JP7458595B2 - online exam system - Google Patents

Description

Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies Publication date: April 28, 2020 Publication: Information published on the All Japan Information Learning Promotion Association website (information published on the "Online Live Proficiency Test" page) Publication date: June 10, 2020 Publication: Information published on the All Japan Information Learning Promotion Association website (information published on the "Online Examination Guide" page) Publication date: April 28, 2020 Publication: General Information published on the website of the All Japan Association for the Promotion of Information Learning (Information posted on the "Online Test Q&A" page) Publication date: April 28, 2020 Publication: Information published on the website of the All Japan Association for the Promotion of Information Education (general incorporated foundation) Information published on the “Webcam Q&A” page) Publication date: July 13, 2020 Publication: Information published on the All Japan Information Learning Promotion Association website (Information published on the “Online Certification System Construction Support” page)

The present invention relates to an online exam system, and more particularly, to an online exam system that has a function for monitoring test takers during online exams.

In recent years, in conducting various certification exams and certification exams, instead of the traditional method of taking exams in which candidates go to a designated venue, candidates are now able to take the exam in their own environment over the Internet. Online exams are increasingly being conducted. Furthermore, various proposals have been made for conducting such online tests more easily and in a stable environment (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).

On the other hand, in the above-mentioned online exams, it is difficult for supervisors to check the exam environment of individual examinees, so it is easy for supervisors to commit fraudulent acts such as cheating. There is a problem in that it is difficult to conduct tests. The current situation is that these problems have not been solved even in the online test systems that have been proposed in the past.

Patent No. 5021113 Patent No. 3736753 Patent No. 6681485

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide an online examination system that can easily and reliably monitor examinees in online examinations and prevent examinees from taking the exam in their place.

According to the present invention, the following online test system is provided.

First, an online test system includes a server connected to a communication network, a test organizer terminal device connectable to the server, and a test taker terminal device connectable to the server via the communication network. There it is,
The server includes a test taker database, a test question database, an answer database, a monitoring information database, and an access control unit that controls access to the test taker terminal device,
The test organizer terminal device includes at least a monitor and an input device,
The examinee terminal device includes at least a monitor, an input device, a speaker, and a web camera,
a login step of logging into the server in an accessible manner based on the examinee's input of examinee information from the examinee terminal device;
a monitoring image storage step of transmitting an image from a web camera of the test taker terminal device to the server and storing it in a monitoring information database of the server;
a test question display step of displaying a predetermined test question file in the test question database of the server by the test taker's operation from the start to the end of the test;
The method is characterized by including an answer saving step of saving answer data input from the test taker terminal device in the answer database.

Second, in the online test system of the first invention, it is preferable that at least one web camera is connected to the examinee terminal device, and that at least one of the web cameras is a wide-angle web camera.

Thirdly, in the online test system of the first or second invention, it is preferable that the test is started by announcing an authentication code from the test organizer and inputting the authentication code in the test question display step. be done.

Fourthly, in the online test system of the first to third inventions, the test taker database includes a test taker ID photo folder, and after the login from the test taker terminal device and before the start of the test, the test taker database includes a test taker ID photo folder. including an ID photo storage step of transmitting ID photo image data taken by the examinee with a web camera of the examinee terminal device to a server and saving it in the examinee ID photo folder;
It is preferable to display the face photo image of the ID photo image data on the certificate issued when the applicant passes the test.

Fifthly, in the online examination system of the first to fourth inventions, it is preferable that in the surveillance image storage step, the images from the WEB camera of the examinee terminal device are stored in the surveillance information database of the server, and the images from the WEB camera are displayed and monitored on the monitor of the examination organizer terminal device connected to the server.

Sixthly, in the online test system of the first to fifth inventions, in the monitoring image storage step, images of the web camera of the examinee terminal device are transmitted to the server at preset time intervals. , is preferably considered to be stored in the monitoring information database.

Seventhly, in the online test system of the first to sixth inventions, it is preferable to display a pre-test explanation screen after the login and before the start of the test, and to display a post-test explanation screen after the test is completed. be done.

