File pic Photo: 123RF
Massey University has switched off the system it uses to check if students are cheating in their online exams.
On Wednesday morning the university cancelled online supervised exams scheduled for today after ongoing technical problems.
The students sit online exams at home or remotely but are monitored through their computer camera.
Students from the schools of business and science were unable to log into their exams and in some cases were shown other people's log-in details.
This afternoon the university told students it would turn off its online proctoring system for the remainder of the two-week exam period.
It said it was deeply disappointed by the failure of the service and acknowledged the disruption and stress it had caused.
The university's students' association said some divisions of the university made a lot of use of online supervised exams and students should have the option of sitting the exams in person.
Te Tira Ahu Pae distance vice president Flynn O'Hallahan told Checkpoint the problems had been a terrible experience for many students.
"It's been an absolute hectic day today listening to the students give all their feedback to us."
"Starting on Monday, we've had students unable to access their exams and just being told to keep trying to access them throughout the day. So we had students sitting at their computers until 9pm at night for an exam that was scheduled at say 12 in the afternoon.
"So they've been there for hours trying to access their exams and just being told that the software isn't working and they just have to keep trying," he said.
O'Hallahan said students initially did not know if they were at fault or if there was a problem with the system, and some feared they would fail their exam.
"There was an overload of the system with too many students, even through this should have been considered because they knew exactly how many students would be logging on."
He said the association was especially worried about a fault that shared students' personal information.
"When students were finally able to access their exams, they were being logged in as a different student entirely. So just people they don't know, just randomly and every time they refreshed the page they'd actually be logged in as a different student.
"We don't really know what was going on there, but what was happening was they were able to access all the details of that student and see what exam that student was taking."
It appeared the fault would have allowed students to attempt an exam under another student's identity.
He said the university's business school and college of science made most use of online supervised exams, while other parts of the university used open-book exams which did not use the online supervision system.
He believed many students did not like the online supervised exams and the university was over-using them.
O'Hallahan said the association has reached out to Massey with a list of demands from the students, including a "blanket consideration for impared performance for all students affected".
This would mean the students' grades would be adjusted to "fit the amount of stress the students have gone through".
O'Hallahan said he would expect an email to be sent out tonight, however, he was unaware of any decisions being made.
"There's just so much uncertainity in the air right now."
About 2000 students affected
Professor Giselle Byrnes Photo: supplied
The university's provost Professor Giselle Byrnes said the university became aware some students experienced technical issues with their online supervised exams on Monday.
"The university was advised by the provider the issue had been resolved and a number of students were able to complete their exams without any disruption, however, the issue has since recurred today," Byrnes said in a statement to Checkpoint.
About 2000 students were due to sit their exams online today.
The university had now agreed that remote proctoring of online exams would be turned off for the remainder of the semester 1 examinations, she said.
"Examinations that were scheduled for today will be rescheduled to start tomorrow at 12pm and will be available for 48 hours. Students will be able to start these rescheduled exams at any time within the 48-hour period. Students whose exams were interrupted today will be able to continue their examination on the new date."
She said "a small number of students" had the name and email address of another student displayed to them while they were trying to access their examination paper, instead of their own.
"This is being taken very seriously."
Byrnes acknowledged many students were likely to have made arrangements to sit their exams, such as taking time off work or arranging childcare.
"We are extremely disappointed in this failure of service. We acknowledge this has likely been a stressful situation for our students and want to apologise for any inconvenience and disruption this has caused."
Staff were working with students to minimise further disruption and help manage personal circumstances that might make sitting exams at other times difficult, she said.
