Abstract
The College of Business and Economics at the University of Idaho conducted a pilot study that used commercially available encryption software called Securexam to deliver computer-based examinations. A multi-step implementation procedure was developed, implemented, and then evaluated on the basis of what students viewed as valuable. Two key aspects in this procedure raised some concern. First, the faculty team conducting the study (the authors of this article) preferred that the encryption software itself not negatively affect students (for example, their score on an examination or their individual psychological response). Second, the authors wanted to provide meaningful support in the form of help with the technology for students to facilitate their use of the encryption software while not biasing their exam scores. The authors based the conceptual links between faculty support activities and the students' examination performance and psychological attributes on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The purpose of this research was not to empirically test the model but to provide the conceptual linkages between practical methods faculty can employ and outcomes associated with students' use of examination encryption software. The results of this study show that giving students the opportunity to practice using encryption software before taking an examination reduces their anxiety, improves their attitudes toward the software, and improves their perceptions of their performance on the examination. Faculty encouragement in using the encryption software also positively affected student attitudes toward the software. Furthermore, none of the faculty activities influenced student grades on the examination, implying that these faculty activities do not bias performance on the exam despite their positive effects on student attitudes. (Contains 2 tables, 1 figure, and 14 endnotes.)