Straighterline Anti-cheating

[YankeeDoodle]

Look, I like to take my classes the honest way, but it doesn't seem like anything stops me from cheating on the graded exams before the final. Am I missing something? Is there something I don't understand here?

[jsd]

What stops you from cheating on homework assignments at a traditional brick and mortar? The final proctored assignments attempt to keep you honest, but cheaters are going to cheat if they really want to, just like at a traditional school.

[YankeeDoodle]

What stops you from cheating on homework assignments at a traditional brick and mortar? The final proctored assignments attempt to keep you honest, but cheaters are going to cheat if they really want to, just like at a traditional school.

I wonder what the future attempts to ensure academic integrity will bring.

[cookderosa]

Look, I like to take my classes the honest way, but it doesn't seem like anything stops me from cheating on the graded exams before the final. Am I missing something? Is there something I don't understand here?

Your graded exams (pre-final) are open book. You ARE allowed to look up the answers. Read the cover page before taking the exam for the full parameters of what you are/are not allowed to do.

What stops you? Same thing that stops anyone from doing anything wrong - integrity. As with all things in this life, having it is a choice.

[dfrecore]

Just an FYI, my last course I took at a B&M was open book tests. Even the final. Now, if you didn't read the book and think you can answer a TON of questions in 2 hours, you're dead wrong - so it didn't pay to "cheat" by not reading beforehand. But really, if teachers word questions correctly, they can stop you from cheating in that way, without having to implement anything.

I read every chapter, took notes, and then brought those into class and was able to get an easy A on every exam. But you could easily tell the people who hadn't read, furiously flipping through 4 chapters, trying to find the info, sweating profusely, looking completely panic-stricken. I'm pretty sure they didn't get an A on the exam (it was several people each exam that did it).

[mysonx3]

Likewise, I just got done taking six classes at a CC and of them only one had any element that wasn't open book, and even for that class it was only the final that was closed book - all exams during the quarter were open book

[davewill]

Most of my TESU online courses had open book midterms and finals. No notes, and you had to have a paper book. The proctors were fine with my having Post It flag marked pages, though. I agree that if you aren't already familiar with the book and material, open book isn't going to help you much. It's mainly good for fiddly stuff that you would otherwise have to painstakingly memorize.

[cookderosa]

Most of my TESU online courses had open book midterms and finals. No notes, and you had to have a paper book. The proctors were fine with my having Post It flag marked pages, though. I agree that if you aren't already familiar with the book and material, open book isn't going to help you much. It's mainly good for fiddly stuff that you would otherwise have to painstakingly memorize.

I don't think any of my TESU classes had open book exams! I do recall the worst hand pain of my life after my Social Psychology final - I had to ice it for 2 days. No lie. I'll take computerized any day!!

[ReyMysterioso]

Here's another b&m example. I live in a notorious party school college town and work with a young woman with a journalism degree that doesn't strike me as being mathematically inclined. Out of curiosity, I asked what math courses she was required to pass in her degree program. Just one algebra class.
"How did you do?" "Terrible. I bombed every exam." "Wait, how did you pass if you bombed every exam?" "I passed based on my homework." "How were your exams so bad if your homework was strong enough to pass you?" "Oh, I had [fiance] do all my homework. He loves math." ".....So you cheated?" "..... I guess so. Everyone does it." "Wait wait....is that how all these rocks for brains party kids stagger out of here with a degree? They just find a nerdy kid to do their homework for them?" She looks at me incredulously. "Of course! Duh. You didn't know that? Everyone knows that."

Such an obvious disparity between homework and exam results over such a large sample size is far too anamalous for the faculty to not realize what's going on. They obviously don't care enough to do anything about it, which in the big picture, makes them complicit.

What's to stop you from cheating? Nothing but the desire and/or ability to actually learn something. Classes and colleges don't really have academic integrity. Individuals do. Or don't.

You really don't cheat the exam or the class or the college. You only cheat yourself.