UC Davis and Rajiv Gandhi University to deploy biometric proctoring

A pair of universities, one in the U.S. and one in India, have decided to deploy biometrics to ensure honesty in exam results.

Examity has been selected by the University of California, Davis to provide learning validation and online proctoring with biometric keystroke analysis, predictive analytics, and video review.

Nearly 7,000 of UC Davis’ 39,600 student population are currently enrolled in at least one online course, nearly double the number from a year ago, which is reflective of a national trend, according to the announcement. The U.S. Department of Education says that although overall enrollment in postsecondary schools declined from 2016 to 2017, online learning was up by nearly 6 percent.

Examity says it was recently named the fastest-growing education technology company in North America. The company’s technology is used by hundreds of colleges around the world.

“As technology continues to evolve, so will the needs of institutions and students working to keep up with the rapid pace of change,” says Examity CEO Jim Holm. “The UC system is well-known for its pioneering applications of technology to improve the educational experience, and we look forward to collaborating with them to expand access to high-quality learning opportunities.”

Examity raised $90 million in private equity funding last year to support its expansion and further research.

Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) in Bangalore has announced plans to use facial biometrics to prevent cheating on exams, The Hundu reports.

Beginning in the 2020-2021 school year, students enrolling at RGUHS will be required to sign up for biometric proctoring, according to Vice Chancellor S. Sachidananda, who called the deployment a precautionary measure. The university has 250,000 students in various medical subject areas, and conducts examinations at 230 centers, all of which currently have cameras. The university is planning to float a tender to add biometric software to them.

A school official told The Hindu that manual checks of student photo ID are challenging, as a change such as a new hairstyle makes certainty that it is the same person difficult. A third-year student told the publication that the technology’s use is an invasion of privacy, however.

Using AI and biometrics to enhance exam proctoring was the topic of a recent guest post written by Oksana Mikhalchuk of Oxagile.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  Examity  |  facial recognition  |  identity verification  |  India  |  keystroke biometrics  |  United States