Eighth, in the online test system of the first to seventh inventions, it is preferably considered that the remaining time from the start of the test to the end of the test is displayed on the monitor of the examinee terminal device and counted down.

According to the online test system of the present invention, it is possible to provide an online test system that can easily and reliably monitor test takers in online tests, and can also prevent test takers from taking the test with substitute candidates. becomes.

1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an online test system of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of data exchange between a test taker terminal device, a test organizer terminal device, and a server in the online test system of the present invention. 2 is a flowchart showing one embodiment of a test taker's operation in the online test system of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of a login screen of a WEB test system. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of a test menu screen. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a microphone and camera usage permission confirmation screen. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a WEB camera operation confirmation screen. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of an ID photo shooting screen. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of a display screen of precautions for taking an examination. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a video distribution screen for explaining a test. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a test question display screen. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of an answer column for a multiple choice test. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of displaying the next question in a multiple-choice test. It is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of an answer status confirmation table. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a screen in a state where all questions have been answered.

Below, an embodiment of the online testing system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an embodiment of the online test system of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of data exchange between the test taker terminal device, the test organizer terminal device, and the server. It is a block diagram. As shown in FIG. 1, the basic configuration of the online test system of the present invention includes a server connected to a communication network, a test organizer terminal device connectable to the server, and a test organizer terminal device connected to the server via the communication network. This is an online test system consisting of test taker terminal devices that can be used. Each configuration and function will be explained in detail below.

<Server>
The server in the online test system of this embodiment is connected to a communication network (hereinafter also referred to as the Internet), and is capable of accessing a test organizer's terminal device and a plurality of examinee terminals connected to the Internet. There is.
In addition, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the server of this embodiment includes a test taker database, a test master database, a test question database, a monitoring information database, an answer database, and access control for controlling access to test taker terminal devices. It has a control section.

(Examinee database)
The examinee database includes at least the examinee's name, the test to be taken (exam type), the connection ID (exam number), the password, and the examinee's ID photo folder. Among the test taker items mentioned above, the test to be taken is used as a key linked to the test taken by the test taker in the test master database described later.

In addition to the above items, each item in the examinee database can be set appropriately according to the system specifications. Specific examples of other items include the examinee's address, examinee's telephone number, examinee's email address, etc.

In addition, when entering the above candidate information into the examinee database, the test organizer normally enters the data necessary for conducting the test, such as name, test to be taken, connection ID (exam number), password, etc. Data regarding items other than those mentioned above regarding personal information, etc. of the test taker can be directly input by the test taker from the test taker registration screen on the web page managed by the test organizer.

(Examination master database)
The test master database is a database that manages multiple tests, and items such as test type, time limit, test implementation date, test implementation time, and authentication code are set. Data is entered into these items in advance by the test organizer. Note that the target exam in the examinee database is linked to the exam type in the exam master database.

In addition, the authentication code is given to each exam and is the key code for starting the exam, which is notified to the examinee immediately before the exam, and the corresponding exam can be conducted by entering the authentication code from the examinee. Become.

(Exam question database)
The test question database is a database in which test questions actually answered by test takers are stored, and items such as test type, test implementation time, test question folder, etc. are set. The exam question folder stores exam questions created by the exam organizer, and each exam question to be conducted is attached with an authentication code, which is linked to the authentication code in the exam master database. By inputting the authentication code of the test to be taken by the test taker, matching test questions in the test question folder can be displayed on the test taker's terminal device.

(Answer Database)
The answer database is a database in which answer data given by examinees to test questions is stored, and the test organizer can compare the answer data entered by the examinee with the correct answers in the answer database to determine whether the examinee passes or fails. The software can also automatically compare the answer data entered by the examinee with the correct answers in the answer database to determine whether the examinee passes or fails. In this case, the settings for determining whether the examinee passes or fails can be set by the test organizer on the pass/fail setting screen of the server.

