and Ways to make cheating difficult and to motivate academic integrity
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- Switch up 30% of exam questions.
- Focus on learning, not performance.
- Use random blocks in setting up exams in Blackboard.
- Rework test-bank questions by reversing them. Start with the correct answer from the multiple choices, then use the question stem to create the answer(s).
- 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 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.
- Limit exam length time so that students will not be able to look up outside sources to find answers.
- 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.
- Have students record themselves taking the exam and submit that recording.
- Ask questions that require students to show what they've learned and to put together information that they've found.
- Engage students in designing exam questions to show their knowledge and learning.
- Incorporate some writing-to-learn strategies such as reflection questions.
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