Ways to Reduce Cheating on Online Exams

All of us have had to figure out testing options since moving our courses online. I maintain that academic integrity is also part of our responsibility, in addition to the students. We are accountable for creating a testing environment that mitigates opportunities for cheating and ensures exam security. With most programs using web-based or computer-based modes of testing, examination security and integrity have become a bit easier given the features of whatever testing program is being used. However, most of us still find it essential to proctor the exams. With online learning, virtual proctoring has become a bit more challenging and, for some, cost-prohibitive. I recently read an article about reducing testing on online exams by a professor, author, and online educator Dr. Stephanie Smith Budhai. Although many of us have likely discovered these, I thought it would help share her strategies along with some of mine.

Write questions that require higher-order thinking.

In essence, try to keep the number of questions answered by a simple internet search to a minimum. Instead, write questions that require higher-ordered thinking like analyzing, applying, recommending, determining, or evaluating. Case vignettes for multiple-choice questions (MCQ) instead of first-order questions like, Which of the following is the most common symptom of asthma?

Use different types of questions

 I know we all like MCQ items, mainly because they are quickly graded, and we receive examination statistics that help us ensure the test is reliable. However, to help mitigate cheating, it can be a good idea to use various types of questions, such as short answers.

Require students to read, sign and honor the academic integrity policy at the beginning of each exam.

While this may not deter all students from cheating, it may work for some.

Create a defined time window for the exam.

 With an MCQ item exam, a good rule of thumb is one minute a question. Thus if the exam is 60 questions, they would have 60 minutes.  For exams that include or are essay-based, give students time and a half of double the time it would take you to complete the exam.

Don’t allow backtracking.

This one is a bit controversial as it is my experience that we allow it partly because our national certifying exam allows it. Plus, I think we could all make the argument that from a test time management perspective, it is more important to finish the exam and then go back to those questions that were skipped over. However, there is something to be said for not allowing it. If students are not permitted to skip over questions they don’t know, they must stay focused on the question and commit to an answer before moving forward. No backtracking also prevents students from spending time at the end of the exam perseverating on questions they don’t know and delaying ending the exam.

Limited exam reviews.

Exam reviews can be one of the more challenging issues related to ensuring examination security. Students have the tendency to believe they have a right to view their exams or even receive a copy of them. This is actually not true if the program intends to use the exam or questions again with other students. The responsibility to maintain test security allows programs to limit the information a student receives. With that being said, however, it is important to provide students with clear feedback aside from their scores.  Fortunately, many of the examination software programs provide options for creating reports to provide students with information about their performance and areas of needed improvement without providing a copy of the question. Faculty can provide students with keywords for the topic areas the student performed poorly.  

Reference

Budhai, S. S. (2020). Fourteen simple strategies to reduce cheating on online examinations. Retrieved from https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/educational-assessment/fourteen-simple-strategies-to-reduce-cheating-on-online-examinations/