U of A Administrators Join National Panel Exploring Academic Integrity in Online Learning

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Kim Bradford and Ro DiBrezzo

Two administrators at the University of Arkansas joined representatives from Penn State University’s World Campus and two nationally recognized educational organizations in a panel discussion about academic integrity and quality online learning.

Ro DiBrezzo, vice provost of academic affairs; Kim Bradford, Global Campus director of compliance and quality assurance, and other panelists discussed standards and processes used to support quality and honesty across campus, including those who learn online. 

The Sept. 24 panel discussion “Guarding the Future of Online Learning Through Student Authentication and Proctoring” is available on the B.Virtual Inc. website.

The panel included Rick Schearer, the director of learning and design at Penn State University; Mollie McGill, deputy director of programs, membership and operations at WCET – WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technology; Jim Fong, director of the center for research and consulting at University Professional and Continuing Education Association; and Rick Beaudry, chief executive officer of B.Virtual, a company that provides online proctoring services. Cheri Simpson, UPCEA director of corporate relations, moderated the discussion.

Fong set the stage for the discussion by reviewing UPCEA’s recently published study "2013 Student Authentication and Online Proctoring Report." 

“Academic integrity and the solid reputation of a university are its most influential tools for attracting committed, high-caliber students, which translates to healthy graduation rates, leading to a stronger program and consistent accreditation,” according to the report.

The report also reveals a continuum of standards and services being used to verify the identity of students and tools for proctoring exams for online learners.

DiBrezzo and Bradford explained efforts underway at the University of Arkansas.

DiBrezzo led the year-long process to create the new academic integrity policy now in place at the University of Arkansas. She championed the importance of campus-wide involvement of faculty, students and administrators in the creation and adoption of the policy. 

“I charged a team of faculty, staff and students from all over campus to revisit our policy and, if appropriate, re-write it,” DiBrezzo said during the panel discussion. “And that’s exactly what they did.”

The campuswide group met weekly for more than a year before making a proposal, DiBrezzo said. The team shared it across campus to seek widespread buy-in before it was implemented.

“We are most concerned with consistency for all students, in all classes, regardless of delivery,” DiBrezzo said.

The Global Campus, which serves as a portal for the university’s online offerings, supports processes and procedures to deliver online instruction and connect students who are not on campus with university policies, expectations and resources to support their success. 

During the discussion, Bradford explained that implementation of academic integrity and compliance with distance education regulations required looking at the big picture of technology tools and adopting processes that best support online learners.

“It’s no longer about what we do but how we do it appropriately for students who are not on campus,” Bradford said.

The University of Arkansas has approved two vendors to provide online proctoring for online courses, Proctor U and B.Virtual. These online services include a process for verifying a student’s identity prior to the administration of each exam.

Presentation slides and the UPCEA research report are also available at the B.Virtual website.