Periyar varsity to conduct online exam using AI for distance edu

CHENNAI: The State-owned Periyar University in Tamil Nadu has decided to introduce an AI-powered online examination through a proctoring method for its distance education scheme.

A senior official from the Higher Education Department told DT Next that the online exam system would support both descriptive and multiple-choice question (MCQ).

Stating that an IT company will be engaged to develop the system, he added: “The system would be accessible through a web-based platform with a user-friendly interface. It will allow test-takers to upload copies of their hand-written descriptive answers. The accepted file formats would include PDF, JPG, or PNG.”

The system would also support image-processing capabilities to enhance the quality of scanned answer sheets. “Optical character recognition technology would be utilised to convert handwritten text into digital text, enabling easy evaluation and plagiarism detection,” the official stated.

Online system would provide a reliable platform to administer MCQ exams. Question order and answer choices will be random. “The system would allow for a specified time limit for completing the MCQ exam. It also supports a variety of question formats including multiple-choice, true/false, matching, and fill-in-the-blank questions,” he explained.

The system will include AI-based proctoring features including live video monitoring and behaviour analysis of students to detect any suspicious activities during the exam.

“The proctor system would also include robust facial recognition technology to verify the identity of the test-taker throughout the exam,” he added. “The system would compare the test-taker’s facial features with the registered identity to prevent impersonation or unauthorised access. It would also restrict access to external websites or applications during the examination to prevent test-takers from searching for answers or using unauthorised resources.”