¿How?
Every day we get cases of students telling us similar things. I have been suspended, SMOWL has suspended me... and they come to us very angry. It's normal. You have prepared for an exam, you have studied and you have passed it with flying colors.
So... How do you mean I have failed?
First of all, let's clarify one point:
SMOWL does not suspend users
We collect evidence and present it to your teacher. He or she is in charge of setting the rules of the exam and deciding whether you pass or fail.
Do you know the reason for your failure?
Our system is based on the automatic capture of evidences through our monitoring tools. These evidences are filtered according to the parameters indicated by the teacher or person in charge of the subject or course.
If the professor indicates that you cannot wear headphones during the exam... this behavior will be marked as an incident in the report he/she reviews.
If you are not allowed to have any program open during the exam and our system detects it... it will appear in the report.
The reason for the failure must be indicated to you by your academic director. We do not know it.
Were you informed of the monitoring conditions?
Normally the academic supervisors inform the student of the conditions of evaluation. This helps to warn the student of what is allowed and what is not.
These conditions can help you understand what the reason for the failure was and how to prevent it in future exams.
What can I do for the next time?
Find out everything that is allowed and not allowed during the exam. Remember that we have many ways to monitor.
Check your internet connection and make sure that all tools are working properly.
Here are a couple of recommendations:
How to prevent front camera monitoring incidents
Front camera monitoring is done through your computer's built-in webcam or one connected to your computer.
Make sure you are clearly distinguishable, you have to be clearly visible on camera.
Remember the teacher's instructions: Can I wear headphones? Can I use my cell phone? Can I use notes or a calculator?
How to prevent computer monitoring incidents
SMOWL CM is a program that informs your teacher of everything you have done with your computer during the exam.
Do you have open programs and don't know it?
Before your exam make sure you have only the necessary programs open. Sometimes there are programs running in the background that you have no idea about.
Whether you have Windows or MacOS you can check from the Task Manager panel. You will be surprised how much you can have running in the background without knowing it.
Can you navigate during the exam?
As a general rule, you are not allowed to visit other websites during an exam, even if they are on your campus. Find out which websites are allowed during your exam.
How to prevent monitoring incidents with an external camera
Have you been asked to use your cell phone or a second device? Remember to position the camera correctly!
Your desktop must be clearly visible
Your computer must be clearly visible
Your face has to be seen