The popular tool Lock Down Browser is more or less spyware that takes over your device, monitors every click, and watches every movement. And yet most colleges and universities can’t reliably detect cheating even with this tool.
... during the administration of an exam.
> and watches every movement.
This is an option most exams don't opt for.
> And yet most colleges and universities can’t reliably detect cheating even with this tool.
It does remove the massive temptation of using the computer you're sitting at to look "just one thing" up.
My big complaint about it is that it's garbage.
I would say the majority of tests are not well designed, and rely on rote memorization and recall. It's disheartening to see schools implement surveillance to compensate.
In a similar vein, after 9-11 the airlines loved the idea that they had to start checking the ID of every passenger to ensure it matched the name on the ticket. They said they supported this for "increased security" but the real reason the airlines liked the idea was that it eliminated ticket resale, which had been a major annoyance to the airlines' bottom line for decades.