Transcript Learn to use FreeCycled Media with Mashup Tools in Blackboard

Authenticating
Online Students:
Practically Speaking
Patricia James
October 15, 2013
For audio call Toll Free 1-888-886-3951
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?
?
Authentication
• Translation: Is the student
taking the class the same
student as the one enrolled in
the class????
Agenda
I.
II.
III.
IV.
The Problem---What Problem?
Accreditation
Solutions (for now)
Higher Purpose
The Problem
The Problem
The Problem
The Problem
The problem is that we aren’t able to determine,
for sure, who’s taking our online classes……
The Problem
The problem is that we aren’t able to determine,
for sure, who’s taking our online classes……
….or can we?
The Problem
The problem is that we aren’t able to determine,
for sure, who’s taking our online classes……
….or why should we try?
Is there a bigger
picture?
What’s at stake?
What’s at stake?
What’s at stake?
What’s at stake?
What’s at stake?
But then….
What’s at stake?
But then again….
Everything has a risk.
What’s at stake?
What’s at stake?
So, what do we care about?
We care about: Integrity and
student success
So, I warned you!
HEOA | Title 5 | ACCJC
So, I warned you!
X
X
HEOA | Title 5 | ACCJC
The Problem
Higher Education Opportunities Act 2008 says…
Section 495 of the HEOA 2008:
‘‘(ii) the agency or association requires an institution that offers
distance education or correspondence education to have
processes through which the institution establishes
that the student who registers in a distance education or
correspondence education course or program is the same
student who participates in and completes and receives credit for
the course.”
The Problem
Clarification, please.
The Conferees [legislators] expect institutions that offer distance
education to have security mechanisms in place, such as
identification numbers or other pass code information required to
be used each time the student participates in class time or
coursework on-line. As new identification technologies are
developed and become more sophisticated, less expensive and
more mainstream, the Conferees anticipate that accrediting
agencies or associations and institutions will consider their use in
the future.
The Problem
You don’t have to …..
….use or rely on any technology that interferes with the
privacy of the student and expect that students’ privacy will be
protected with whichever method the institutions choose to
utilize.
The Problem
Final Language says we have options.
Higher Education Act
602.17 Application of standards in reaching an accreditation decision.
(g) Requires institutions that offer distance education or correspondence education to have processes in
place through which the institution establishes that the student who registers in a distance education or
correspondence education course or program is the same student who participates in and completes the
course or program and receives the academic credit. The agency meets this requirement if it -(1) Requires institutions to verify the identity of a student who participates in class or coursework by using,
at the option of the institution, methods such as -(i) A secure login and pass code;
(ii) proctored examinations; and
(iii) New or other technologies and practices that are effective in verifying student identification;
(2) Makes clear in writing that institutions must use processes that protect student privacy and notify
students of projected additional student charges associated with verification of student identity, if any , at
the time of registration or enrollment.
The Problem
What’s going on now?
• Meetings to update the HEOA started in September of 2013
• Updates are scheduled for completion by the end of 2014
• It took five years longer than anticipated to complete.
• So…………………..
What should we be doing???????
The Solution
Meanwhile, follow the options.
• ACCJC: Stick with what we are doing about having “processes
through which the institution establishes that the student who
registers in a distance education course or program is the same
student who participates in and completes the program and receives
the academic credit”
The Solution
ACCJC is looking for examples of processes and
practices as follows:
Institutions must use:
• secure log-in and password, OR proctored examinations,
• and/or new or other technologies
• and/or practices that are developed and effective in verifying each
student’s identification
• Institutions have to have appropriate policies that protect student
privacy and notify students if there are any additional charges
associated with verification of identity at the time of enrollment
• Monitor regular and effective engagement between students and
instructors
The Solution
Okay…..
Accreditation agencies have to ensure that colleges have
processes established that ensure that the student we
registered is the student taking the course.
• We have do develop processes!
• We have to adopt the processes!
• They have to be written down someplace! (Evidence)
• Everyone has to follow them!
The Solution
Here’s ours as an example:
• Authentication of Students:
• All MSJC courses are conducted within the college Blackboard course management system.
The District supports user login and password authentication to uniquely identify each
student. Students each have a unique user ID and password for Blackboard that is tied into
the DataTel WebAdvisor registration system. A specific check-in policy exists at the
beginning of each semester in each class that requires the students to post in the class
discussion forum by a specific date. This gives us the ability to identify no-show students and
verify the attendance of registered students in the course.
• Faculty monitor the “attendance” of students within an online course through their active
engagement with the academic activities within the course. The faculty will attempt to
contact students who are not engaged or will drop students based on a drop policy that is
required in every syllabus.
• Faculty are trained in the practice of providing multiple measures of assessing student
progress within online courses.
• Plagiarism, cheating, and financial aid fraud, is also defined on the college online learning
web site under new and current students’ pages. Information Link
Not the Solution
Oh My!
• Web Cams
• Personal Data
• Keystroke analysis
The Solution
That was icky. Now what?
• Let’s discuss why it’s important to us that students don’t engage in
cheating, plagiarism, and fraud!
• Tell them why it’s important----
The Solution
Professional Development Opportunities to
Develop Multiple Measures of Assessment
· Use of multiple assessment techniques in place of high stakes
exams.
Most distance learning providers use multi-faceted assessment
strategies rather than high stakes proctored exams.
Assessments are designed to be frequent, varied, and authentic
to the application of learning. Instructors rely on interactive
discussions, writing assignments, quizzes, capstone projects,
group work, and online exams. Assessments are often modified
from semester to semester.
The Solution
Professional Development Opportunities to
Develop Multiple Measures of Assessment
· Greater reliance on written assignments and threaded discussions.
Students demonstrate learning outcomes through written assignments
and interaction with the instructor via discussions. Instructors become
familiar with students' writing styles through online discussions. Many
online instructors report that they have greater confidence in the
authenticity of their online students' work than their classroom students.
The Solution
Professional Development Opportunities to
Develop Multiple Measures of Assessment
· Use of test banks, and timed test delivery.
Test questions are randomly drawn from banks of questions, so
each student gets a different set of questions. Most tests are
designed to be open-book, but once a student begins a test,
they have a limited amount of time to complete it, and usually
only one attempt.
What else can we do?
What else can we do?
Increase engagement!
Thanks for not heeding my warning!
Resources
• Resources:
• American Council on Education: Nice Analysis: http://www.acenet.edu/enewsletters/p2p/ACE_HEA_analysis_818.pdf
• WCET: Authentication resources: http://wcet.wiche.edu/learn/student-authentication
• Actual Language: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgibin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ315.110.pdf
• Presentation by Barbara Beno
http://wiche.edu/attachment_library/conference_presentations/whats_around_the_corner_beno
.pdf
• Presentation by Laurie McNabb
http://wiche.edu/attachment_library/conference_presentations/whats_around_the_corner_mcn
abb.pdf
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