Evaluating integrity and governance efficiency in blockchain-supported online assessment

Abstract

With the increasing deployment of remote proctoring systems, there is a noticeable gap in online testing governance due to the lack of credible evidence, which might have adverse implications in terms of trust between the testing platform and its participants. This study, therefore, examines the potential impact of blockchain-powered evidence management on auditability and audit process efficiency in the context of online examinations. In our study, we used an experimental research method and examined the impact of tamper-proof distributed ledger technology on auditability and audit time using a sample of 160 exam sessions divided equally into two groups: a control group (CG, n=80) and an experimental group (EG, n=80). The findings suggest a positive and statistically significant influence of blockchain adoption on auditability (12.5% higher), reaching 96.3% compared to 83.8% in the CG, as well as a 37% reduction in audit time. Furthermore, the inter-rater agreement level reached 0.846. Notably, based on our surveys, test-takers find the process more credible and legitimate without any increased privacy concerns.