Online Test-Takers Feel Anti-Cheating Software’s Uneasy Glare

As universities and colleges around the country expand their online course offerings, many administrators are introducing new technologies to deter cheating. The oversight, administrators say, is crucial to demonstrating the legitimacy of an online degree to students and their prospective employers. Some schools use software that prevents students from opening apps or web browsers during online exams. Others employ services with live exam proctors who monitor students remotely over webcams. But the rise of Proctortrack, an anti-cheating technology, and other automated student analysis services like it have raised questions about where to draw the line, and whether the new systems are fair and accurate.