Viva Verification
Targeted oral assessments for individual students to verify understanding or authorship.
The Problem Verification Solves
An instructor is reviewing a submission in Turnitin, Gradescope, or their LMS gradebook. Something seems off. Maybe the writing style doesn't match previous work, or the student's explanation seems too polished. They need to verify if the student actually understands what they submitted.
Traditionally, this requires scheduling an in-person meeting or synchronous call. But that's:
Coordinating schedules, finding rooms, blocking calendar time
No recording means no evidence trail for appeals or legal review
Confrontational setting increases anxiety, affects performance
Many are hesitant to call out students without formal process
Viva Verification lets you configure a tailored, asynchronous viva for that specific student. They receive an email, complete the viva on their own time, and you review the recording when convenient. Everything is documented.
Verification vs Q&A Assignment
- • Cohort-wide (entire class)
- • Same questions for all students
- • Due date based availability
- • 7-step creation wizard
- • Questions from pool
- • Students find it in their dashboard
- • Individual student targeted
- • Questions tailored to their submission
- • Email notification delivery
- • Single-page configuration
- • AI generates from their specific work
- • Student receives email with link
The Verification Flow
Watch how verification works, from selecting the student to sending the viva request.
Step-by-Step Walkthrough
Choose Verification Mode
When you launch VivaEdu from your LMS, you see the chooser. Select "Create a Viva Verification" to enter the verification flow.
VivaEdu for Blackboard Learn Ultra
Choose an option below. Both are also accessible from your dashboard.
Create a viva for an assignment and assign it to a class.
Routine verification at scale.
Tailor questions to one student while viewing their submission.
Integrity-safe follow-ups.
Select the Assignment
Pick which LMS assignment you want to verify. VivaEdu fetches the list of assignments from your course via the LMS API.
Find the Student
Search by name or email. Enable Anonymous Mode to replace names with candidate codes (e.g., "X9Y2") and reduce unconscious bias during selection.
View Their Submission
The student's submission appears on the right panel. VivaEdu fetches it from your LMS via REST API. Scroll through to identify areas to probe.
Configure Questions
Build questions on the left panel. If AI is enabled, recommended questions appear based on their submission. Add from recommendations or write your own. Set prep and recording times.
Send the Request
The student receives an email with instructions. They complete the viva asynchronously. You're notified when their submission is ready for review.
AI-Generated Questions
If your institution has enabled AI features, VivaEdu analyzes the student's submission and suggests targeted questions. These focus on areas where understanding could be probed:
- Key claims that aren't fully supported in their writing
- Methodology choices that could be explained verbally
- Conclusions that deserve elaboration
- Technical terms used without clear definition
- Sections that seem inconsistent with other parts of the submission
AI questions are suggestions. Always review and edit them to match your specific concerns.
Student Submission Access
You can configure whether the student sees their original submission during the verification viva:
Student can reference their work while answering. Helpful when asking about specific sections ("Walk me through paragraph 3").
Student must answer from memory. Tests whether they actually understand what they wrote without being able to look at it.
Common Use Cases
Turnitin flags high similarity but it's unclear if it's plagiarism or proper citation. Ask the student to explain their sources and writing process.
Writing quality or style doesn't match previous submissions. Probe their understanding of the arguments made and the research process they followed.
Work quality is inconsistent with in-class performance. Ask about specific technical details to verify the student actually authored the submission.
Not about misconduct. The submission is on the boundary between grades. A quick viva can help you assess depth of understanding for a fair decision.
A section is confusing or the argument is unclear. Rather than penalizing, give the student a chance to explain what they meant.
Why Asynchronous Verification
- No scheduling headaches
- Recorded for documentation and appeals
- Review when convenient
- Clear audit trail for administration
- Less confrontational than live meetings
- Complete on their own time
- Prep time before each question
- Less anxiety than live confrontation
- Fair, consistent process
- Opportunity to demonstrate understanding
LMS File Integration
In addition to fetching student submissions, you can also add course files as context cards:
- Fetch lecture materials from your LMS course via REST API (Blackboard Learn Ultra)
- Add rubrics, assignment briefs, or reference documents
- Students see these as context during their viva
- Files are never sent to AI, purely for student reference
Comments
Leave a comment, question, or feedback. Comments are public — please don’t include personal data.