Rethinking Online Exams: OPERHOT Brings Integrity and Inclusivity to STEM Education
Posted on June 10, 2025 by Prof. Arindam Mitra
The Education and Outreach Network is a group of national and international Microbiology Society members interested in educating students at all levels of study and members of the public about microbiology. In this blog, Dr Arindam Mitra talks about his online exam platform, OPERHOT.
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced classrooms to shift online, educators and students worldwide scrambled to adapt. While online platforms kept learning afloat, one critical area lagged: Assessment. In particular, the challenge of fairly and effectively testing higher-order thinking skills in STEM subjects became more apparent than ever. It was in this context that I proposed a timely and transformative solution, OPERHOT.
OPERHOT, short for Online Proctored Exam with Random Higher-Order Thinking, is more than just a new exam platform. It represents a shift in educational philosophy. Instead of focusing on rote memorization, OPERHOT centres around critical skills like analysing, evaluating, and problem-solving, the cornerstones of Bloom’s Taxonomy. These are precisely the abilities STEM students need to succeed academically and thrive in real-world scientific and technical environments. The platform is grounded in the principles of democratic STEM pedagogy, which emphasizes student voice, shared authority, and STEM criticality. These principles ensure that students are not just passive recipients of knowledge but active participants in their learning journeys. By weaving these elements into its design, OPERHOT promotes an inclusive and empowering environment—one where assessments are not just tests but tools for growth.
Designed to overcome common problems in remote testing, OPERHOT integrates several innovative features. Each student receives a unique set of questions drawn from a pool of questions, making cheating and collusion much more difficult. The system requires students to keep their cameras on during exams, enhancing accountability while allowing live monitoring for fairness. Timed assessments and a secure browser environment further ensure exam integrity, while AI-powered invigilator tools help flag suspicious behaviour. Beyond integrity, inclusivity is a core focus. OPERHOT is designed with accessibility in mind, as it is fully compatible with screen readers, keyboard navigation, and magnification tools. It also accommodates different learning styles by including multimedia components and flexible question formats. Importantly, students with additional responsibilities or health considerations can benefit from remote exam access and extended time options, all without compromising exam rigor or fairness.
While the platform is still in its ideation stage, its potential is already clear. OPERHOT has been shaped by extensive input from educators through empathy interviews, ensuring it responds directly to the real challenges faced in online learning. Once developed, it will be piloted in select higher education institutions in India, with feedback loops built in to allow continuous refinement and adaptation. The long-term vision is for the platform to be freely or affordably accessible, especially for institutions in resource-limited settings. OPERHOT also tackles emerging threats to academic integrity, such as the use of generative AI tools in assessments. By focusing on open-ended, complex reasoning questions, difficult for AI to convincingly answer under time pressure, it raises the bar for what online exams can and should assess. The system’s layered approach, including identity verification and live video analysis, provides a robust defense against misconduct.
As online education becomes a permanent fixture of higher education, OPERHOT offers a glimpse of what the future of assessment could look like: secure, inclusive, and intellectually challenging. It reminds us that exams do not just measure what students remember; they can also inspire what students become. For institutions looking to enhance their online teaching and learning ecosystem, OPERHOT could be the blueprint they have been waiting for. For educators and outreach practitioners considering similar projects, the OPERHOT approach offers valuable lessons. Prioritizing student voice, designing with inclusivity at the forefront, and aligning assessments with critical thinking outcomes can transform not just testing but the entire learning experience. Above all, OPERHOT shows that with the right tools and vision, online education can be not just a fallback option, but a platform for real progress.
Prof. Arindam Mitra currently serves as Professor and Dean at the School of Allied and Healthcare Professions, RV University, Bengaluru, India. He holds multiple roles within the Society, including serving as a Society Champion and as an elected member of the Advisory Council and a member of the Sustainability Committee. Additionally, he has contributed to the Members Panel and served as an editor for Access Microbiology and Microbiology Today.