Online School, Brainline, is breaking ground again this time as the first online school in South Africa to bring online invigilation to their learners, allowing them to write their tests and examinations from the comfort of their own home. Brainline CEO, Coleen Cronje, says the online invigilation protocols allow for the invigilation of written tests, and not only the usual multiple-choice/ online based assessments.
‘This ensures that learners continue to perform their written tests and tasks during the year in preparation of their National Senior Certificate (NSC), from the comfort and safety of their homes. The final IEB NSC exams in Grade 12, along with some practical exams, are however still written at one of the Brainline examination centres around the country,’ Cronje says.
Cronje says everywhere in the world, online tests are conducted for the majority of examinations at universities and most students consider computer-based tests more secure. Online testing for as exams such as CAT’s for MBA, considered as one of the most prestigious examinations, have been successfully conducted in online mode from 2009. She says online tests process faster and give error-free results and are essentially free from leaks.
‘We continue to follow very strict protocols via our trained Brainline Online Invigilators, which ensures the validity and reliability of our assessments in compliance to our registered assessment body, the Independent Examinations Board (IEB),’ Cronje explains.
Cronje says the challenges around ensuring the safety of students amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has prompted this decision.
‘We soon realised that this service is of great service to our clients where they consider this as a lower risk option and prefer that their children write the formal assessments such as tests and exams, in the safety and comfort of their own homes. This is particularly the case for learners with comorbidities who are at higher risk of severe illness during the pandemic.’
Cronje has also wished the Grade 12 learners all the best for the Preliminary Exams which start on Tuesday, 10 August. She says these learners will be the first to enjoy the benefits of the full online invigilation offering which was trialed on a limited basis earlier this year.
’10 August marks the start of our Grade 12 Prelim Exams with over 400 matriculants writing these exam papers while utilising the Brainline Online Invigilation service. We are grateful that we can offer this service to our learners where they can write from the comfort of their home, whilst still ensuring that their assessments are valid and reliable setting them up for success in achieving their NSC at the end of the year.’
Cronje says Brainline will continue to grow this service in the Junior and Senior School, making writing exams with Brainline a convenient and enjoyable process while ensuring that the validity of the results is equal to those in brick-and-mortar schools.
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