Frequently Asked Question

How do you limit the possibility of students cheating? Here are some suggestions.

When using an assessment such as a quiz or exam with multiple choice or matching questions, the best ways to limit cheating are:

• have a big database of questions and use questions sets so students do not receive the same questions.
• limit the time that the students are able to take the assessment.
• show one question at a time so that they cannot print the assessment easily.
• allow students to use their notes and resource materials with the understanding that they will have a limited amount of time to take the assessment, so they will not be able to look up all the answers.
• allow students to take the assessment twice and average the grades together, this may lower the level of anxiety, which may in turn lower the need to cheat.
• increase the number of assessments so that each one is not worth as much; therefore, students are not as likely to feel they need to cheat. You can also combine this with the ability to drop a grade or two.

Another alternative is that you can change the way you do assessments:

• create group assessments where they can use notes, other resources, and each other.
• create more open-ended questions.
• continue to limit the amount of time they have to complete the assessment.
• switch from traditional, objective testing to more alternative assessments, like portfolios, projects, papers, or group activities.

You can also click into the Software & Resources course on your Plato course list and check out the information on the Respondus LockDown Browser to see if it might be right for use in your class.