Universities could use voice-recognition software to prevent students from cheating

FEARS of students cheating in takeaway exams could lead to universities introducing voice recognition software to monitor candidates at home, it has emerged.

The UK’S higher education watchdog has recommended that universities take extra precautions during the coronavirus pandemic.

It is thought that assessments will be affected by the virus in the next academic year, with most universities adopting a “blended learning” approach, combining in-person tuition and online lectures. Exams are expected to be taken online and at home in many cases, leading to concerns that students will be able to cheat.

In a new guidance document for universities, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education recommends institutions use “remotely supervised activities, password protected or voice recognition software, online or telephone questioning, or third-party verification” to make sure students do not ask others to sit the exams for them.

Voice recognition software could be used to log into an exam paper and prove a candidate’s identity, or authenticate them for an oral exam. “There has been a lot of attention paid to how a move to off-site, ‘open book’ exams could expose courses to cheating [and] impersonation,” the guidance said.

The QAA raised concerns that takehome exams could bring providers into conflict with requirements used by external agencies to accredit university courses. Universities should “identify and prioritise for an early return those students who would be most disadvantaged by virtual learning,” it said.

“This could include students on practice-based programmes and programmes requiring specialised equipment or learning spaces which are only available on site.”

The latest recommendations come as universities finalise their plans for the 2020-21 academic year, with most putting lectures online and holding seminar groups in much larger rooms or smaller groups to enable students to socially distance.

On Sunday, Bristol University became the second to announce it would host all of its lectures online next year, but tuition fees would remain the same.

Cambridge University has already announced it will put its lectures online, but weekly supervisions will still take place in person.

A poll released yesterday by Dig-in showed 70 per cent of UK university students are opposed to the idea of moving lectures online, and 84 per cent expect a reduction in tuition fees if they cannot attend in person, while 90 per cent prefer face-to-face lectures, the results showed.