Asynchronous Academy

Exam Task

Suggested Duration: 10 Hours

The final exam is a proctor-secured written essay worth 25% of your final grade.

To comply with the Ontario Ministry of Education guidelines for secure, authentic assessment, you will prepare your arguments and outline beforehand, and then draft your essay live on camera.

Prompting

Your final task is to write a comprehensive synthesis essay on the following topic:

Select a major issue facing young people today (e.g., academic integrity in the age of AI, job market instability, digital misinformation, mental health/overthinking, or the pressure to perform public identities).

Assess how the tools and insights you learned throughout this course, including both technical/analytical tools (such as ethical AI prompting or research synthesis) and psychological/philosophical approaches from characters (such as Macbeth's ambition, moral decay, or psychological guilt), can help us frame and navigate this challenge.

To support your thesis, your essay should:

  1. Define the Issue: Describe the modern challenge clearly, explaining why it is a critical issue for young people today.
  2. Apply Course Tools (Technical/Analytical): Analyze how specific tools or methodologies from the course (e.g., prompt engineering/critiques from AI & LLMs, script iteration/analysis from Brands & Marketing, or research synthesis strategies from Academic Research & Writing) offer a concrete framework for understanding or tackling this issue.
  3. Apply Psychological/Philosophical Insights (Literature): Analyze how character choices, conflicts, or mental strategies in Macbeth (e.g., Macbeth's ambition, his moral decay, Lady Macbeth's persuasion, or the psychological guilt that plagues them) or themes/characters from your selected Novel Study book illustrate the psychological dimensions of navigating this issue.

Part 1: Pre-Exam Preparation (Rough Work)

Before you begin your live writing session, you should prepare your ideas.

You may use Large Language Models (LLMs) during this phase to brainstorm ideas, refine your thesis statement, or critique your outline structure.

Your preparation document must include:

  1. Your Selected Modern Issue (e.g., AI Ethics, Misinformation, Mental Health/Isolation, etc.).
  2. A Structured Outline listing your thesis statement and the main points of your body paragraphs (using the PEE structure).
  3. Your Selected Quotes & Evidence: Up to three quotes/examples with act/scene/line numbers (or page references for your selected novel) that you plan to integrate into your body paragraphs.
  4. LLM Prompt Log: Copy and paste the prompts you used and the model's suggestions.
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Note: Your preparation document should contain notes, outlines, and quotes, but no full paragraphs or pre-written blocks of text. You must write the actual sentences of your essay from scratch during the proctored session.

Deliverable:

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Rough Notes & Outline (Google Doc)

Submit your preparation notes and outline Google Doc before starting the live writing video.

Part 2: Proctored Writing Session

Once your preparation document is ready, you will complete the secure live writing session.

To comply with Ontario Ministry requirements, you must write your essay under secure conditions. For this exam, you will use our Secure Exam Workspace portal, which you can access via the Enter Secure Proctor Workspace button in the submission section of this page.

Proctoring Guidelines:

The proctoring system uses an external recording camera (such as your smartphone set up on a tripod, stand, or shelf) alongside our secure in-app editor subdomain. This verifies that you are the one drafting the work in real-time without relying on intrusive desktop monitoring software.

Camera Setup:

  • The Angle: Position your phone's camera behind and to the side of you (a 3/4 view).
  • What Must Be Visible: The recording must clearly capture:
    1. Your face and profile.
    2. Your hands and keyboard.
    3. Your computer screen (showing the large top bar containing the Verification Code and count-up clock).
    4. Your immediate desk environment.

Recording & Writing Routine:

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Writing Integrity & Copy-Pasting: Because pasting is disabled, you must draft your sentences live. The system continuously syncs your typing cadence and timestamps with the teacher's dashboard. Any sudden blocks of text or copy-paste attempts will be logged and may result in an academic integrity audit or a follow-up oral interview (viva-voce) to verify ownership.

  1. Enter Workspace: Click "Enter Secure Proctor Workspace" below to open the dedicated exam subdomain.
  2. Pre-Exam Checklist & Setup: In the portal, complete the compliance checklist (which includes verifying room setup, testing your camera frame, and selecting a light recording resolution like 720p/480p to save phone storage).
  3. Unlock Editor: Check all checklist items and click "Unlock Secure Editor". This will start your count-up timer and display your unique Verification Code in a large bar at the top of your screen.
  4. Verification Code Check-In:
    • Start recording on your phone camera.
    • Legibility Check: Hold your phone camera close to your laptop screen to capture a clear, close-up shot of the Verification Code and clock in the top bar. Read the code aloud to the camera.
    • Continuous Shot: Without stopping the video recording, place the camera back on the tripod/stand to capture the full 3/4 angle view of your desk, keyboard, hands, and monitor.
  5. Begin Writing: Type your essay draft directly into the secure editor. Your work will continuously auto-sync. Keep the verification code and clock visible on your monitor throughout the writing session.
  6. Finish & Video Verification: Once completed, click "Finish & Save Exam". You will be directed to upload your camera recording to your Google Drive, share it with registrar@asyncacademy.ca, and paste the link. Once the permissions verification check succeeds, finalize your submission!

Deliverables:

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Proctored Essay Draft

Submit your final essay directly inside the secure exam workspace portal. (Confirm with your instructor that your final draft is synced.)