(Monitoring information database)
The surveillance information database includes at least a surveillance image folder created for each examinee, and each surveillance image folder stores image data sent from a WEB camera connected to each examinee's terminal device. The image data received by the server is provided with the examinee's examination number information, and each examinee is linked to the image data. Examples of the image data include still images, videos, and videos with audio.

(Access control section)
The access control unit is a control unit that authenticates only proper access and permits login when the test taker terminal device accesses and logs in to the server. Specifically, it has a function that allows access only when a proper connection ID and password are entered when accessing the server from the test taker's terminal device.

<Test organizer terminal device>
The test organizer terminal device is equipped with at least a monitor and an input device, and can access the server to add, modify, and delete test information, test questions, and examinee information in the server. In addition, it is possible to monitor image data sent from each examinee in the monitoring information database during the exam by viewing the image data sent from each examinee.
Furthermore, in order to restrict access to the server by each person in charge, the test organizer terminal device can be set so that access is permitted only when a proper connection ID and password are input. An ordinary personal computer can be used as the test organizer terminal device.

<Examinee terminal device>
At least a monitor, input device, speaker, and web camera are connected to the test taker's terminal device, and the test taker can access the online test system by entering a proper connection ID (examination number) and password from the input device. , login is allowed. Examples of the input device include a keyboard and a mouse. Additionally, monitors and speakers are used to listen to exam notes and for exams that include audio questions. Furthermore, it is possible to connect a microphone that can transmit the test taker's voice depending on the content of the test. As a monitor, an ordinary personal computer liquid crystal monitor can be used. In addition, the examinee's terminal device will basically be a normal personal computer, but if permitted by the test organizer, a smartphone, tablet terminal, etc. may be used.

The web camera connected to the test taker terminal device is provided to photograph the test taker during the test, and is used to monitor fraudulent activities such as cheating. Therefore, the web camera needs to be installed in a location where it can capture the examinee's hand or line of sight, and these will be instructed in detail by the test organizer.

Further, although one wide-angle web camera is usually installed at a predetermined position, a plurality of web cameras can be installed, and it is preferable that at least one of these cameras is a wide-angle web camera. By using a wide-angle web camera, it is possible to capture the entire image of the examinee, the number of installed web cameras can be kept small, and reliable monitoring can be easily performed.

Additionally, a web camera is usually fixed to the top of a computer monitor, but it can also be fixed to a headset, allowing it to take and send images closer to the examinee's line of sight. Note that the shooting settings of the WEB camera are set on the server side by the test organizer, and images shot according to the settings are transmitted to the server and stored in the monitoring information database. As a specific setting condition, for example, a setting for automatically transmitting images and audio to a server at intervals of 10 seconds to 30 seconds can be exemplified.

Below, one embodiment of test execution by the online test system of this embodiment will be described in detail using the drawings. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing one embodiment of operations performed by a test taker when administering the test.

Note that, prior to conducting the test, the test taker connects a web camera, speaker, microphone, etc. to the test taker terminal device and places them at predetermined positions according to the instructions of the test organizer. Then, by the day before the test, check the operation of the test taker's terminal device on the "operation confirmation site" published by the test organizer. In addition, each examinee is notified in advance of the test to be taken by the organizer in the form of an examination ticket, connection ID (examination number), and password.

The online test system of this embodiment has the following login step, monitoring image confirmation step, ID photo storage step, test question display step, monitoring image storage step, and answer storage step, and basically each of the above steps. proceed in the order of.

(Login step)
To prepare for the actual test, the test taker first accesses the WEB test system from the test taker's terminal device via the WEB browser designated by the test organizer, and displays the screen shown in FIG. 4. Next, the user logs into the online test system by entering the connection ID (exam number) and password given for each test, which have been notified in advance, on the screen.

When you log in to the online exam system, the exam menu shown in Figure 5 will be displayed. Check that the connection ID (exam number), name, and other information displayed on the screen are correct, and make sure that the web camera, microphone, speakers, etc. are connected and ready, then click the "Take Exam" button. Also, when you log in, a window will be displayed asking you to confirm permission to use the microphone and camera, as shown in Figure 6. After checking that the microphone and camera are connected, click "Allow." When examinees enter their connection ID (exam number) and password to log in to the online exam system, they will have selected the exam they registered to take.

