I separate the students, & make them remove all books, bags, bottles, etc. from the table. I stand in the back of the room, so they can't see me, but they know I can see all of them. I also have several versions of the same test. I may give every other student a different test. That's always a good way to discourage cheating.
Hi Angel,
If you have room, having your students sit in every other seat is a great idea.
Patricia
Hi Lisa,
These are tendencies that really minimize cheating. I even have my students to remove their water bottles.
Patricia
Walk around, have them take everything off their desks
I try and give mainly short answer test questions. This type of question generally eliminates cheating on an exam!
I agree that you should provide an A and B version if you are unable to provide space between them. I also like to put them in alphabetical order.
No doubt would to have several different versions of the exam. This eliminates previous grads from making a quick buck selling answers.
I like having alternate versions of the tests with answers scrambled. The down side is this requires more work on my part in correcting scantrons but in a large class packed tightly together it's worth it.
I will usually sit at the back of the class. If it is still a problem, I will create different versions of tests. I was even thinking about making the students sit every other desk to spear-head any cheating. The good thing is that I never had to do that yet!
Hi Deborah,
Super! This practice is so effective to watch for cheaters. I also like to make my students clear their desk of unneeded items, including cell phones and water bottles.
Patricia
I have found that sitting in the back of the classroom behind the students has been very helpful. They can't see where I am looking, who I am watching without turning around. Additionally, at times I will quietly walk around the room. By doing this I have had no further complaints of cheating (which were made initially).
Hi Angela,
I hear you, make it know from the beginning to avoid problems in the end.
Patricia
Advising the students up front that any appearance of cheeting should be avoided so that there won't be question later.
Patricia,
In the online setting, unless students have exchanged personal contact information, there doesn't seem to be much of an opportunity for student to student cheating. There is however an opportunity to use other methods. To combat this potential, I stress that each student will eventually be requred to challenge a Certification examination and that there will be no shortcuts available to them during this assessment of ther knowledge or skills. Joe
Hi Jan,
This is a sure way to help minimize cheating. I especially like it how you make it known to your students that two different versions of test are being used.
Patricia
I have changed answer positions on tests given to every other student and made the students aware there are two versions of the same test.
The biggest thing I believe I can do is to build rapport with my students. I let them know on the first day of class when discussing my expectations that the classroom is a place of trust. We need to begin with the notion that I trust them to show up, participate, and perform their work in an honest fashion. They can trust me to respect their opinion, and ideas, to be fair, and honest in my assessment of their performance, and to listen to and respond to all of their concerns and questions. Does this remove all cheating from my class, no, but I think that it does create an atmosphere of mutual trust between my students, and myself. I may be made out to be the "chump" from time to time, but that is on the student. I refuse to run a classroom under constant suspicion of cheating, and mistrust.
the issue is developing trust with the students...I prepare students by reviewing the topical areas we covered in class letting them know I want them to be successful - emphasizing that if there are areas they feel uncomfortable with, please meet with me and we will discuss and hopefully clarify their concern/confusion with the topical area.
I include a percentage of questions that require subjectivity in grading, as well I offer various versions of exams over multiple quarters
Hi Bryce,
I also make sure the desk is cleared of unneeded items, including water bottles and cell phones.
Patricia
