What is ITX Flex?

ITX Flex is essentially a ‘digital invigilator’. The system takes continuous grabs of the student screen monitors and documents the "digital actions" on a student’s computer during an exam with invigilation.

ITX Flex can thus be used to detect cheating, but can also be used to document network outages or crashes that prevent students from handing in correctly or on time.

ITX Flex is a program students must download and install before taking a digital exam.

The program functions as a "digital invigilator" monitoring the student's computer during an exam to ensure that no forbidden aids and tools are used or that the student is not communicating with anyone during the exam.

The student uses a unique individual exam code to activate ITX Flex, which is accessed via Digital Exam.

As soon as ITX Flex is activated using the code and the exam begins, the system initiates monitoring of the student’s computer. Monitoring continues until 15 minutes after the student has handed in, even if the student disconnects from the internet. When the student has submitted his or her exam paper, it becomes possible for him/her to close ITX Flex and end the monitoring.

The program can only monitor the student’s computer if the student has activated it using their personal code.

When ITX Flex is used at an exam, the following will be registered during the exam:

• That the examinee has registered his or her participation via an ITX Flex client and downloaded the exam assignment
• That the examinee has entered the PIN code for the exam
• When the following was last registered from the student’s computer:
  • Heartbeat to the ITX Flex-server (i.e. connection between ITX Flex and the computer)
  • A screen grab/print to the ITX Flex-server
• The latest screen grab from the student’s computer can be seen by the exam supervisor/invigilator during the exam via an exam supervisor interface.

This data is only accessible to the exam supervisors/invigilators present during the exam.

When ITX Flex is active, this data is collected:

• Screengrabs taken 4-6 times per minute
• Snapshots of the process list on your computer

ITX Flex registers the period of time when it was active on the computer and whether it was shut down or restarted during the exam.

Please note: If sensitive personal data is found when the student’s data is reviewed, it will be possible to delete it.

Monitoring starts when the exam starts. It ends when the student submits a hand-in and actively closes ITX Flex or no later than 15 minutes after the exam ends (automatic shutdown).

Data is stored for six months, after which it is deleted. If you login to Digital Exam after this point and click on the link in the exam submission receipt to the data, the data will have been deleted, and no data report will be visible.

Data is sent to a central server in the AAU server environment where it is stored securely and confidentially. In addition, ITX Flex also logs all processes that run on the computer as well as the network configuration.

A student can access the data, which has been collected about him or her, by logging in to Digital Exam, where it is possible to access the exam submission receipt for the exam in question.

The receipt contains a link to a website where the data can be accessed. The student can see the following:

• All the screen grabs taken by ITX Flex
• A log of processes which ran on the computer during the exam
• When ITX Flex was active on the computer

ITX Flex prevents malicious attacks on the computer. For example, it is not possible to ccontact the student's computer directly from the internet. Furthermore, it is not possible for others to login to the cimputer and access the screen and/or files. ITX Flex transmits data to a specific server on the internet, which is protected by SSL. This means that it is not possible for another computer to trick ITX Flex and have the data (screen grabs) send to another recipient than the one specified by ITX Flex.