academic integrity in online courses
DESCRIPTION
Techniques for curbing cheating in distance learning courses.TRANSCRIPT
Academic Integrityin Online Courses
Judy Baker, Ph.D.Dean
Foothill Global AccessFoothill College
Cheating in Online Classes Plagiarism Detection Proctored Testing Alternatives
Agree or Disagree?
Cheating is more likely in online courses.
List at least two reasons.
Group Debate
Assumptions Cheating is the student’s fault
Online courses compared to F2F courses Easier to cheat Cheating more likely
Proctored testing decreases cheating
Student Assessment
In the good old days…
Student Assessment
In the information age…
Hi-Tech Cheating in Classroom
What’s Changed? Changed
Ease of cheating
Ease of monitoring cheating
Ease of preventing cheating
Not Changed
Definitions
Honor code policiesand procedures
Student assessment quality, validity, reliability
Academic Integrity? Hypocrisy of focusing on student cheating behaviors when…
Student Code of Honor policies are antiquatedand inconsistently enforced
Student assessment is fundamentally flawed
Behavior called “cheating” in school considered desirable in working world:
“NETWORKING”
Research on Academic Honesty
Merged data from a student randomized response survey on cheating behavior with class-specific information provided by faculty (2002)
Sample of students in a large public university
Evidence that academic dishonesty in a single online class is no more pervasive than in traditional classrooms
Easier to Cheat in a Face-to-Face or Online Class?
Traditional Online
Easier to Cheat in a Face-to-Face or Online Class?
Physical separation Creation of psycho-social
“distance” resulting in less influence by social norms
Excuses and alibis Intentionally sending a corrupted file or an attachment
that cannot be opened Faking technical difficulties during online tests
Easier to Cheat in a Face-to-Face or Online Class?
Hacking
Looking at source code or a Java script might show the answers to online quizzes
Changing the clock on your computer to send email late but to have an earlier date and time
Advantages of Online for Monitoring Academic Integrity Electronic record of all
correspondence maintained for online courses
Entire courses are archived for future reference and for quality control purposes
Instructor has a readily accessible record of everything done by each student from the first day of class to the last
Easy to compare a student’s writing style on different class assignments
Plagiarism Detection Software
Agree or Disagree?
Test proctoring is necessary to ensure academic integrity and quality in distance learning courses.
List at least two reasons
Pros of Proctored Testing Opportunity for F2F
with distance students
Identity security
Availability of student assistance during testing
May address accreditation concerns
Conformity with on-campus model of testing
Control over student’s unauthorized use of resources in completing an assessment
Cons of Proctored Testing Costs and staffing
Logistics
Inconvenience
Long feedback loop
Negates anytime/anyplace of distance learning
Need for Proctored Testing Differs by Course?
Courses that prepare students for state boards or other certification exams
Prerequisite courses
Pass-fall courses
Less stringent, more affordable testing processes may be developed for courses with low risk for cheating
Remote students vs. local students
Course Management SystemQuiz & Proctoring Use password protection for test proctoring
arrangements
May be possible to limit access to a test to a specific computer at a specific internet address, where a proctor can be present
Alternatives to Proctored Testing
High tech ID methods
Online assessment
Pedagogical solutions
High-Tech ID Methods
Retinal scans Ear shape Facial identification
through thermographs Voice, palm, or fingerprints Hand geometry Ongoing handwriting analysis throughout the exam Require students to use a camera on their computer desktop for
discussions and exams
High-tech security = high cost May not be warranted in many cases
Advantage of Online Testing Low cost
Convenient
Rapid feedback to student
Allows exams To be password protected To have a different test form
every time a different student logs in
To give immediate feedback to the student To be given to the instructor immediately
Reduces the need for transporting exams from one location to
another
Online Assessment Integrity Strategies
Utilize Blackboard and WebCT testing security features
Set availability dates and times for all assessments
Set time limits and the number of permissible accesses
Track the time, duration, and number of attempts that a student accesses an assessment
Create large question pools for randomized assessments
Add a password to proctored exams, and an IP restriction if feasible
Course Management System Quiz Settings Randomly generate test questions from Quiz Question Pool or
Database Set Quizzes to have only one question per screen to make printing
of quizzes more difficult Set Quizzes to not allow return to previous questions Limit accessibility to tests to specific time periods Use timed online testing
Pedagogical Solutions
Pedagogical Solutions Assign work and tests that
are due frequently throughout the semester
Assign work that builds sequentially on prior submitted work, such as revisions of drafts
Call students at random during the semester to administer an unannounced oral exam
Make all tests/quizzes open-book style
Pedagogical Solutions Debrief/interview a student concerning their test/quiz
Ask specific questions about their answers
Use alternative modes of student assessment such as portfolios, rubrics, self-assessment, peer assessment, and contracts
Use multiple methods of measuring performance, mastery, and skill
Pedagogical Solutions Require assignment and test responses to relate the subject
matter to students' lived experiences or test questions tied to current news events
Deliver test/quizzes "orally" through live chat
Meet with students individually online and test/quiz them on course content
Require students to participate in discussion groups Keep the log and
review writing styles of students
Alternatives to Tests Use multiple methods of
measuring performance, mastery, and skill
Group projects Creating a web site Developing a database Solve a problem and explain the process Case studies Research projects Simulations, games and puzzles Portfolios: samples of a variety of materials Tests taken by teams instead of individuals Peer collaboration; peer assessment Have the students provide a presentation as either a web site or
powerpoint presentation and post them to the web
Cheaters Serve as Catalysts
Cheating challenges educators to design distance course content and assessment
more carefully.