Designing assessments

6. Online assessment and the issue of cheating

One of the challenges we encounter in online assessment is the possibility of cheating with the help of available online tools. There is a perception that students cheat more easily online, which can undermine trust in the assessment and grading process. However, cheating in exams is also present in physical environments when exams are conducted in classrooms. Therefore, it is necessary to understand why students cheat and which strategies can be applied to reduce cheating in exams.

Why do students cheat?

• They feel pressure to succeed.
• They do not see the purpose of the task.
• They believe that “everyone does it”.

Strategies to reduce cheating:

• complex tasks – require the application of knowledge rather than reproduction
• routine tasks – in an online context require increased supervision and large item banks
• developing awareness of ethics and academic integrity