(Surveillance image confirmation step)
When the "Exam" button is clicked, a preview screen of the image captured by the web camera appears in the upper right corner of the screen, as shown in FIG. 7, and it can be confirmed that the web camera is operating normally. This confirms that monitoring during the test using the web camera is possible.

(Identification photo storage step)
Next, an ID photo will be taken to confirm your identity. The "Photograph" button on the screen shown in FIG. 8 serves as a shutter, and by facing the front of the camera and clicking "Photograph", the photographing of the ID photo is completed. Since it is possible to take photos multiple times, please ensure that the examinee's face is shown as clearly and as large as possible. When the photograph is completed, click the "Upload" button to the right of the "Photograph" button, and the photograph will be saved in the ID photograph data folder in the examinee database on the server. Please note that this ID photo will be printed and displayed on the certificate issued when you pass the exam, so even if someone takes the so-called substitute exam by impersonating you, you will be able to take the exam by checking the ID photo. Since the person who committed the fraud can be identified, fraud can be prevented. Note that it is desirable to complete the steps from the above (login step) to (ID photo storage step) before the test day.

(Exam question display step)
On the day of the test, when the user logs in using the login steps described above, a video distribution screen for explaining the test as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 is displayed, and precautions and prohibitions for taking the test are displayed.

At the end of the exam explanation, an "authentication code" will be announced. Follow the instructions to enter the "authentication code" and wait for the announcement that the exam is about to begin. The "authentication code" is the key code for starting the exam, and by entering the "authentication code", the candidate will be able to start the exam.

After the announcement of the start of the test, the test questions can be displayed by entering the authentication code in the "Authentication Code" column shown in FIG. 10 and clicking the "Start Test" button. If the "Start Test" button is not clicked even after one minute has passed from the announcement of the start of the test, the participant will be disqualified. When the "Start Test" button is clicked, the first question of the test questions as shown in FIG. 11 is displayed, and the remaining time of the test is displayed at the top center of the screen. The remaining time will then count down towards the end of the test.

(Surveillance image storage step)
After the login step, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, a preview screen of the image projected by the web camera appears at the upper right of the screen, allowing confirmation that the web camera is operating normally. It should be noted that during the test, the images of the web camera displayed here are transmitted to and stored in the monitoring information database of the server, and are also monitored by the test organizer's terminal device. Therefore, if the video is no longer displayed, the test will be invalid. That is, it is possible to easily and reliably monitor test takers in an online test using images from a web camera.

In addition, we can recognize faces from web camera images using open source computer vision libraries such as OpenCV (https://opencv.org/) and AI machine learning software libraries, and analyze gaze, facial expressions, etc. By doing so, it is also possible to automatically detect inappropriate movements or facial expressions that could lead to fraud and turn on an alarm.

(Answer save step)
The test questions correspond to both multiple-choice and written tests. The case of a multiple-choice test will be explained below. In multiple-choice tests, when you answer by clicking the option buttons 1 to 5, A to E, or A to E as shown in Figure 12, the answer to the question will be displayed in the frame to the right of the option. symbol will be displayed. Note that, as the answer format, a free entry column may be provided to provide an answer format by inputting characters, or a plurality of answer formats for one question may be provided.

Then, when moving to the next question or upon completion of the test, the answers are stored in the answer database. In addition, the answer can be changed by clicking on another button, and the answer will be overwritten and saved in the answer database at the same time. Then, by clicking the "Next Question" button shown in FIG. 13, the test can be advanced.

Furthermore, the test system of this embodiment has a "review" function, and by checking the "review" checkbox on the right side of the answer column, you can check the questions you want to check. Checked questions are displayed in red on the "Answer Status Confirmation Table", so you can quickly find and move them when reviewing.

Additionally, there is an ``answer status confirmation table'' at the bottom of the exam screen, where answered question numbers are displayed in gray and unanswered question numbers are displayed in white. If there is a question that has not been answered due to review, etc., you can move to the relevant question by clicking on any question number.

