Get Your Students Hired
I have found that giving the same tests, but not making all the questions in the same order works. The cheater has trouble finding the question or answer that matches his/her test.
Hi Christopher,
Yes it would be fair to give students different questions as long as you have covered the materials and one test is not any more difficult than the other. Also make sure the questions cover the same materials.
Patricia
I am now using this same method. I have this certain class that I have made 3 versions of each of their exams. The questions on each exam are the same but just in different order. Would it be fair to give students different questions than others?
I do the same thing and it really works, and if they dont know that the questions are scrambled, like a situation I had then you really can catch the cheaters. My student had the exact answers as her neighbor, but she didn't realize that her questions were scrambled also, so she failed that test.
Separating students and walking around the classroom during the test is also helpful.
Hi Christopher,
Yes, we must make our fellow instructors aware of possible cheaters, just a heads up so that they are mindful. Cheaters will try to get over in every class.
Patricia
I use this same method! I have up to three different versions of quizzes and exams for my students. As well, I walk to the back of the room so I can see each student and their body motions.
I even go as far as to find out the instructors of the known or well-suspected cheater(s) to discuss and share my opinions and thoughts on the situation.
This has assisted me in identifying student patterns and/or warn my fellow instructors of the possible cheating.
Change test or quizzes. Walk the classroom when test are given. As students to put cell phones in a basket in front of the room on silent. These tips have worked for me.
Hi Kurt,
Students know your rule, and I am sure you have or will enforce it. Sometimes we must use rules to try to prevent a behavior (cheating) from happening.
Patricia
I have reduced cheating by doing the same thing, I also let my class know that if an exam/answer sheet leaves the room, that student will recieve a zero on the exam
I also started collecting exams and keeping them after I had an incident of students from another class that week giving the answers to students in a night class. Now, I give them answer sheets and they can keep the answer sheets with their grades on. I let them keep the answer sheet because I never give a test with the questions in the same order. So even if they have the answer sheet, they have no idea which letter on the sheet goes with which question on the test.
I have reduced cheating by always collecting the exams and never letting the exams leave the room. So students take the exam and I grade them. The following class I hand the exams out and we go over all the answers ensuring a good understanding. I then collect all the exams back, thus reducing the opportunity for students to cheat on the exam.
Hi LaTonya,
This is a smart tactic to minimize cheating. It is very effective. We must continue to be creative so that cheating is reduced as much as possible.
Patricia