Some ways you can reduce the opportunity for cheating, is by having same test, but differnt templates.
By walking around the classroom as students are testing..
The problem of cheating in school classroom has probably become more common in the last few years due to the pressures on students to succeed. Adding to the problem is the fact students bring to cell phones to cheat or text answer to their friends. To minimize cheating, what I do is on test day all phone are not allowed in the classroom. If there is to use the phone in case of student child is sick the cell is placed on my table and the student can leave the room, make the call and return to the classroom.
Also some colleges place a significant
percentage of the student evaluation in the form of shared or active student participation. These activities are evaluated for all members of the group, thus providing no incentive for individual to attempt to cheat to better themselves. It is important also that in the classroom environment ethical responsibilies requiring trust and honesty are emphasized. It is a good idea to develop multiple test with differents and repeat the test or test questions every time or every quarter.
I have sometimes changed student seating for a test. Occasionally a student isn't too happy about that.
While I often silently walk up and down the rows I also will just sit in the back and randomly get up and walk. I also have everything removed from the desks ,look for writing on the desks and allow no bathroom breaks.Also I have everyone switch seats
Allowing the nothing on the desk besides the essentials should reduce the odds of cheating.
I've done versions of exams. What is difficult for me is that I am also a full time Student Success Coordinator, in addition to teaching. This coming term will be my first in that I will have a reduced teaching load to actually shape different assessment types and versions.
I like to try and build a relationship of trust in the class room.
I believe by having multiple versions of a test, spacing the students so that they cannot see another students test, and also monitoring the class during tests are great ways to reduce/elimitate cheating.
I find that using a divider to separate the students during an exam is another way to prevent cheating in the classroom. However I do like the idea of creating multiple versions of an exam.
I have found that standing in the back of the room definitely helps, but if it becomes a problem, I make the test where they must give their answer to case studies or solve specific problems that do include many of the questions from a traditional test.
This way, if their answers are even remotely similar, I take them aside and explain that it will be difficult to succeed in future classes. Most of the time, they promise not to have a "repeat performance".
For me, I had one student in particular. She would try all the time. I would walk around the class during the class.
be attentive, make alternate tests a and b .
I prepare two exams for each test and each person will have a different version. Even though the objectives of the course material is the same, the questions will be worded differently on each exam so that the student sitting next to them has a hard time determining if the questions are the same. I also have used seating charts for exams to limit the ability for friends to help each other.
Hi Jeff,
Good strategy for reducing cheating as you mentioned; I too sit at the back of the classroom to monitor student's behavior and also ask that they remove all materials from the top of their desk.
T. Waddell
Hi Erin,
You are right! You are on it when it comes to monitoring during a test. Some instructors take test day as a rest day or a day to get caught up on grading.
Patricia Scales
I do this as well; it seems to make a difference. I have explained to them that I have no choice but to take it up the ladder and that seems to be their biggest concern since they pay a lot for their education and do not want to get kicked out for cheating.
I mix up the questions so they are not in the same order on each version of the test. I also walk around and even ask if they have questions so far. This way they know I am paying attention. I also make it clear in the syllabus and in our first meeting that cheating is not tolerated. I have not run into this problem and feel it is becuase I make sure they understand the consequences and I make my presence known throughout the duration of any test I give them.
I could space out my seating in class, I could assigned the class into groups and give each group a different test. At the beginning of class inform student the consequences of treating.
Reducing the opportunity for students to cheat may reduce the temptation for them to do so. I agree that positioning students in the class room and providing several versions of the exam makes cheating a difficult behavior.
