Terms Of Use SMOWL

Terms of use SMOWL remote supervision exam

SMOWL is a Spanish provider of remote supervision software, the data processing takes place on AWS servers. This data processing is covered by an adequacy decision of the EU Commission since July 11, 2023.
You can only participate in the remote supervision test with SMOWL if you have completed a registration or your application for the remote supervision test has been accepted.
You can only take the remote supervision exam with SMOWL if you accept the terms of use (these here) and exam guidelines.

This software is currently being piloted. Details will be clarified or investigated in the next 2 months. Questions to e-pruefungen@tu-darmstadt.de.

SMOWL is released for voluntary use. For some entrance exam of master studies programmes it is strongly recommended to use it.
In some cases exam administrators may give you the choice between Proctorio and SMOWL, but then you must decide which software to use on the day of the exam. However, it is customary to prescribe the remote supervision software. Further details are regulated in the examination course.

Preparations and rules of conduct during the SMOWL remote supervision exam

Talking is not permitted during the exam:
- Behave as you would during an on-site examination.
- Unprompted talking may be interpreted by the examiner as an attempt to cheat.
Set the front camera correctly. This applies in particular to the following points:
- The shot should include the entire face and part of the upper body.
- The shot must be frontal.
- The shot must be well lit. Make sure that shutters, lamps, etc. are set correctly in advance.
- Test your computer setup with a camera app or a zoom meeting
- If the recording rules are not followed, this can be interpreted as an attempt to cheat or lead to the exam being canceled.
The smartphone camera must be set correctly.
- The field of vision should cover the working area (mouse, keyboard, monitors and other permitted aids)
- Your head can be seen from the side, it is sufficient if you are somehow recognizable.
- The position of the smartphone camera is usually to the side of you so that all requirements can be met.
The desktop is to be shared and is recorded.
Recommendation: It is best to have a second input device ready in case the first one stops working. Otherwise you will be unable to make entries during the exam.
Recommendation: Write down the hotline number provided in the exam course for technical problems on a piece of paper in case of a network interruption.

Moodle and SMOWL:

SMOWL will never automatically exclude you from the exam. The exam administration decides on attempts to cheat.
In the event of disconnections or similar: You can always re-enter the exam until the exam has been handed in, unless the exam administrator decides otherwise.
You must use a Chromium-based browser. Examples: Chrome, Edge, Chromium,...
You agree to install SMOWL and not to manipulate it.
You agree that SMOWL will make recordings of a webcam, computer microphone, desktop, browser history and programs executed during the exam on your end device and encrypt them with a symmetric key from the exam course. The encrypted data is stored in a European data center in the Amazon Cloud. Only the exam management and the administration for remote invigilation exams as well as the SMOWL server farm in Spain, which carries out the post-processing, have unencrypted access to this data. The processed data is stored in encrypted form in the Amazon Cloud and remains unusable for the cloud operator.
You agree that the recordings will be filtered for suspected cases of cheating and examined by the examination management. Any incriminating recorded material will be used as evidence in cases of suspected cheating.
When using SMOWL, the number of screens can be limited. If nothing is specified in the examination guidelines, you may use several monitors.
Deactivating the webcam, smartphone camera or microphone during the exam is considered an attempt to cheat.
If the webcam, smartphone camera or microphone fails due to a technical problem, this may result in the examination attempt being canceled.
You acknowledge that SMOWL gives little feedback during the exam about violations.
All incidents will be analyzed afterwards. All decisions on the outcome will be made by the exam management.
SMOWL will examine your behavior and highlight any anomalies. Behave appropriately in accordance with the permitted aids.
SMOWL will record if you move out of the field of vision of the cameras. The examiner will check the logs to see if the absence has been authorized.
SMOWL will examine your user behavior regarding audio levels, conversations and interaction with the browser and programs to detect anomalies.
SMOWL and Exam Moodle provide the exam management with data about your internet connection and your location. If several people are connected via the same internet connection, these submissions are compared particularly closely.
The data collected by SMOWL will be deleted as soon as all open procedures regarding cheating incidents, conditionally completed exams and appeal procedures have been completed.
The traffic data and log entries collected by the Moodle examination instance will be deleted once all objection procedures, incidents of cheating and conditional examinations have been resolved.
Access to the data collected by SMOWL must be requested from the examination management.
The settings of SMOWL are disclosed in the examination guidelines.

Support meeting via Zoom and hotline

A Zoom meeting and/or a telephone hotline can be set up as a feedback channel for technical problems.
The hotline is reserved for serious problems, i.e. the network connection has broken down to such an extent that the Zoom meeting cannot be accessed for troubleshooting.
The exam management can specify in the exam guidelines whether the meeting is mandatory or voluntary. If nothing is specified, then it is voluntary.
Questions are to be submitted via chat.
Unless otherwise instructed, the camera and microphone must be left deactivated in the accompanying meeting.
The accompanying meeting can only be entered with a Zoom account with a TU-Campus license. The campus license for Zoom is set up via the HRZ: Zoom X HRZ
Questions regarding content will only be answered in exceptional cases. Questions of understanding regarding the assignment will be answered. These are to be addressed to the exam supervisor using the Zoom chat.
Announcements during the exam will be made via Zoom chat and, if necessary, a verbal reminder will be given to pay attention to the chat.
The examination management reserves the right to take chat histories, screenshots or video clips if there is an acute suspicion of cheating.
In the event of individual problems due to external influences such as construction noise or similar, the invigilator or the examination management must be informed, who will record the process. The examination management decides how to proceed.
Toilet visits must be reported to the examination management via the Zoom chat and will be approved or put in an orderly sequence by the examination management. Report back when you are finished.
You must comply with all instructions regarding the exam immediately upon request.

Identity check

Please note: The registration process for SMOWL also applies to SMOWL exams for demo exams. Always complete the registration conscientiously!
The registration is avaivable when you have subscribed to the remote supervised exam in step 2
A picture of you and your photo ID will be taken once at the beginning of the test run/exam.
The combination of a video recording sequence, picture of your face and photo ID will be compared once by SMOWL.
This combination serves as reference material to compare the recordings of your person during the exam. After the exam, the examiner receives feedback on the cases that could not be automatically decided positively and must review them.
If necessary, a subsequent ID check meeting will be arranged. Student ID and official photo ID must be presented. The meeting requires the use of the Zoom Campus license.

Illnesses

In the event of illness, a medical certificate must be submitted before the examination. Cancellations at a later date cannot be considered. If you fall ill during the exam, this must be documented by a doctor's certificate.
Examinees who are in quarantine are requested to take the exam by remote invigilation only.

By entering the examination, you confirm that you will complete the submissions for the examination alone and without the help of third parties. You will not use any unauthorized aids. More detailed regulations on aids and sources can be found in the examination guidelines.