Monitored freedom for digital exams
WISEFLOW DEVICE MONITOR · ADD-ON PRODUCT
More Exams Now Require Real Tools
Open-book and tool-based exams are becoming more common. Excel models, coding environments and CAD software are the tools students will use after graduation, so many assessments need them during the exam itself.
But Lockdown Browsers Can't Support Them
Traditional secure online exams rely on lockdown browsers that limit students to a predefined set of tools. That works for closed-book assessments, but it rules out exams that need desktop software, specialist tools or discipline-specific applications.
- Authentic exams are ruled out — exams that depend on Excel or discipline-specific software can't run in a restricted browser.
- Security becomes a trade-off — institutions have to choose between authentic assessment and a secure exam.
- No record when concerns arise — without evidence of what happened on the device, suspicions are hard to follow up.
Device Monitor takes the opposite approach: full freedom for the student, full evidence for the institution.
Students Work Freely, Device Monitor Records the Evidence
Students install Device Monitor ahead of the exam and start it before they begin. During the exam it captures screenshots at random intervals and logs the applications running, ready for invigilators to review live or afterwards.
Want the full details? See the Device Monitor introduction in the Service Centre.
Real Tools for Students, Real Evidence for Institutions
Students use their own device and the software the exam requires, from Excel and code editors to CAD.
Screenshots at random intervals show what was on screen during the exam, for review live or afterwards.
Application logs show which programs were open, optionally including active processes.
Define which applications must not be used, and get a flag when one is opened during the exam.
Works with FLOWassign, FLOWhandin, FLOWlock and FLOWmulti, so monitoring is added to the exams you already set up.
Invigilators follow activity live or review it afterwards, so their time goes to the cases that need a closer look.
Monitoring Is Visible, Limited and Never a Verdict
- Always visible — a red frame around the screen shows whenever Device Monitor is actively recording.
- Limited to the exam window — it only captures once the participation period has started, and stops automatically when the student submits or the period ends.
- Evidence, not a verdict — monitoring data is a basis for review, never proof of misconduct, and decisions are always made by people.
- Restricted and GDPR-aligned — data is accessible to managers and invigilators only, covered by a dedicated DPIA, hosted in the EU and automatically deleted after six months.
- Transparent for students — students can review their own monitored activity afterwards, unless the manager has disabled it.
See how UNIwise approaches security, privacy, and compliance across all products in our Trust Centre.
Case: UiT The Arctic University of Norway
How the Arctic University of Norway reduces administrative workload, increases flexibility, and delivers authentic assessment experiences with WISEflow.
Device Monitor Is the Lightest of Four Integrity Levels
Our Device Monitor is the lightest of four integrity levels available within WISEflow, so institutions aren't locked into a single approach. Where Device Monitor allows full desktop access with reviewable activity logs, other flow types add layers such as a lockdown browser, facial comparison and audio detection, or full proctoring for high-stakes remote exams — all within the same platform, the same data governance, and the same student login. Institutions can choose the level of assurance that matches each specific exam, rather than applying one setting everywhere.
RELATED ARTICLES
See how UNIwise thinks about exam integrity, from evidence-based invigilation to preventing misconduct in open exam formats.
- Open-book exams with evidence – moving beyond lockdown — Why evidence-based invigilation suits open-book and tool-based exams, and what good, proportionate monitoring looks like.
- Preventing Academic Misconduct in Digital Exams Using Third-Party Programs — How universities can prevent misconduct, and balance exam security with authentic assessment when third-party programs and open formats are involved.
- The closed-book exam comeback: why securing exams against AI needs layers, not a single setting — Why exam security works best as layers, and where Device Monitor fits in.
- Plagiarism: Maintaining Academic Integrity — Why plagiarism challenges academic integrity, and how clear guidelines, education and detection tools help prevent misconduct.
BRING MONITORED FREEDOM TO YOUR EXAMS
See how Device Monitor fits your exams, what it costs, and which integrity level suits each exam type.
COMMON QUESTIONS FROM HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
Instead of restricting access, it allows full freedom on the device while recording activity during the exam. This enables authentic, tool-based assessments while still ensuring institutions can review suspicious behaviour if necessary.
Device Monitor captures screenshots at random intervals and logs the applications opened on the device. Institutions can also define prohibited applications that should not be opened during the exam.
Any assessment requiring real software or authentic workflows — for example Excel exams, coding tasks, engineering tools, design software or lab simulations. It gives students the tools they need while giving institutions the oversight they require.
FLOWassign, FLOWhandin, FLOWlock and FLOWmulti. In FLOWmulti, Device Monitor is used without a lockdown browser.
Yes. Participants download and install Device Monitor well before the exam, so any problems can be solved in time. One hour before the exam starts, they can open it from the flow page, and it begins capturing once the participation period starts. The assignment is only accessible while Device Monitor is running.
Device Monitor keeps taking screenshots, which are stored temporarily on the device and uploaded as soon as the connection returns. Students should not stop Device Monitor before the upload has finished.
Managers and invigilators can review it, and students can review their own activity afterwards unless the manager has disabled it. Device Monitor is covered by a dedicated DPIA, hosted in the EU, and the data is automatically deleted after six months.
Yes. Device Monitor is one of several integrity levels available within WISEflow, alongside options like a lockdown browser, facial comparison and audio detection, or full proctoring. Institutions can choose the right combination per exam, all managed within the same platform.
As an add-on to your existing WISEflow licence — see current pricing for details.
Still have questions? Visit the Service Centre for detailed guides and support.