Online proctoring process for distance-based testing

Abstract

A system for enabling real time live proctoring of an exam across a distributed network includes a first remote computer. The first remote computer is capable of real time audio visual capture and display of an image of a user of the first remote computer. A second remote computer is capable of real time audio visual capture and display of an image of the user of the second remote computer. A server is in communication with the first remote computer and the second remote computer, and provides an interactive web based scheduling portal accessible from the first remote computer and the second remote computer. A database is associated with the server for storing data regarding the rules for proctoring of an exam including the rate at which an exam may be proctored at a given date and time. The server enables access to a virtual exam room by the first remote computer and the second remote computer in response to a request from the first remote computer through the scheduling portal for a date and time to take an exam administered at the first computer when the requested date and time fulfils the rules stored in the database.

1 . A system for enabling real time live proctoring of an exam across a distributed network comprising:
 a first remote computer, the first remote computer being capable of real time audio visual capture of an image of a user of the first remote computer;   a second remote computer capable of real time audio visual capture of an image of the user of the second remote computer;   a server in communication with said first remote computer and in communication with said second remote computer, and providing an interactive web based scheduling portal accessible from said first remote computer and said second remote computer and causing the display of at least the image of the user of the first computer at the second computer, and the display of the image of user of the second computer at the first computer; and   a database associated with said server storing data regarding the rules for proctoring of an exam, including the rate at which an exam may be proctored at a given date and time, the server enabling access to a virtual exam room by the first remote computer and the second remote computer in response to a request from said first remote computer to said scheduling portal for a date and time to take an exam administered at said first computer when the requested date and time fulfils the rules stored in the database.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the server enables audio visual communication between the first remote computer and the second remote computer upon the enabling of the virtual exam room. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first remote computer displays a display image, the server enabling said second remote computer to monitor the display image displayed at the first remote computer, the second remote computer being utilized to proctor an exam by monitoring, at the second remote computer, the display image displayed at the first computer in real time and the user image captured by the first remote computer. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , further comprising a third party server;
 said server enabling a user to respond to a first set of questions at said first remote computer and transmitting the response to the third party server, the third party server transmitting a second set of questions to said first remote computer as a function of the response to the first set of questions, a response to the second set of questions being utilized to authenticate the user at the first remote computer.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the rules include a rule regarding a number of exam start times which may occur at the same time the server controlling the rate at which an exam may be proctored at a given date and time by storing the start times of enabled virtual exam rooms and determining whether enabling access to an additional first remote computer to the virtual exam room violates the rule. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one rule includes a number of virtual exam rooms available as a function to at least one of availability of a second remote computer, time and date, the server determining whether a request from said first remote computer would cause a number of virtual exam rooms to exceed the number of virtual exam rooms available as a function of the rule. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the server includes a clock for determining the time in a coordinated universal time; the request from the first remote computer includes a request date and time corresponding to a local time zone of a user of the first computer; the server converting the request date and time to the coordinated universal time, determining the available time and date for an enabled virtual exam room in coordinated universal time, converting the available time and date to the local time zone of the user of the first computer and transmitting the converted available time and date to the first computer. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the server includes a clock for determining the time in a coordinated universal time; the request from the first remote computer including a request date and time corresponding to the local time zone of the user of the first computer; the server converting the request time to the coordinated universal time, determining an available time and date for an enabled virtual exam room, in coordinated universal time, converting the available time and date to time corresponding to the local time zone of a user of the second computer and transmitting the converted available time and date to the second computer. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said server determines a time differential between a current coordinated universal time and the coordinated universal time of an enabled virtual exam room and creates a countdown clock which is displayed at the first remote computer. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the clock becoming a virtual link to a virtual exam room enabled for a user of the first computer and a user of the second remote computer when the server determines that the differential is less than or equal to zero. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a photo of a user of the first remote computer is stored in the database, the server providing access to the photo by the user of the second remote computer. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a third remote computer in communication with the first computer, the third remote computer transmitting an exam to the first remote computer, and the server enabling the exam to be displayed at the second remote computer. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the user of the first remote computer accesses the server utilizing a first web browser, and accesses the exam utilizing a second web browser.