As shown in Figure 15, once all questions have been answered, the test subject waits in that state until the end of the test time. Note that even after all questions have been answered, the video from the web camera is still transmitted, making it possible to monitor for any potentially fraudulent behavior.

When the exam time ends, you will automatically move to the end screen. On the final screen, a video with information such as the schedule for passing/failing announcements will be played. After viewing the completion instructions, the test will be completed, and the test will be completed by following the instructions to close the browser and log out.

According to the online test system of the above embodiment, the image information of the web camera is sequentially saved in the monitoring information folder of the monitoring information database from the operation check of the web camera in the monitoring image saving step to the logout, and the test organizer terminal Since it can be viewed from the device, fraud such as cheating can be monitored using this image information.

Although the present invention has been described above based on one embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the gist thereof.

For example, in the above embodiment, the test organizer terminal device accesses the server via the Internet and adds, modifies, and deletes data in the server, but the test organizer can also add, modify, and delete data by directly operating the server.

Further, in the above embodiment, the examinee and the test organizer access the server using an Internet browser, but it can also be done using an application dedicated to the test.

Further, in the above embodiment, a multiple-choice test was explained, but in the online test system of the present invention, when answering a written question, the answer can be entered directly into the answer column from the keyboard of the test taker's terminal device. I can do it. It is also possible to connect a microphone to the test taker's terminal device and ask questions to be answered by voice.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the examinee is monitored using image information, but it is also possible to connect a microphone to the examinee terminal device and save audio information together with the image information. This will further improve monitoring accuracy and allow more rigorous testing to be conducted using the online testing system.

According to the online test system of the present invention having the above configuration, test takers can be easily and reliably monitored, and furthermore, it is possible to prevent test takers from taking the test with substitute candidates, and it is possible to prevent test takers from taking the test with a substitute. can also be used.

Claims (8)

An online test system comprising a server connected to a communication network, a test organizer terminal device connected to the server via the communication network, and a test taker terminal device connectable to the server via the communication network. And,
The server includes a test taker database, a test question database, an answer database, a monitoring information database, and an access control unit that controls access to the test taker terminal device,
The test taker database includes a test taker ID photo folder;
The test organizer terminal device includes at least a monitor and an input device,
The examinee terminal device includes at least a monitor, an input device, a speaker, and a web camera,
a login step of logging into the server in an accessible manner based on the examinee's input of examinee information from a web browser using the examinee terminal device;
After logging in from the web browser using the test taker terminal device and before the start of the test, the test taker sends the ID photo image data taken by the test taker terminal device's web camera to the server, and the test taker ID is sent to the server. A step to save an ID photo in a photo folder,
a monitoring image storage step of transmitting an image from a web camera of the test taker terminal device to the server and storing it in a monitoring information database of the server;
a test question display step of displaying a predetermined test question file in the test question database of the server by the examinee's operation via a web browser from the start to the end of the test;
An online examination system comprising an answer storage step of storing answer data input from a web browser using the test taker terminal device in the answer database. The online examination system according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one WEB camera is connected to the examinee terminal device, at least one of which is a wide-angle WEB camera. The online examination system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in the examination question display step, the examination is started by notification of an authentication code from the examination organizer and input of the authentication code. 4. A face photo image of the ID photo image data saved in the ID photo storage step is displayed on a passing certificate issued when the applicant passes the exam. Online exam system. In the monitoring image storage step, the image of the web camera of the test taker terminal device is stored in the monitoring information database of the server, and the image of the web camera is stored on the monitor of the test organizer terminal device connected to the server. The online testing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the online testing system displays and monitors. The online examination system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that in the monitoring image storage step, images from the WEB camera of the examinee terminal device are sent to the server at preset time intervals and stored in the monitoring information database. The online examination system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that after the login, a pre-exam explanation screen is displayed before the start of the exam, and a post-exam explanation screen is displayed after the end of the exam. 8. The online test system according to claim 1, wherein the remaining time from the start of the test to the end of the test is displayed on a monitor of the test taker terminal device and counted down.

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