Omniscient webcam to deter distance education cheating

We're fairly sure that none of you angels out there enrolled in distance education courses have ever considered sneaking a peek in the textbook or seeing what Google had to say about a perplexing mid-term question, but for Troy University students, a new device is being deployed to make absolutely certain. The webcam-based unit was crafted by Software Secure, and simultaneously freezes the test taker's computer so he / she can only access the test module and records both audio and video whilst flagging "questionable" movements that the instructor can review for unpropitious behavior. Thankfully for those of us not enrolled at Troy, it doesn't look like any other institutions have hopped on board just yet, but if you've grown reliant on computer assistance to get you those As Cs, we wouldn't put off graduating for much longer.

[h8rain @ Jun 20th 2007 9:53AM]

UMMMM, could they have made it bigger? I mean damn a web cam is built into the screen of my MBP! Maybe all that "motion sensor" is taking up the room.

[CM @ Jun 20th 2007 9:55AM]

Thank God I have two computers! Hooray for cheating!

[Ricksta @ Jun 20th 2007 10:02AM]

Distance learning classes are taught knowing very well that people will cheat. Most classes make you do projects and papers rather than classic tests. Just another way to jack up the cost of higher education.

[fincan @ Jun 20th 2007 10:23AM]

What if I run that webcam inside a virtual machine? I guess I'm a natural born cheater, although I didn't cheat once on my masters :)

[Matt @ Jun 20th 2007 10:50AM]

Did you cheat MORE THAN once?

[Grey Acumen @ Jun 20th 2007 10:44AM]

My question is what if you just put the book on the desk underneath it. I somehow doubt it's capabilities extend into Xray.

this hardly prevents cheating to any degree, it just is an excuse to raise prices for these classes and makes it more troublesome for the people who are just trying to take the damn course.

[bondsbw @ Jun 20th 2007 11:11AM]

Whup Troy.

[KC @ Jun 20th 2007 11:32AM]

Does that mean that you need to get dressed for distance learning now?

[compubasic @ Jun 20th 2007 11:46AM]

I cheated once. Back in High School, in Spanish class. I sat next to the window sill, and used to keep my books and binder on there. One day during a test, I took out a cheat sheet and put it down on top of my binder out in plain sight. I kept glancing over at it to look at different words and phrases on my test that I didn't know. My teacher didn't stop me at all during the whole test. Well, I got that test back the next week, and I had gotten an F...

I know what you're thinking. My teacher had actually seen me, but wanted me to think I was actually getting away with it. Well, that's not the case. I had gotten away with cheating. It turns out I just suck at it. I cheated, and still failed. I ended up getting a 46, even with all of the answers in front of me.


And that my friends, was both the first, and last time I ever cheated on a test.

[Grizz @ Jun 20th 2007 4:00PM]

If i was able to cheat in French Class, then theirs no chance in hell this thing will stop me form doing it at home.

[Jeff @ Jun 23rd 2007 6:27PM]

Hurray for 2 computers!