Proctoring Privacy Pro-Tip: Utilizing Zoom Focus Mode

In short, one particular legal point that this situation at CSU hinges on is that a student’s privacy was violated when a scan of his room made private documents viewable by his peers and thus violated his constitutional right against “unreasonable searches and seizures.” With the proliferation of remote assessment methods, post-pandemic, we must be diligent in pursuing adequate practices in proctoring while safeguarding our students’ fundamental privacy rights. Fortunately, one Zoom feature affords us the ability to mitigate this issue raised in the CSU case. Through utilizing Zoom Focus Mode, instructors and proctors can ensure that they have sufficient visual access to their examinees, while avoiding exposing the private test taking environments to fellow classmates.

By enabling Focus Mode, both the host and co-hosts can see all attendees. However, all other participants can only see the host, as everyone else appears as a black screen and corresponding name. To apply this feature before a meeting, simply go into your options and click on “Enable Focus Mode when meeting starts.” Should you need to apply this feature after a meeting begins, you may do so by clicking on the 3 dots (More) option, and then selecting the “Start Focus Mode” option.

In addition to ameliorating the privacy violation issue at the heart of the CSU legal case, this helpful mode also removes the potential distractions that students may encounter by being able to see their peers while taking their exam. Focus Mode is also superior to the “spotlight” feature or other attempts to only show the host screen to participants because it can be pre-set in advance and cannot be arbitrarily changed or dismissed by participants. Please note: audio will still be heard by all meeting participants as there is yet no Zoom design that enables only host to hear all audio. Therefore, audio must be left on so that the proctor can have audio access to see if students are talking to others in order to procure answers to the exam.

As the judge, the plaintiff, and the defendant in the CSU case all agreed, academic integrity is of the utmost importance in higher education. As we continue to adapt and adjust to the changing landscape of assessment, Zoom Focus Mode provides one opportunity to simultaneously improve our practices and protect our students’ right to privacy. If you have questions about this application or any other academic integrity concerns, please contact the Office of Academic Integrity.