3. On assignments where all questions appear at once, students are presented with an opportunity to compare assignments with others by scrolling through the questions for matching or similar problems. By displaying one question at a time, students cannot easily make those comparisons.
4. Randomize question order to limit students working together on assignments.
5. Use new questions from term to term to prevent former students from sharing question sets, exams, and assignments with future students taking your course. You can also slightly modify the questions so they cannot be searched for as easily online.
6. Remind students of your school’s Honor Code regularly by posting it at the beginning of a test or quiz in the description of an assignment. Studies show that this reminder can significantly deter students from cheating attempts.
7. To prevent usage of outside resources, consider using a secure environment. You can add restrictions that allow or disallow specific IP addresses or password protect assignments.
8. Use LockDown browser during testing to restrict other computer activities while students are working on a test. While an assignment is open in a LockDown browser, students cannot search the internet, print, copy text, or use other applications. This solution does not prohibit use of mobile devices, so a proctoring service might be necessary for additional security.
9. For additional security, use a remote proctoring service. A live proctor remotely observes test takers and their surroundings to ensure they are not using prohibited resources, such as textbooks or mobile devices.
10. Check student logs or student data for signs of cheating after an assignment, quiz, or test. Look for student completion times being too similar across assignments, and beware of assignments downloaded and submitted in an unreasonably short amount of time. These are red flags for student cheating. While this practice is not preventative, it can help track students that are of concern to an instructor.
Andy Trus is a product manager at WebAssign. He oversees enhancements to core parts of the platform, with the goal of continually improving the educational experience for instructors and students.
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