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dc.contributor.advisorSindre, Guttorm
dc.contributor.advisorDivitini, Monica
dc.contributor.advisorKrogstie, John
dc.contributor.authorChirumamilla, Aparna
dc.date.accessioned2021-09-17T11:16:23Z
dc.date.available2021-09-17T11:16:23Z
dc.date.issued2021
dc.identifier.isbn978-82-326-6341-5
dc.identifier.issn2703-8084
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/11250/2778909
dc.description.abstractResearch context: The higher education (HE) sector is currently going through massive digital transformation by leveraging the use of technology to provide flexibility in teaching and learning. Increasing the usage of e-assessment is an integral part of digitisation in higher education. E-assessment presents several benefits over traditional paper-based assessment, including cost reduction, pedagogical improvements in assessments, and immediate feedback. Despite these benefits, the adoption of e-exams involves many challenges. Cheating has been an issue of concern for high stakes assessments. Another challenge has been lacking interoperability between e-exam systems and other supporting systems. Open digital ecosystems could achieve more flexible tool support for digital exams. However, development towards open digital ecosystems has been slow for many mainstream tools in the e-learning and e-assessment domain. Research objective: This thesis aims to explore how e-exam systems can become key parts of an effective digital ecosystem for e-learning. We describe 1) functional features and 2) quality features for digital exams, mainly targeting key concerns of having sufficient security against cheating and satisfactory interoperability with related systems. The main research question and sub-questions for this thesis are: RQ: How can e-exam systems contribute to achieving an effective digital ecosystem for e-learning? SQ1: To what extent is the risk of cheating an obstacle to the adoption of e-exams, and how do e-exams compare to traditional pen and paper exams when it comes to cheating risks? SQ2: What are the key requirements for e-exam systems, how are such requirements established, and how does the requirements process for acquisition and development of e-exam systems relate to approaches used for requirements in the field of software ecosystems? SQ3: What are key obstacles towards achieving the interoperability needed for a digital ecosystem for e-exams and e-assessment? Method: The research context of this thesis is framed between requirements engineering in software ecosystems, and e-exams in the higher education sector in Norway. This thesis consists of seven studies that present a systematic mapping review, threat modelling and risk analysis, penetration testing, case studies, and mixed-method research. Qualitative data is collected through interviews. Quantitative data is collected through surveys. Results: Through the implementation of seven studies, we came up with five contributions through seven papers (P1 - P7): C1: Improved understanding of cheating threats and countermeasures in paper exams versus e-exams and empirical findings on perceptions of teachers, students, vendors, and managers about such threats and countermeasures. C2: A review of issues and potential research gaps in requirements engineering for software ecosystems through a systematic mapping review, producing essential findings concerning requirements engineering activities and non-functional requirements for software ecosystems. C3: Empirically grounded descriptions of the requirements process surrounding acquisition and development of e-exam systems in Norwegian higher education. C4: Description based on empirical evidence of key features for e-exam software according to vendors, process managers, and higher education institutions in Norway. C5: Identification of enablers and barriers for achieving open digital ecosystems for e-exams within a larger ecosystem of e-learning. Conclusion: Our literature review and studies indicated that cheating had been a big concern towards the adoption of e-exams in the higher education sector, not only in Norway but in many universities around the world. Our findings indicated that eexams have additional cheating threats. However, they also provide additional countermeasures against cheating, so they need not be less secure than traditional paper exams. Our empirical results suggest that using open digital ecosystems could reduce many challenges with security and interoperability between e-exam systems. Yet, the implementation of the digital ecosystem in the e-learning and e-assessment domain is still immature, and both vendors and customers prioritise new functional features and security against cheating higher than requirements for interoperability.en_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisherNTNUen_US
dc.relation.ispartofseriesDoctoral theses at NTNU;2021:301
dc.relation.haspartPaper 1: Sindre, Guttorm; Vegendla, Aparna. E-exams versus paper exams: A comparative analysis of cheating-related security threats and countermeasures. Norsk Informasjonssikkerhetskonferanse (NISK) 2015en_US
dc.relation.haspartPaper 2: Vegendla, Aparna; Søgaard, Thea Marie; Sindre, Guttorm. Extending HARM to make Test Cases for Penetration Testing. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing 2016 ;Volum 249. s. 254-265 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39564-7_24en_US
dc.relation.haspartPaper 3: Vegendla, Aparna; Nguyen Duc, Anh; Gao, Shang; Sindre, Guttorm. A Systematic Mapping Study on Requirements Engineering in Software Ecosystems. Journal of Information Technology Research 2018 ;Volum 11.(1) s. 49-69 https://soi.org/10.4018/JITR.2018010104en_US
dc.relation.haspartPaper 4: Chirumamilla, Aparna; Sindre, Guttorm. Mitigation of Cheating in Online Exams: Strengths and Limitations of Biometric Authentication. I: Biometric Authentication in Online Learning Environments. IGI Global 2019 ISBN 9781522577249. s. 47-68 https:/doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-7724-9.ch003en_US
dc.relation.haspartPaper 5: Chirumamilla, Aparna; Sindre, Guttorm. E-Assessment in Programming Courses: Towards a Digital Ecosystem Supporting Diverse Needs?. I: Digital Transformation for a Sustainable Society in the 21st Century. 18th IFIP WG 6.11 Conference on e-Business, e-Services, and e-Society, I3E 2019, Trondheim, Norway, September 18–20, 2019, Proceedings. Springer Publishing Company 2019 ISBN 978-3-030-29374-1. s. 585-596 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29374-1_47en_US
dc.relation.haspartPaper 6: Chirumamilla, Aparna; Sindre, Guttorm; Nguyen Duc, Anh. Cheating in e-exams and paper exams: the perceptions of engineering students and teachers in Norway. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education 2020 ;Volum 45. s. 940-957 https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2020.1719975en_US
dc.relation.haspartPaper 7: Chirumamilla, Aparna; Sindre, Guttorm. E-exams in Norwegian higher education: Vendors and managers views on requirements in a digital ecosystem perspective. Computers & Education 2021 ;Volum 172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2021.104263 (CC BY 4.0)en_US
dc.titleAnalysis of security threats, requirements, and technologies in e-exam systemsen_US
dc.typeDoctoral thesisen_US
dc.subject.nsiVDP::Technology: 500::Information and communication technology: 550::Computer technology: 551en_US


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