2025-26 EdTech Sandbox Series
Session 3: Remote Proctoring Through an Ethical Lens – the Case Against Surveillance
October 17, 2025

Facilitator: Ian Linkletter
Host: Gwen Nguyen

October is Academic Integrity Month!

To mark this occasion, we’re hosting a special EdTech Sandbox Series with Ian Linkletter. This session builds on his 2024 sandbox session Beyond Surveillance: The Case Against AI Proctoring & AI Detection. Recordings, transcripts, and a blog summary of the previous session are available at the link. While this new session expands on themes from the earlier presentation, prior attendance is not required.

About the Session

In 2020, as higher education instantly pivoted to emergency remote teaching, the use of remote proctoring technology skyrocketed. Now, half a decade later, this form of surveillance has become entrenched in many of our institutions. But does this technology really uphold academic integrity, or does it undermine it? Is monitoring student behaviour during online assessment the only way forward?

In this workshop, we will critically examine remote proctoring through an ethical lens, exploring its impact on student privacy, mental health, equity, and trust. Participants will be guided through real-world examples, current research, and lived experiences that challenge the assumptions behind surveillance-based assessment.

In this workshop, we will critically examine remote proctoring through an ethical lens, exploring its impact on student privacy, mental health, equity, and trust. Participants will be guided through real-world examples, current research, and lived experiences that challenge the assumptions behind surveillance-based assessment.

Through case study discussions, we will discuss the arguments for and against remote proctoring, and whether there are ethical alternatives that do not rely on surveillance.

Participants will leave with:

• A deeper understanding of the ethical concerns surrounding remote proctoring
• Strategies for advocating for equitable, trust-based assessment practices
• A practical introduction to Algorithmic Impact Assessments (AIAs) as a tool for evaluating automated decision systems and protecting students.

Whether you’re an instructor, learning designer, or academic leader, this session invites you to reimagine what academic integrity can look like – without surveillance.

Attachments: Transcript (PDF, Word), Slides (PDF). Find Slides and Links at: https://bit.ly/againstproctoring

Note: If you notice an error in the closed-captions (or transcript file), please email support@bccampus.ca with details of the error, the time stamp, and your suggested correction, if any.