Students also try to take advantage of technology to stay one step ahead. One has to wonder how that student might have performed on the test if he’d spent his time studying rather than setting up such an elaborate scheme? Unfortunately for him, before each exam, students must show proctors around their test-taking environment to make sure nothing escapes their notice. Others go it alone: one student taped the answers to clear vinyl blinds in the room. High-quality audio detection in both live and automated proctoring can alert proctors to suspicious sounds. Just because you can’t be seen, though, doesn’t mean you’re safe. One student enlisted the support of a friend who whispered answers while hiding behind the blinds. When it comes to the most versatile piece of decor, however, blinds might top the list. Some students use furniture to provide cover - closets, desks and beds can all act as shelter for cheaters looking to game the system. That was the case for the test taker who wrote notes on the inside label of a two-liter bottle and cup he was “drinking from.” It may be another tried-and-true method from in-person tests, but it’s not one that can escape a watchful webcam armed with biometric imaging that raised questions about why a test taker kept looking at a bottle. There’s no rule against staying hydrated while taking a test - but we’ve seen students use drinks for more than just quenching their thirst. Live proctors can usually tell the difference between a student who is typing an answer and one who’s trying to take a screen grab. Keystroke analysis allows proctors to detect irregularities as students type. Of course, there are other ways to take a screenshot without pulling out a camera - but those would-be cheaters are out of luck, too.
He had apparently forgotten that webcams go both ways. One student held his cell phone up to his computer screen in order to take pictures of the exam. Even automated solutions now incorporate facial recognition and detection technology that not only verifies student identities, but can detect when test takers leave the area or turn their head for a certain amount of time, flagging potential concerns for faculty.įor all the tech-savvy students who use cutting-edge tools to break the rules, there are always those who don’t quite grasp how technology works. They don’t always realize that online proctors pay close attention to students’ surroundings.
Just like in a campus classroom, we’ve seen students scrawl notes on their palms or tape notes to computer monitors - and reference them during the exam. Here are five of the most memorable ways we’ve caught students cheating on online exams.ĭespite advances in online learning, some aspiring cheaters still prefer taking a more traditional route to getting caught. In recent years, we’ve seen we’ve seen plenty of inventive - and not-so-inventive - attempts at breaking the rules. And when it comes to working around the system, test takers show no shortage of creativity.
But even the most state-of-the-art proctoring and authentication systems don’t deter everyone. An array of technologies - from webcams to biometric keystroke analysis - are helping colleges and universities tame the Wild West of online testing, allowing them to verify students’ identities and validate their achievements. Can online programs help higher education make good on its promise to working adults and other nontraditional learners? How can we balance scale with quality to improve not just access, but also completion rates? And, of course, how can we ensure integrity in an increasingly fragmented system of learners, taking courses - and tests - on a multiplicity of devices and formats? After all, research suggests that most students hold the perception that it is easier to cheat in an online course than in a traditional one. Today, that number has nearly doubled, with one in four students enrolled in at least one online course.Īs online learning goes mainstream, colleges and universities face an array of well-documented challenges and opportunities. Department of Education eliminated the 50 percent rule, which barred students who took more than half of their classes online from receiving federal aid, an estimated three million American college students were taking online classes each year.
0 kommentar(er)
