New Systems Keep a Close Eye on Online Students at Home

New Systems Keep a Close Eye on Online Students at Home

chronicle.com

Tucked away in a 1,200-page bill now in Congress is a small paragraph that could lead distance-education institutions to require spy cameras in their students' homes.

It sounds Orwellian, but the paragraph — part of legislation renewing the Higher Education Act — is all but assured of becoming law by the fall. No one in Congress objects to it.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Now, this is being proposed to prevent cheating -- ensuring that student is actually the person taking an online test, and there's no one in the room with them providing the answer. Cameras, microphones, and fingerprint scanners are the proposed solution.

But what right does Congress have to require this? And what's next? With the recent report of rampant insecurity in online banking system, perhaps there should be something like this on all computers, to make sure the person accessing your bank account is really you? Help us, oh Big Brother Congress!

chronicle.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Surely for the actual test, it isn't unreasonable to have to go to a designated place?

This just seems like another way to pass the liberal agenda that is going to turn us into the "nanny state". I'm sure it will waste even more money....

Funny how Congress doesn't care about funding for programs, even when our country is in debt...... hmmmm

I took a lot of online tests and this is just retarded.
I can easily make that camera see anything I want it to.
Wtf are they going to do install a stand alone camera hook it up to its own internet with its own server?

This just wont work it will lead to more cheating. I totally agree its not hard to make a few trips to the testing areas. I did so for other classes.
This is more buracracy BS. Sometimes I agree with the gerogia guidstones because all I see is countless useless law after another.

And this isnt a liberal agenda, looks a lot more like the right wing agenda.
You guys dont even know which side youre on these days.

I always though there were two sides btw there arent.

[edit on 25-7-2008 by Memysabu]

Distance learning is becoming more popular and cheating in these classes is as easy as opening a book. Using a video camera to monitor me while taking a test is not a big deal to me personally, having already taken many online courses. But I sure hope it's optional because the universities around here are already cash strapped and I certainly hope they don't expect me to buy it.

[edit on 25-7-2008 by beaverg]


*and this is why you read the whole article beaverg*
"But some college officials are wary of the technologies, noting that they are run by third-party vendors that may not safeguard students' privacy. Among the information the vendors collect are students' fingerprints, and possibly even images from inside their homes."
Ewww..... I don't like it anymore

[edit on 25-7-2008 by beaverg]

reply to post by beaverg

Yes, that's the danger with Congressional regulations -- they often make them so complex that institutions, for fear of a pragmatically simple solution not being sufficient to the letter of the law, outsource compliance to external organizations. The regulations thus take on a life of their own. I guess that could be considered 'economic stimulus', creating new industry, but the problem with that approach is that the 'public welfare' tends to somehow, mysteriously, get lost at the wayside.

Yeah I can really see this happening in a practical manner...

What are they going to mail you little CCTV Cameras to mount in your own bedroom?

"Please keep on at all times"

Lol... seriously how stupid do they think we are?

Originally posted by Ian McLean

New Systems Keep a Close Eye on Online Students at Home

chronicle.com

Tucked away in a 1,200-page bill now in Congress is a small paragraph that could lead distance-education institutions to require spy cameras in their students' homes.

It sounds Orwellian, but the paragraph — part of legislation renewing the Higher Education Act — is all but assured of becoming law by the fall. No one in Congress objects to it.

(visit the link for the full news article)

look at it from this stance though, it will ensure the student will study and take responsibility for not learning

if by cheating, the student is only hurting theirselves and their education

grades are nothing but letters

what you know is what you know, not anyone else

i for one hated school but I love learning, i read on average 3 books a week and read alot online and live life and learn that way

cheating does really nothing

as for a conspiracy? i dont think this is one at the moment

if anything it placing responsibility back in the student to actually learn and get good grades

to me thats a positive sign

we have to remember that all stories have 3 sides to them

reply to post by MurderCityDevil

Sure, no one's arguing that cheating should be encouraged... but Congress 'solves' a problem, it tends to create a problem-solving industry that does nothing but perpetuate the 'problem', in order to continue its own existence. Aren't there accreditation organizations that rank school quality, without Congressional mandated criteria? Wouldn't they be better suited to addressing this problem?