THE INVIGILATOR APP AND SOME VUCA ELEMENTS IT TRIGGERS IN STUDENTS AND LECTURERS DURING ONLINE EXAMINATIONS: A CASE STUDY OF AN ENGLISH STUDIES MODULE AT UNISA

Year 2024, Volume: 25 Issue: 4, 51 - 66, 01.10.2024

Chaka Chaka , Thembeka Shange

https://doi.org/10.17718/tojde.1354004

Abstract

This study reports on the experiences students registered for a first-year, undergraduate English Studies module and English Studies lecturers had with the Invigilator app during an online examination in the first semester of 2023. Current research indicates that e-proctoring induces anxiety and uncertainty in students when they write online examinations. However, there is a paucity of research on the VUCA elements that the Invigilator app triggers in students and in lecturers during online examinations. The study was informed by a critical data surveillance framing, and it used convenience sampling to collect data through semi-structured interviews with seven lecturers (n = 7) for various undergraduate English Studies modules. Additionally, it employed purposive sampling to collect data from five (n = 5) email queries sent by five first-year, undergraduate English Studies module students to their lecturers when they experienced problems with the Invigilator app during their online examination. The findings indicate that lecturers and students struggled with the Invigilator app as an e-proctoring tool. Future research should focus on other less-invasive and better AI-proof assessment methods of maintaining academic integrity in online assessments.

Keywords

The Invigilator app, e-proctoring, online examinations, VUCA, critical data surveillance

Ethical Statement

The article (study) was granted ethical clearnce as indicated in the manuscript.

Supporting Institution

N/A

Project Number

N/A

References

• Arnò, S., Galassi, A., Tommasi, M., Saggino, A., & Vittorini, P. (2021). State-of-the-art of commercial proctoring systems and their use in academic online exams. International Journal of Distance Education Technologies, 19(2), 55-76.
• Bahamondes-Rosado, M. E., Cerdá-Suárez, L. M., Dodero Ortiz de Zevallos, G. F., & Espinosa-Cristia, J. F. (2023) Technostress at work during the COVID-19 lockdown phase (2020–2021): A systematic review of the literature. Frontiers in Psychology, 14(1173425), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1173425
• Brown, V. (2018) Evaluating technology to prevent academic integrity violations in online environments. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 21(1). https://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/spring211/brown211.html
• Business Day. (2022). The Invigilator app uses selfies to ensure online exams are above board. Retrieved from https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/companies/innovation/2022-06-13-native-the-invigilator-app-uses-selfies-to-ensure-online-exams-are-above-board/
• Boyd, D., & Crawford, K. (2012). Critical questions for big data: Provocations for a cultural, technological and scholarly phenomenon. Information, Communication & Society, 15(5), 662-679.