By: Martha Diede, Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence, Syracuse University
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Some additional ways to make cheating more difficult and to increase equity are as follows.
- Switch up 30% of exam questions.
- Set the exam to show only one question at a time.
- Set a 15-minute window during which students can sign in. If students don't 't sign-in during that time period, have them email you to explain why. This technique provides you an opportunity to provide an equivalent, but different exam.
- Design questions to encourage persistence and resilience.
Consider questions like these ones suggested by Francis Su:
Take one homework problem you have worked on this semester that you struggled to understand and solve, and explain how the struggle itself was valuable. In the context of this question, describe the struggle and how you overcame the struggle. You might also discuss whether struggling built aspects of character in you (e.g. endurance, self-confidence, competence to solve new problems) and how these virtues might benefit you in later ventures.
OR
For any problems you cannot solve on this exam, suggest a strategy you might try to tackle the problem, and show what happened as a result. Describe any strategic gaps you were unable to bridge, and list 3 helpful insights that may help another person trying to tackle the problem. Doing so will earn you up to 1/2 credit on the problem.
- Plan for students to use online tools to find answers to questions. Ask questions that require students to show what they've learned and to put together information that they've found.
Please also keep in mind that online visual and auditory tasks are especially challenging for students who have visual and hearing exceptionalities. Consider contacting the Office of Disability Services to ensure you support all of your students.
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