Online Colleges Could Spy On Students – By Law

skeazer writes "Tucked away in a 1,200-page bill now in Congress is a small paragraph that could lead distance-education institutions to require spy cameras in their students' homes. It sounds Orwellian, but the paragraph — part of legislation renewing the Higher Education Act — is all but assured of becoming law by the fall. No one in Congress objects to it."

Comments

I tend to masturbate at home during work breaks

[Anonymous Coward]

Will they watch that too?

Re:I tend to masturbate at home during work breaks

[ad0n]

In all seriousness, isn't this why we have proctors, so that someone can watch you while you perform tasks required for your grade?

Simple answer: cost. I work at a community college, and although we do have an academic testing centre -- the priority is to provide an alternate testing environment for students with disabilities. The secondary priority is students who miss tests for legitimate reasons (medical, weather, etc.).

There simply isn't capacity to allow every student in every online course to come onto campus to complete their assessments. It isn't built into the costing/tuition.

Right.

[PieSquared]

I haven't read TFA, but I'm going to go ahead and assume that by "spy cameras in their homes" they mean a camera attached to the computer while school work (or at least tests) is being done in an effort to make sure the degree goes to the person doing the work?

As long as it isn't required to be on except while the student is doing work that would take place under the eyes of a professor or TA in a "real" college and as long as enrollment is voluntary I can't imagine it's really that objectionable.

Re:Right.

[EvanED]

For any "online" institution I've known, the tests need to be done at an approved institute under supervision, and after presenting proper ID, etc.

Well, that's the thing... they're trying to break that restriction.

They can't stop it in person

[DustoneGT]

They can't stop the cheating in person...what makes them think they can stop it over the internet?

Re:FUD spreads better than butter

[Zenaku]

Well I did read the article, and it is a clear cut case of FUD. The law says only that these schools must be able to prove that the person enrolled is the person doing the work.

All that crap about requiring them to put cameras in students homes is just some disingenuous person trying to claim that that is what it would take, because they don't think colleges have that verification responsibility.

What this really comes down to is that most distance learning institutions require students to take their exams at a testing center, where they provide identification and are under the observation of a proctor. And those that don't are raising a fuss because they would prefer not to pay for that.

FUD is exactly what it is -- the are proposing the most ridiculous solution that they can think of to bring them into compliance with such a law, because they would prefer not to have to comply at all.

Re:And to think. . .

[BunnyClaws]

While it may be true for you that school is for learning things, it really depends upon which school and program you mean. The majority of the training/education industry (as far as the government is concerned) is about meeting industry's HR needs, and has nothing to do with the lofty goals of education for the benefit of the individual.

Bah, speak for yourself. I majored in Anthroplogy with a concentration in Feminist studies. I would comment more on this but I have to get back to waiting tables.

Re:And to think. . .

[Bob-taro]

Why should the government create a law that requires that schools enforce no-cheating?

It's so some politician can brag, "I worked with congress to pass a law that eliminated cheating in American universities!"

Here's how to end it

[fishbowl]

1. Be under 18 years old
2. Perform a sex act on the camera.
3. Compel discovery against the university for possession of child pornography.
4. ???
5. Profit!!!

Re:So, just what was your room number in college?

[fishbowl]

>Everyone and his uncle demands to know my mother's maiden name.

This is culturally insensitive also. It is quite common for one's name and one's mother's maiden name to be the same name.
It's taken for granted as an assumption in the question, that you had married parents, and that your mother changed her name to your father's name, and that your parents gave you your father's name.

Not everybody does that.