Having students well spaced in the classroom, nothing on the desk but pen and exam, walking around the classroom during the exam are ways to reduce student cheating
Keep them in line by walking around the room
Being aware of what your students are doing is important. Unfortunately, cheaters will still find a way to cheat.
Cheaters will always find a way to cheat. I try to make the learning experience so fun and exciting that they will not even realize that they are even learning. They will retain what I am teaching and when it comes time to test, they will know the material that is being tested.
If I anticipate cheating, especially in a larger, more crowed classroom, I make A, B and/or C versions of the exams and I distribute them so that no two students sitting side by side have the same exam. It is a little more work for me, but students learn quickly, when getting their graded exams back that an A, B or a C could all be the right answer for #23, for example, because they had different exams with the same content material. It works well.
Hi John,
You are right ethics really tie into finance, but there are some students that will test the waters. Great idea of including this type of information on the test.
Patricia
Hi George,
Great tactics! The best tactic to reduce cheating is to let your students see that you are monitoring them during the test with your undivided attention.
Patricia
Good luck is natral to try and figure out a problem with other humans thats how we work so reverse the problem with regenerrative thinking.
Stay in site of students ,letting them know you are observing.
Putting space between students. Give students different copies of the test. Observe the students.
Making sure that your students understand the ramifications of cheating is key.
I reduce the opportunity for cheating in my classes by creating multiple forms for all tests and ensuring the students seated near each other have different forms.
In retail, to deter theft, we offer customer service above and beyond the norm when we have someone suspicious in the store. We always have our eye on them, and continually check-in, offering help, letting them know they are on our radar.
I think a similar approach can happen in the classroom - making your presence known as an instructor - deters the want/opportunity to cheat.
Additionally, including essay questions that require answers that are not easily reproduced is another way to minimize cheating.
Giving different test. The test have the same questions on them but in different order.
I have them put away all cell phones and hand out different versions of the test.
As a first time instructor, but with a firm grasp of reality regarding cheating, the instructions for the first exam included comments regarding test taking and the importance for individuals to demonstrate ethics which is a critical element to finance. Ethics is one of the core principles mentioned in the text. The primary comments focused on individual behavior and respect. The emphasis was expectation of ethical behavior combined with conducting a classroom, ie. seating arrangements, books on the floor that is consistent with a respectful manner for both student and instructor during testing.
I repeat the test taking rules before every test and I walk around the class. I generally make 3-4 different version of the test.
Hi Thomas,
At the minimum students should receive a 0 for cheating. Some institutions fail the student in the course as a minimum.
Patricia
Academic dishonesty is a serious matter. Cheating is not tolerated among my instructors. Sometimes, it is hard to be 100% sure that students have cheated. Not so long ago, I have 2 students who cheated on an exam. We found out that they both have the same errors on the test. We immediately confronted them and one of them confessed. The other student brought the parents into the situation. Even after giving them the facts, the second student maintained his position. I offered a second exam to be taken in a separated room at the same time. I explained to the students and parents that the content tested will be the same and because the score from the first exam was high, they should be able to perform well unless they have cheated. The students and the parents accepted the deal. The new score from the second test will be counted as their formal score for that exam. In addition, we applied our policy: 5% course grade reduction for academic dishonesty and the students had to write a 2 paged, typed remediation paper on the implications of cheating to the nursing profession which was presented to the nursing faculty at a scheduled meeting. The paper needed to be conformed to APA format with a minimum of 3 credible references. It is very important for students to understand the consequences of their actions. That exercise has a powerful effect on students. Both students were placed on probation for the remainder of the nursing program.
The students needed to sit separately when testing in every course after that. We introduced a new policy after that incident: students will be seating randomly by the instructor when testing.
Result: One student failed the course. Guest who? The cheater...
The way the benches are set up - no one can look at one anothers test paper.I also enforce a no cheating rule as there will be a 0 for a grade for that test