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Proctored Video Recording

Upload the continuous 3/4 angle video recording of your writing session to Google Drive, share it with registrar@asyncacademy.ca, and verify the link inside the exam workspace portal to complete your submission.

Assessment

Pre-Submission

Before you submit, please complete the Pre-Submission Self-Assessment.

What to Turn In

🛡️ Secure Exam Workspace

To comply with Ontario ministry guidelines, you must draft your final exam essay live in our secure proctored editor environment.

Enter Secure Proctor Workspace
  • 📤

    Rough Notes & Outline (Google Doc) prepared before the live writing session.

  • 📤

    Proctored Essay Draft written live in the in-app editor.

  • 📤

    Proctored Video Recording showing your screen and webcam during the writing session.

💡 A Different Way to Learn

Async Academy courses are inquiry-based. There are no rote answer keys or multiple-choice worksheets here. You learn by exploring, questioning, and building projects you care about.

Because your discovery path is completely unique, you need a human sounding board. Enroll to submit your projects and get personalized video feedback from an Ontario Certified Teacher to guide your work.

Learning Goals

We are learning to:

  • 🎯

    Draft a cohesive, structured academic essay under timed conditions without generative AI assistance

  • 🎯

    Select and synthesize textual evidence to defend an arguable thesis statement

  • 🎯

    Apply self-correction strategies to ensure clear syntax and grammatical accuracy

Success Criteria

I can:

  • ✅

    Formulate a clear, arguable thesis and structured outline beforehand

    Expectations Covered: W1, W2
  • ✅

    Write a multi-paragraph academic essay live under proctored conditions

    Expectations Covered: W2, W3
  • ✅

    Integrate relevant quotes from Macbeth or your biography case study

    Expectations Covered: W1, W2
  • ✅

    Provide a complete proctored video recording verifying your authentic work

    Expectations Covered: OC1, OC2

Rubric

Category Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1
Knowledge / Understanding
How well does the student demonstrate understanding of the chosen play/biography themes and structures?
 Demonstrates a thorough, deep, and accurate understanding of key themes, character arcs, and structures Demonstrates a considerable and accurate understanding of key themes, character arcs, and structures Demonstrates some understanding of key themes, character arcs, and structures Demonstrates limited understanding, with frequent inaccuracies or superficial analysis
Thinking / Inquiry
How effectively does the student construct a persuasive argument and support their thesis statement under timed conditions?
 Thesis is highly sophisticated, and arguments are exceptionally logical, well-defended, and cohesive Thesis is clear, and arguments are logical, well-defended, and cohesive Thesis is basic, and arguments are generally logical with some inconsistencies or gaps Thesis is unclear, and arguments are weak, disjointed, or lack support
Application
How effectively does the student integrate textual evidence (quotes) and adhere to the proctoring protocols?
 Integrates evidence seamlessly and follows all proctoring/recording guidelines flawlessly Integrates evidence effectively and follows proctoring/recording guidelines Integrates evidence with uneven effectiveness and follows most proctoring guidelines Integrates little or no evidence, or fails to adhere to proctoring guidelines
Communication
How clearly, logically, and grammatically does the student express their ideas in the written essay?
 Expresses ideas with a high degree of clarity, flow, and grammatical precision Expresses ideas clearly, logically, and with considerable grammatical accuracy Expresses ideas with some clarity and logic, but has minor grammatical errors Written communication lacks clarity, organization, or contains frequent errors that impede understanding
Knowledge / Understanding
Criteria: How well does the student demonstrate understanding of the chosen play/biography themes and structures?
Level 4

Demonstrates a thorough, deep, and accurate understanding of key themes, character arcs, and structures

Level 3

Demonstrates a considerable and accurate understanding of key themes, character arcs, and structures

Level 2

Demonstrates some understanding of key themes, character arcs, and structures

Level 1

Demonstrates limited understanding, with frequent inaccuracies or superficial analysis

Thinking / Inquiry
Criteria: How effectively does the student construct a persuasive argument and support their thesis statement under timed conditions?
Level 4

Thesis is highly sophisticated, and arguments are exceptionally logical, well-defended, and cohesive

Level 3

Thesis is clear, and arguments are logical, well-defended, and cohesive

Level 2

Thesis is basic, and arguments are generally logical with some inconsistencies or gaps

Level 1

Thesis is unclear, and arguments are weak, disjointed, or lack support

Application
Criteria: How effectively does the student integrate textual evidence (quotes) and adhere to the proctoring protocols?
Level 4

Integrates evidence seamlessly and follows all proctoring/recording guidelines flawlessly

Level 3

Integrates evidence effectively and follows proctoring/recording guidelines

Level 2

Integrates evidence with uneven effectiveness and follows most proctoring guidelines

Level 1

Integrates little or no evidence, or fails to adhere to proctoring guidelines

Communication
Criteria: How clearly, logically, and grammatically does the student express their ideas in the written essay?
Level 4

Expresses ideas with a high degree of clarity, flow, and grammatical precision

Level 3

Expresses ideas clearly, logically, and with considerable grammatical accuracy

Level 2

Expresses ideas with some clarity and logic, but has minor grammatical errors

Level 1

Written communication lacks clarity, organization, or contains frequent errors that impede understanding