Abstract

For the delivery of academic information online to be a viable and accepted pedagogy, it must be affordable, efficient and user friendly. However, efforts to accommodate such concerns are not without challenges, especially in resolving key “academic” issues. The imperative that academic integrity in online courses is assured has arguably been the most problematic. Most importantly concerns about unique opportunities for cheating that are inherent in the taking of online examinations had to be resolved. Recognizing the need for a new methodology that would be compatible with the online testing environment Troy University, an academic institution extensively involved in online program delivery, committed itself to combining non-traditional learners with cutting-edge technology. The University partnered with The Securexam® Corporation, a partnership which resulted in the development of the Remote Proctor; a device intended to resolve two of the most crucial issues in online testing; namely, ensuring that 1) the person being tested is in fact the appropriate student and, 2) that during the conduct of the exam the student does not have access to unauthorized resources. Utilizing a theoretical framework derived from the basic tenets of Technological Determinism in general, and Ogburn’s concept of cultural lag in particular, and in keeping with perspectives incorporating the integration of technology into the legitimate and institutionalized dissemination of knowledge in higher education via the Internet, and the societal implications of doing so, this paper reports on the conceptualization, development and initial utilization and social implications of that technological solution.