Universities are accused of neglecting the growing body of information showing that cheating on online tests is common.
Numerous studies, including one conducted just this week, which revealed a sixth of students acknowledged to seeking assistance from others during exams, suggest that exam fraud rates have increased throughout the pandemic.
Institutions still intend to conduct remote exams the next year, despite this.
Chairman of the Campaign for Real Education Chris McGovern declared: “Online exams are incredibly unfair since they promote and reward cheating over honesty.”
Any evaluation system that encourages fraud should be prohibited.
Institutions were obliged to abandon conventional, in-person exams during the COVID-19 crisis and adopt online tests that permitted students to submit their answers over the course of 24 to 48 hours or longer.
Despite the fact that the technology exists, few of them were invigilated.
On student forums, cheating methods have been openly discussed.
The transition to online assessment “seems to have contributed to a considerable surge in academic misconduct allegations,” according to the minutes of an education committee meeting at University College London (UCL) in October 2021.
In 57 instances of collaboration and 42 instances of “contract cheating,” students exploited essay mills, companies that let consumers get custom written documents.
The minutes bemoan “a large and worrying expansion” that led to the expulsion of 31 students.
In spite of this and a recognition that the issue “may be widely underestimated by the sector,” UCL chose to continue using online exams in 2021–2022, with minutes indicating that a switch back to in-person exams was rejected due to difficulties finding exam rooms for 95,000 people in a short period of time, ongoing uncertainty regarding Covid restrictions, and worries any change would lead to “significant student dissatisfaction.”
Many UCL courses will still offer online tests in the upcoming academic year.
This summer at Durham University, the majority of exams were conducted online, and departments wishing to conduct exams in person had to request permission. After learning that 46 students had cheated the previous year, the maths department took this action.
Online exams became the norm at Nottingham University in 2021—22, while faculties had the option to request on-campus invigilated tests where there was a “strong cause to do so” – albeit they were still required to offer an online alternative for remote study students.
A UCL spokesman stated last night: “Maintaining the highest academic standards is important to maintaining sustained trust and confidence in both our world-class research and the people who work and study here.
“As a result, students who violate our policies governing academic integrity face harsh consequences, including expulsion from the university.”