BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY: PRESERVING THE SANCTITY OF HIGH-STAKE EXAMINATION

INTRODUCTION

The Indian education system has a conventional approach towards assessing the learning process of students and pressurizes students primarily to clear the high-stake exams. A huge amount of trust is placed in such career-defining exams which in turn place a responsibility on testing agencies to maintain the integrity of such exams. Blockchain in recent years has displayed numerous characteristics of decentralisation and confidentiality across several fields. Examinations conducted by most aspirants are very vulnerable to manipulation owing to the high number of intermediaries involved; however, the use of blockchain technology could help alleviate such weaknesses. Incorporating a new way of E-examination as compared to the conventional approach can render examinations less vulnerable, and more transparent. The model of e-examination using the decentralised plan involves a new approach towards evaluating the students wholesomely at a point and analyzing their answer quickly. The paper has an offer of new model examination through which the blockchains can take care of keeping examinations confidential as well as ensuring sanctity with the recommendations regarding the policy through which legal ordinances may become better positioned to undertake paper leaks effectively holistically.

"The SIETTE Automatic Assessment Environment"

Over the past few years, the matter of systemic flaws has caused high-stakes tests to undergo several problems. These tools tend to lag in terms of technology requirements needed to handle matters regarding security, consistency, and flexibility. The paper is centered on SIETTE (System of Intelligent Evaluation Using Tests for Tele-education) that offers a possible solution with its domain-independent setting for automatic evaluation. The last 16 years, the development of SIETTE was as it could incorporate different theories and models like ITS (Intelligent Tutoring System). These models could facilitate formative and summative evaluations of the students enrolled into it. Its hierarchically organized domain model accommodates unidimensional as well as multidimensional measures and is very suitable for advanced learning environments. Also, it avoids diverting from the ability to automatically produce items from templates designed in advance with the guarantees of consistency and topicality at a cost savings in teachers' time and an assurance of constant difficulty level.

While it boasts with its sophistication, SIETTE is not immune to limitations. The integration of ITS models with psychometric models remains a challenging point due to complexity, particularly for handling multidimensional learner models. Furthermore, even though SIETTE has greatly provided a dynamic and flexible test platform it failed to fully confront security issues adequately. Uncontrolled backdoor entries by users at high authority ranks compromise the test integrity. Such backdoor entry could be a risk to the integrity of students' experience either for test or study. As SIETTE continues to develop, potential future advancements in security might turn it into a more trustworthy tool for the educational and psychological measurement of students.

“Educational Assessment: Expanded Expectations and Challenges”

The paper "Educational Assessment: Expanded Expectations and Challenges" by Robert L. Linn discusses the changing function of educational assessments in the U.S., with a focus on national initiatives for reforming the system.

Linn explains how policymakers have come to depend upon educational assessments as an instrument for reform, documenting the necessity for change and serving as levers for applying educational policies. The article criticizes this heavy dependence, stating that the heightened expectations for educational testing—especially performance-based testing—present great challenges to educational measurement. Linn emphasizes the necessity of validation research, as such tests frequently experience problems with generalizability, reliability, and fairness. The tests are supposed to track student performance and serve as incentives for students and teachers, but the article is skeptical of whether these aspirations are realistic. Linn then elaborates more on the performance assessment technical challenge of task specificity as it reduces generalizability of results in a variety of settings.

He underlines that there is a necessity for testing to be directly tied to instruction objectives, as well as stressing caution against misuse of test data in high-stakes decisions, ignoring the impact on students. The article ends by urging stringent validation research and cautious attention to the unforeseen effects of these new types of assessment. Through an examination of the possible drawbacks and the unrealistic expectations set on educational assessments, Linn offers a balanced critique, calling for a more conservative approach to educational reform through assessments.

NEET 2024 Under Supreme Court Lens: Assessing Paper Leak Claims and Exam Integrity

The decision rendered by the Supreme Court of India in case of Vanshika Yadav v. UOI {Writ Petition (Civil) No. 335 of 2024} considers a set of petitions filed questioning the conduct of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) specifically with regards to allegations regarding a question paper leak and related malpractice.

The examination, a high-stakes passageway for Indian medical college admissions, was plagued by incidents of reported leakages in such cities as Hazaribagh and Patna, raising concern among many on the integrity of the examination process. The National Testing Agency (NTA) charged with staging the exam has faced criticism regarding how it has dealt with allegations of the leakage and its ensuing efforts to reassure about transparency. The petitioners demanded remedies from cancellation of the exam to holding a new one on the grounds that there was a need for system reforms in the exam process. The court went through the chain of custody of question papers and the reported incidents at different centers with great care.

