A Secure Examination System with Multi-Mode

Input on the Web

Alex ShafarenkoDept Computer Science

University of Hertfordshire

Challenges of automated examination

• Authentication and security– Assurance of personal identity

– Tamper-free data connection

• Prevention of Plagiarism and of Solution by Imitation– Multi-form input: text, diagrams, math,

etc,– Concealment of question pattern via

random presentation

Challenges of automated examination

• Assessment automation– Graded assessment of answers– Adaptive grading of complexity

• Flexibility– Random selection from a large question

base

– Self-steering

Authentication and Security: Web-supported

techniques

• Password protection inadequate– standard password-protection schemes

are used for access prevention, not authentication(no password - no access, but if you have one, you can be anybody)

– relies on password owner keeping it secret– password owner should not benefit from

divulging password

• Examination candidates– require authentication, not access

restriction (can see all content, but have to be a particular person to submit answers)

– may tell their password to a colleague and benefit from it

• Authentication by certificate– Involves responding to a code challenge– Similar to password protection, except

cannot be eavesdropped on– Still vulnerable to voluntary disclosure

Authentication of human subjects

Unix workstations

Secure the browser

Examination Procedure

Before session:• Invigilator logs in to server,

obtains session code• Invigilator enters session

code to his/her w/station• Candidate list with auth.

codes is produced• Invigilator logs in to each

w/station special "candidate" account is logged in

• log-in script starts browser with o/lay windows

• short-cuts and external access is disabled browser displays intial dialog screen

• Session starts• Candidates enter the room in

any order when a w/station is free

• Each candidates presents an ID and gets the auth. code

• He or she proceeds to a free w/station

• Enters name and auth. code• initial dialog screen

communicates login data to server

• server checks and then invalidates auth. code

• server uploads the exam paper

• candidate enters his or her answers

• session terminates, candidate leaves

• browser displays initial dialog

Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx Xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx

xxx

Structure of the test Web page

answerapplets

“submit” applet

Timer applet

Communication solution

text-baseinterface

Multi-choice examination method:

decision spaceSelection choice

n out of m ;yes/no

…

Semantic choice

Choose the rightanswer out of all possible

English sentences

Structural choice

Choose the rightanswer out of all possibleclusters of building blocks

S y n t h e t i c v i e w

Build your answerby selection of n blocks

out of m into a set

Build your answerby putting building blocks

into a structure

Build your answerby putting building blocks

into a semantic entity

Formula input applet

Graph input applet

Other issues

• Test page scripting– extended HTML with choice and

randomisation directives– language for specifying correct

answers and assessment procedures– adaptive testing

Conclusions

• Secure exam system is developed and evaluated on a large group of students

• Java “security” issues and lack of exam-relevant security have been overcome

• Needs XML support for exam database• Needs GUI for exam paper preparation