Christopher Eliot (eliot@cs.umass.edu)
Fri, 30 Oct 1998 11:07:46 -0500 (EST)
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 11:07:46 -0500 (EST) From: Christopher Eliot <eliot@cs.umass.edu> Subject: Re: [ifets] Assessment Ethics in Distance Education
We have implemented one solution and considered another.
1) The group I work with has implemented an on-line quiz system.
We rely on grading policy to reduce the cheating incentive. We
know that anyone using the system can ask a roomate or friend
to do the exam so the quizzes are only 10% of the grade. You can't
get an "A" without doing the quizzes, but you also must pass an
in class midterm and final (which are proctored).
The exams are also designed to specifically include questions which
are very similar to the on-line quiz questions and the students
know this.
We also consider the issue in deciding how many questions should be
on a quiz. They are not too long.
Furthermore, the students are told that many previous students could
not keep up and learn the material without taking the quizzes. Plus,
we have evidence to back up this claim - many students agree with
the statement during formal evaluation.
The bottom line is that we have no way to be sure the student's really
do their own work, but we manipulate the incentives as best we can
to encourage the students to do what is really in their own best
interest.
2) We have started to talk about short essay questions. If these are
submitted on-line, then the computer can automatically do a substring
search and flag any two (past or present) essays with significant
overlap. If we implement this, it may be unpopular :-)
-Chris Eliot
On Fri, 30 Oct 1998, Alan Gregory wrote:
> IFETS Forum Members:
>
> I am investigating the dilemma facing distance educators regarding
> assessment of student work (higher education and corporate training
> settings). At issue is the matter of validating that the products
> submitted by students participating in distance education programs are
> their own work.
>
> In a classroom environment, the professor/instructor also doubles as a
> proctor for most products that their students submit (tests, papers,
> projects, etc.). However, as education programs become dispersed
> through technology, the proctoring oversight offered by the "facilitator
> of learning" on students he or she never sees is almost
> eliminated.
>
> I would be interested in your views or experience as to what policies,
> procedures, or practices are in use...or could be placed in use...to
> validate student work. Additionally, if you have any references
> (Internet assessable or otherwise) please include them in your response.
>
> Those who are interested in my research may receive a copy of my paper
> once I've completed it...just ask.
>
> Please reply directly to me at one of the e-mail addresses below:
>
> Alan Gregory
> Doctoral Student, Adult Learning/Human Resource Development
> Virginia Tech
> rogregor@vt.edu
> agregory@camber.com
> rogregor@hotmail.com
>
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Christopher R. Eliot, Senior Postdoctoral Research Associate
Center for Knowledge Communication, Department of Computer Science
University of Massachusetts, Amherst 01003. (413) 545-4248 FAX: 545-1249
ELIOT@cs.umass.edu, <http://www.cs.umass.edu/~eliot/>
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