I have an Odd hardware help request.
I've had a request at work for a "mobile phone detector" :undecided
Bit of background, I work at a school and as much and as often as we drum it into the students heads that "They must NOT take a mobile phone into exams." they still do.
And while this rule is there because of the ability to try to cheat in an exam, more often than not it's just innocent stupidity and complacency and sometimes less innocent just doing it because they are better than the rules attitude.
This is a very serious issue for the students, if during an exam they are found to have a mobile phone on them (even if it's turned off) then they are automatically disqualified and can also be disqualified from all other exams from that exam board for that academic year.
And yes we had someone already this Jan have their phone go off in a resit exam, which has basically :censored: up their whole year as the student now cannot sit the majority of the exams that person was taking in the summer.
That decision is the ruling of the exam board NOT the school.
Hense the enquiries being made into some form of mobile phone detector, to force the little darlings into complying to the rules. :angst:
Now you may think, why both? they've been told enough times, their option to royally :censored: themselves up.
Well many of us agree, conquences to your actions and all that, however there's the problem of league tables, these things are a major issue for schools and have a knock on effect that which can be very bad.
Hense muggings here being asked about it, I'm sure such a thing exists however I'm really not sure of a starting point for a search. :undecided
So any help and information is welcome. :help:
Re: I have an Odd hardware help request.
Flood the exam hall with a high intensity EM field at the start of each exam? It might not detect them, but it'd make sure they didn't go off... ;)
Only I suppose that'd take out calculators as well, which might not be a good thing... hmm.....
Re: I have an Odd hardware help request.
Re: I have an Odd hardware help request.
They are available but that means scanning every individual person with a wand like device..
I'd say get a jammer but they're illegal.
Edit: Ah ok, 30 meters range indicated in the above link, altough the ones I see available are more the wand type requiring a close up scan.
Still going to have to search each and every person for the phone though!
Re: I have an Odd hardware help request.
Yeah, one of my bosses got a handheld jammer to stop the workshop boys from slacking off on their phones. Worked a treat.
Only illegal if someone finds out about it :naughty:
Re: I have an Odd hardware help request.
I did sugest a jammer :innocent:
Ideally a device that can detect a phone as the person enters the exam hall would be best, needs to be able to detect a mobile phone even if it is not being activaly used.
(I've actually just though of a probable issue, we have wireless base stations in the hall they might get picked up which would make a detector useless :undecided )
Re: I have an Odd hardware help request.
Perhaps one possibility would be to make it mandatory to record students' mobile numbers 6 weeks before exams in order to "make sure that they are made aware of urgent last-minute timetable alterations."
Then send a mass text to each exam cohort 5 minutes before the start of each exam so you can run over to & slap anyone who beeps.
Passive detector equipment might not pick up mobile phones until they re-register with the cell tower, which could potentially be well after the start time of the exam.
Re: I have an Odd hardware help request.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
smargh
Perhaps one possibility would be to make it mandatory to record students' mobile numbers 6 weeks before exams in order to "make sure that they are made aware of urgent last-minute timetable alterations."
Then send a mass text to each exam cohort 5 minutes before the start of each exam so you can run over to & slap anyone who beeps.
Passive detector equipment might not pick up mobile phones until they re-register with the cell tower, which could potentially be well after the start time of the exam.
to add to this idea, install a picocell (femtocell), and then record which mobiles are registered with the cell during the exam period and compare them to the list of students sitting the exam and their mobile numbers/IMEI numbers (which ever is accessible from the logs)
Re: I have an Odd hardware help request.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
circuitmonkey
to add to this idea, install a picocell (femtocell), and then record which mobiles are registered with the cell during the exam period and compare them to the list of students sitting the exam and their mobile numbers/IMEI numbers (which ever is accessible from the logs)
The phone would connect to the cell even if its not in the exam room, so this method will probably produce a lot of false positive.
As long as phones are on silent I don't see the problem taking it into the exam. Just stick a CCTV in the exam room and anyone messing around will certainly get taped.
Cheapest and easiest way I guess is just don't let the students bring their bags into the exam room, and demand them to empty their pocket in front of you.
Re: I have an Odd hardware help request.
Re: I have an Odd hardware help request.
Airport style full body scanner.
They are kids of course so there may be legal issues.....
Re: I have an Odd hardware help request.
I have no idea how this could be useful but you get those kind of phone charms that rotate and make noises when a call/text comes in. Would rely on phone being active though...
Re: I have an Odd hardware help request.
You can fit a fair bit of data onto a mobile, doesn't need to be switched on to use for cheating I suppose - same old problem of carrying notes into exams?
Quote:
Cheapest and easiest way I guess is just don't let the students bring their bags into the exam room, and demand them to empty their pocket in front of you.
What's on the desk is all they are allowed no?
