Online Learner Authentication: Verifying the Identity of Online Users - Florence

Online Learner Authentication: Verifying the Identity of Online Users

http://jolt.merlot.org/vol5no2/bailie_0609.htm

This article discusses a question that has already popped up in our class discussions and is something that will become more and more relevant as technology advances. This was a look at how a college or university can verify the identity of an online user during assessments. There were suggestions of everything from eye recognition software to video conferencing. The proposed solution was to verify the basics, ID number and name, but then throughout the testing period random “challenge questions” would pop up. These questions would be specific to the user and the program could generate up to 300 different questions for each user. Very interesting.

The only problem that I still see is if there is a lack of visual verification, who is to say they don’t have someone sitting on the couch next to them, feeding them answers? What if they are using 2 laptops, one to research the questions and one to submit the answers? There is still a long way to go from face to face test taking to virtual classes. Security is always the lagging party when it comes to technology. I will be interested to see where this goes and if it ever catches up. Technology is always one step ahead. And once the solution is found, there is a new issue that pops up.