Resolving ethical dilemmas

Scenario: During online examinations, instructors may require students to activate their cameras to ensure that unauthorized materials are not being used. However, this practice raises significant privacy concerns, as it involves recording the interior of a student’s personal living space, such as a dormitory or home environment. In some cases, family members, personal belongings, or modest living conditions that students may prefer to keep private can appear in the background. As a result, students may experience discomfort, increased stress, and a sense of intrusion into their privacy. In extreme cases, some students may even withdraw from the examination to avoid being filmed in their own homes.

Answer the questions:

• What are the main privacy risks when students are required to be recorded during online exams?
• In what ways can students' discomfort with having their private space recorded be reduced?
• Do you think that recording students in their homes is justified in order to preserve academic integrity? Why yes or why not?
• Suggest alternative methods of testing knowledge that do not require recording, but still reduce the possibility of cheating.
• How should an institution regulate the storage, access, and duration of exam recordings to protect student privacy?