Remote delivery of high-stakes assessments may present a variety of challenges. Students will take tests on their own computers in a location of their choosing. This type of testing structure may allow for an increased prevalence of cheating. Possible examples of academic dishonesty in remote testing situations include:
- Plagiarism
- Conspiring with other students to get the exam questions before they take the test
- Arranging for someone else to take the test in the student's place
- Accessing information using unapproved resources during the exam
- Unauthorized collaboration with someone during the exam
Luckily, there are things that can be done to help ensure the integrity of online testing. Let's look at a few options.
Use Blackboard to Deliver Assessments
Blackboard includes a variety of assessment tools that will allow you to provide access to tests in a secure, digital format. It was also designed as a digital classroom which means many of the testing functions provide a more reliable user experience when compared to other delivery options including email.
- The Instructions for Creating Tests and Surveys page includes directions for creating exams. Various settings can be used to help you design a customized virtual testing environment.
- Blackboard Tests, Pools, and Survey Knowledge Base includes answers to many commonly asked questions about using Blackboard's Testing functions.
Use Test Design to Discourage Cheating
Allow the Use of Notes and Textbooks
Rather than trying to prevent students from using notes and textbooks while taking a test, you might consider letting them know that they may use these resources. At the same time, you'll want to design the assessment so that those who have prepared for the exam will perform better than those who are relying on their support resources to get them through.
Include Short Answer or Essay Questions
Benefit: By including subjective answer types (typically short answer and essay questions) students are forced to state their answers in their own words. Students who spent time preparing for the exam will be better equipped to answer questions that are not directly pulled from the text or lectures.
Possible Drawback: It may be difficult to grade exams for large courses that are made up entirely of short answer and essay questions in a timely manner. While a rubric that outlines how points should be awarded based on specific criteria will help, it may still be unrealistic for large courses.
In the situation of a large class, consider adding only a handful of short answer questions asking students to justify their reasoning for selecting an answer. Not all questions need to include a short-answer justification, but you should include enough or weigh them heavily enough so that failure to provide adequate justification will appropriately impact a student's grade on the exam.
Another strategy might be to include short answer questions that ask students to describe a situation that they have experienced or heard about that demonstrates the concept or principal that is covered by a previous question.
Set A Time Limit for the Exam
When administering exams through Blackboard, you do have the ability to set a time limit for the exam. While recommendations for time based on the length of a test vary, most recommend at least 45 seconds per multiple choice or true/false question, 2-3 minutes per short answer question, and at least 15 minutes per essay question. It may also be helpful to think about how long you would have allotted in the face to face setting. Online students should receive no more time than you would typically allow in the traditional classroom space.
Benefit: By setting a time limit, you are ensuring that students cannot spend five or ten minutes looking up the answer to each question in the book. You can increase the efficacy of this strategy by ensuring that the sequence of questions does not follow the sequence of presentation in the text.
Possible Drawback: You may have students that do not finish in the allotted time for legitimate reasons. Ensure students know that they can contact you to discuss this situation if it occurs. This is less likely to be a problem if you tell students that they have a time limit before they begin the exam. With this information, many students will self-regulate time per question so that they can complete the exam.
If you have a student in your class that receives extended testing time as a learning accommodation, Blackboard does allow for this type of adjustment. Use the instructions below to make this adjustment to your course.
Randomize The Order of Test Questions/Answers
Blackboard allows you to randomize the order that students encounter questions. You can also randomize the order that choice options are provided for multiple choice/answer questions. This means that students cannot reliably share answers if they are communicating with one another while taking the exam.
Benefits: By enabling the randomization feature, students are less likely to share answers if they are collaborating with other students while taking the test.
Potential Drawbacks: If you are using the "short answer justification" strategy that is described above, it may be difficult to randomize questions.
Use Technology to Secure the Testing Environment
The University has purchased two tools for integration with Blackboard that will further secure the testing environment.
Respondus Monitor
Respondus Monitor builds on LockDown Browser and uses a student's webcam to record the student while taking an exam or test.
For more information on how to set up LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor in Blackboard, click here to access the Instructor Quick Start Guide. You may also be interested in sharing the Student Quick Start Guide with your students.
Benefits: Together, Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor will help you to secure the remote testing environment. While neither solution will make it impossible for students to cheat, they will help to deter many of the most common types of cheating and will help demonstrate to students a commitment to academic integrity.
Potential Drawbacks: Students must be taking an exam in Blackboard to use both tools. This requires that they have access to reliable internet throughout the testing experience. If Monitor is used, a student must also have access to a webcam. You may have students in your class that lack internet and/or access to a webcam. For those learners, an alternative solution must be sought.
Respondus Test Generator
Respondus Test Generator is a software that allows the user to create exams for Blackboard without being logged in and online while working. Exams can be created offline using a familiar Windows environment or moved from one eLearning system to another. While Respondus Test Generator is not used to secure the testing environment, it does help to streamline the process of adding questions to Blackboard so that Respondus LockDown Browswer or Respondus Monitor can then be used to help address test security.
Testing Proctors
You may determine that you are comfortable allowing students to identify a testing proctor, especially if they do not have reliable access to internet or to a webcam. While family members are not typically identified as suitable proctors, students may struggle to find others to fulfill this role. The Exam Proctoring website for online programs provides some additional information about how this arrangement typically works.
If you do decide to allow for proctoring, it is suggested that you have the proctor complete a Proctor Eligibility and Responsibilities Agreement Form.
Benefits: Students may be able to identify an acceptable proctor in their area. This may be particularly useful for situations where students lack access to reliable internet.
Drawbacks: It may be difficult for a student to identify a suitable proctor due to social distancing guidelines. Identified proctors may not be as diligent in overseeing the integrity of the testing environment as would a professor.
Discuss Cheating Directly
One of the best ways to prevent cheating is to make it clear that academic integrity is valued by the institution and by the professor. Discussing issues of academic integrity directly with students in light of the current situation is one way to highlight that you do not tolerate cheating regardless of the circumstances.
Consider Scale
As you determine which tools and techniques are most appropriate for your courses, it is important to also consider scalability. Tools like Respondus are designed to handle the needs of many students at one time. Other solutions, like using Collaborate to virtually proctor a testing session, are most appropriate for small groups of students. It might be best to propose a scalable strategy to the larger group first. Then, ask students who believe they will have a problem to contact you individually so that you can think through new options based on their specific situations.
Practice exams are also helpful so that students can check to see how well their testing situation works before the big exam. There is nothing worse than trying to troubleshoot technology as you are trying to wrap up a big test. For more information on setting up a practice test when using Respondus, see the document linked below.
Credits:
Created with images by Thomas Lefebvre - "typing on a mac" • Niclas Illg - "untitled image" • Campaign Creators - "untitled image"