While admitting to the malpractice in certain centers, the court ruled that the magnitude of the malpractice was not extensive enough to necessitate a full cancelation of the exam. The judgment laid heavy emphasis on maintaining a balance between fairness and realism, particularly because of the enormity of the NEET exam, where it had over 23 lakh test-takers. The court also ventured into technical aspects, including the validity of compensatory marks to some candidates, the marking methodology for doubtful questions, and the probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The verdict eventually stood by the merit of the NEET process, instructing the NTA to take action for rectification but denying the demand for re-test on grounds of the far-reaching implications on the medical education timeline and students' lives. In its verdict, the Supreme Court emphasized the significance of maintaining public confidence in the process of examination, stating that even though there were discrepancies, these were not large in scale and could be corrected without affecting the whole student population.

The judgement also asked the NTA to recalculate the marks of one controversial question and ordered the further probe to identify and punish those responsible for the leak. This ruling is an indication of the court's effort to weigh the rights of individual candidates who have been impacted by malpractice against the greater interest of ensuring the credibility of the exam and preventing unnecessary interruptions to the academic calendar.

SUGGESTIONS

The blog appropriately identifies the vulnerabilities of high-stakes tests and how blockchain technology is the solution to making them secure. In order to further support the argument and make the case more practical, the following can be taken into account:

1. Challenges and Counterarguments      

Discussion of possible shortcomings like high installation expenses, opposition from conventional education institutions, and infrastructure improvement requirements can give a balanced view. Apart from those adding solutions to the problems, e.g., gradual implementation or mixed models would make the suggestion more practicable.

2. Integration with AI and Other Technologies

Not only blockchain but some AI-based proctoring system in conjunction with blockchain can get higher set of security against the malafide hacking and other malpractices. Further, how biometric authentication and smart contracts can also make the process of examinations smoother, adding a provision of easier access to the relevant person.  

3. Legal and Policy Framework

As the research talks about regulatory support, it would be helpful to discuss the current laws that can facilitate or impede blockchain adoption in India. Therefore, suggestions for policymakers regarding how to create a framework that will be compliant while fostering innovation can provide a practical touch to the discussion.

CONCLUSION

The blog in its entirety shows how the intersection of automated systems of assessment and blockchain brings revolutionary changes in protecting high-stakes examninations. Legacy systems, suffering from weaknesses like paper leaks and illicit access, would gain greatly from blockchain's decentralized, transparent, and tamper-proof qualities. Indulging in an agreement of blockchain-powered examination systems will add two essentials to increase the integrity of the exams. Firstly, it automates the process, making it easier to conduct as compare to the traditional method. Secondly, the human intervention is almost nullified by the technological advancements.  

Nevertheless, regulatory and legislative support is the need of the hour for implementations of such technology and to prevent such scams. Blockchain's performance is based on legislation that insulates data from privacy breaches but still allows flexibility in technology. This would help institutions implement such systems with assurance that they enjoy the law behind them and shielding from possible exploitation. Regulatory assistance, however, has to go hand in hand with standardized approaches to ensure equal implementation and safeguarding of data by educational entities.

The other essential element for the effective integration of technology in examinations is training and stakeholder involvement. Institutions must prioritize training teachers, administrators, and students so that they have the necessary expertise to utilize the technology securely and effectively. Systematic training programs instill confidence and trust, cut down resistance to change, and facilitate ease in shifting from paper-based to electronic examination procedures.

In addition, although blockchain technology is a potentially revolutionary tool, its application to education needs to be within the framework of a comprehensive, multi-pronged strategy that involves ongoing analysis and adjustment. The technology needs to be tuned to the changing demands of learning environments so that it can remain an asset and a trusted resource. Institutions are required to actively monitor the effects of these systems and solicit feedback from all concerned parties in order to inform and hone their application over time.Last but not least, blockchain and computer-marked assessments can revolutionize high-stakes testing through providing secure, clear, and fast processes. Its success is predicated upon finding equilibrium among technology and regulatory support along with complete education policies. An inclusive approach of policy making integrated with stakeholders' consultation as well as frequent training will construct a robust foundation for integrating technology. The process will not only depict the honesty in examination sector but also will also set an example of integrity and transparency for other industries as well. Equal contribution of each member in the group of education institutions, governments, and technology manufacturer and providers, the future of examinations will be shaped by an integration of technological ingenuity and the sanctity of examination by making it more efficient and trustworthy.