School pupils in Norway are being allowed to use laptops during exams. But there are tight security measures to stop any abuse.

It’s part of a test program in which all 6,000 students aged between 16 and 19 in the Norwegian county of Nord-Trondelag are being given a free laptop to aid in their education. They include programs related to the students course, such as Adobe Photoshop for media students. If successful, the scheme could be extended nationwide.

As well as general teaching, the computers are used during both formal exams and class tests. During an exam, a special security program is turned on which includes a keylogger keeping a full account of the student’s activity. Although the students connect to a Web site to download the exam questions, they are not allowed to use the Internet otherwise, and can only used approved software.

The system is designed so that the keylogger software is only accessible during the exam itself. The security firm which oversees the system, XO Expect More, says this means any attempts at tampering with it would have to be carried out in the exam hall, meaning it would not only be difficult (as the tampering attempt would itself be logged), but would eat into the time the students had to type their answers.

The system also allows real-time monitoring during the exam itself. The BBC notes that one student wrote, “If you can see me, stop me now,” during an exam. (Staff supervising could, and did.) As part of the monitoring, all activity is logged on a separate computers, meaning that if a student has a problem with their laptop, their work can be restored without the need to resit a test.

The technology used in the exam is adapted from a system designed by British firm 3ami for corporate monitoring of employee behavior while using their work computers.

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Entry was posted on Friday, May 1st, 2009 at 2:51 pm under Internet, Technology.

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