Because of new regulations stemming from the federal reauthorization of the Higher Education Act in 2008, higher education institutions have been asked to address student authentication for all distance and correspondence courses. To be in compliance with this regulation, institutions are required that the institution must demonstrate that the student who registers in a distance or correspondence education course or program is the same student who participates in and completes the course or program and receives the credit by verifying the identity of a student who participates in class or coursework by using, at the option of the institution, methods such as (1) a secure login and pass code, (2) proctored examinations, and (3) new or other technologies and practices that are effective in verifying student identification.
Thus, UNAD has instituted the following policies to address student authentication:
1. All students enrolled in UNAD courses will receive individual secure login and pass codes to the learning management system (LMS).
2. Student as well as Faculty accounts are issued by the UNAD IT Department. Instructions for student login are sent to students via email as well as our student orientation tutorial. Students can contact the Help Desk for assistance.
3. Additionally, student identity may be verified through use of at least one additional measure.
The Academic Dean may select additional measures for the schools, which include:
1. Proctored examinations. Students enrolled in electronic courses may be required to take proctored exams. The Instructor is responsible for providing the details of the exam process to the students. Instructors will provide test dates and proctor requirements to the students in the course syllabus as well as the course room.
2. UNAD Florida may choose to use remote proctoring devices which requires online students to purchase a monitoring device or live monitoring service that connects to their computer and “watches” them take an exam. These approaches may require periodic finger-print scanning, and turning on a microphone and 360-degree camera if noise or movement thresholds are reached. Instructors will accommodate students who are in a separate geographic location for proctor requirements. International students will be given access codes after paying UNAD FL the proctor fees at registration.
3. Use of Learning Management System Tools. Reporting functions that exist within the learning management system can be used to detect possible cases of academic dishonesty.
4. Other student identity technologies. Large companies that provide data security for the banking industry have data mining systems that are being used with distance learning students. Students are presented with multiple choice questions about their personal history, such as last street address, name of elementary school, or mother’s maiden name. The student must answer the personal question in order to proceed with an assessment, and such questions also may appear randomly during an exam.
There is no cost to students for student authentication.