure that the Display After option under Test Availability gives students at least 24-48 hours to complete the onboarding before their first proctored exam. Exams must be available within Blackboard to be accessed within Proctortrack. Exams cannot be in hidden folders.
- Multiple attempts - Allow Unlimited Attempts (in case the student gets disconnected while completing the onboarding)
- Force Completion - No
- Set Timer - No
- Password - Yes; you will need to use this same password when setting up the test in Proctortrack as well. To ensure all students complete their Blackboard exam using online proctoring, you must set up a password on the Blackboard exam and share that password only with Proctortrack. You should not provide your students with the password or they will be able to take the exam through Blackboard without using Proctortrack.
Canvas
- Steps for setting up an onboarding exam in Canvas can be found on slides 4-17 of the Instructor Guide for Proctortrack - Canvas (PPTX Hosted on OneDrive) document.
- Quiz questions:
- Make the quiz one simple question (e.g. "Is the sky blue?").
- Ensure the question (and the test) is worth zero points.
- Quiz settings:
- Multiple attempts - Allow Unlimited Attempts (in case the student gets disconnected while completing the onboarding)
- Require an Access Code - Yes. To ensure all students complete their Canvas quiz using online proctoring, you must set up an access code on the Canvas exam, but you should not provide your students with the access code or they will be able to take the quiz through Canvas without using Proctortrack.
- Assign - Assign to "Everyone"
- Due - Select a due date. Alternatively, ensure that the Available From date gives students at least 48 hours to complete the onboarding before their first proctored quiz. Quizzes must be published and available within Canvas in order for students to take them with Proctortrack.
Updating Proctortrack Settings
These settings apply for both Canvas and Blackboard
- Settings found on the Instructor Dashboard:
- Monitoring/Onboarding - Configure the onboarding exam status as "Onboarding on"
- Settings found under Edit Access Details:
- Access Code - Enter the same password you gave the test in Blackboard.
- For Canvas, the access code you configured transfers automatically to Proctortrack.
- Settings found under Go to Configuration > Test Settings
- Enable "Hide Access Code/Password" (from students) to discourage password sharing.
- Automatic Proctoring (Level 3) has Room Scan, an optional feature, defaulted to "off," but instructors may elect to turn this setting on to require students to scan their test-taking environment before an exam.
- Live Proctoring (Level 4) has Room Scan "on" by default. Instructors may elect to turn this setting off during exam set-up by accessing the Identity Verification Settings tab and toggling the Require Room Scan setting to "off."
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Note: An onboarding exam should never have the "Onboarding on" status removed in Proctortrack. Doing so will delete all of the onboarding profiles that were created with that exam, requiring those students to go through the onboarding process again before they can take an actual exam.
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Note: Onboarding may not be required for each course, as the student onboarding profile is valid for 1 year (365 days). We recommend checking your students' onboarding status to see if you need an onboarding exam in your course.
Onboarding Your Students
Students must successfully complete Proctortrack's onboarding procedure at least 24-48 hours before taking their first exam. Ensure that all students complete onboarding well before the deadline for your first online proctored exam.
Review the Proctortrack preparedness checklist (DOCX).
Checking Onboarding Status
Blackboard
Canvas
Note: If a student's name in Canvas or Blackboard is different than what is on their (state-issued or university) ID they will fail onboarding. Instructors can manually pass a student who has failed the onboarding exam from the Instructor Dashboard by selecting the View Sessions option for the onboarding exam, selecting the student's name, and then selecting the Pass button at the top right of the page.
Setting Up an Online Proctored Exam
Updating LMS Settings
Blackboard
- Review slides 2-14 the Blackboard Online proctoring - Instructor guide for Proctortrack (PPTX) or review the How to create an exam (video hosted on Panopto).
- Ensure your exam is available within Blackboard so it can be accessed within Proctortrack. Exams cannot be in hidden folders.
- To ensure all students complete their Blackboard exam using online proctoring, set up a password on the Blackboard exam and share that password only with Proctortrack. You should not provide your students with the password, or they will be able to take the exam through Blackboard without using Proctortrack.
- Test options
- Disable "Force Completion." If a student's Internet drops, they must be able to continue after reconnecting.
- Set Test Presentation to "One at a Time." This will accommodate slower Internet connections.
Canvas
Updating Proctortrack Settings
- Settings found under Edit Access Details:
- Access Code - Enter the same password you gave the test in Blackboard.
- For Canvas, the access code you configured transfers automatically to Proctortrack.
- Settings found under Go to Configuration:
- Enable "Hide Access Code/Password" (from students) to discourage password sharing.
- On a case-by-case basis, instructors may need to allow specific configurations for students who need to take an exam in a public setting. Examples include allowing people in the background and allowing students to wear a mask or face covering. To configure this, instructors should:
- select Student Settings > Edit Configuration > Enable "Multiple People"
- This will prevent the student's session from being flagged if other people can be seen in the background.
- select Student Settings > Edit Configuration > Opt-Out of Face Scan
- If the instructor does not configure this setting and the student must wear a mask, the student will be able to take their exam but they will be flagged. The instructor can always ignore the flag when reviewing the exam session.
- Note: Instructors cannot opt a student out of the face scan for an onboarding exam. Only after a student has passed the onboarding exam in the instructor's course can they be opted out of the face scan.
Communicating With Students
- For more information about the student experience please see:
- Tell students which exam(s) will use Proctortrack.
- Remind students of the following:
- Windows or Mac computer with webcam, microphone, and the Proctortrack application is required (see the Technical Requirements and Restrictions).
- They must complete an onboarding exam at least 48 hours before the actual exam.
- Students will be monitored via webcam/microphone during the exam.
- Actions that appear to involve cheating will be flagged and recorded footage will be reviewed.
- Advise students on how to prepare their testing environment.
- Plug in device to an AC power source. If this is not possible, students should check their power management and battery settings to make sure the computer does not go to sleep or power down when it detects inactivity.
- Minimize competing uses over slow connections: If a student's Internet connection is marginal or unreliable, other online activities in their household could interfere with a proctored exam. Power down devices like streaming sticks, phones, tablets, game consoles, and other computers during the exam.
Reviewing an Exam
Get Help
OIT provides assistance for issues related to university system settings, Canvas/Blackboard integration, or institutional policies. For all Proctortrack-related technical issues, please contact Proctortrack support first.
Additional Resources