E-learning is a method of learning that is completed virtually. To combat the rise of plagiarism and cheating many online Learning Management Systems have incorporated software and methods that are able to detect cheating or plagiarism by students.
With the integration of Learning Management Systems programs and software into the e-learning environment, instructors are able to easily identify any cheating that is conducted by students. These systems make it even easier for instructors to pick up misconduct than in the physical classroom.
It depends on which e-learning system students are enrolled in. Each systems makes use of their own cheating detection tools as well as includes proctor software to monitor students while they take their exam.
How Does E-learning Detect Cheating?
E-learning platforms have multiple methods of detecting cheating both automatically and manually by instructors. Plagiarism detectors able to compare students work to one another to determine if any copying has occurred.
Instructors can conduct online tests via video conferencing to observe students. Software such as Respondus Lockdown Browser is able to determine if a student is changing tabs or sharing their screens during a test and blocks students from accessing any unauthorized material.
Instructors can further monitor students through the live video footage to ensure they are not collaborating with someone, looking in their notes or textbooks, and further not changing between internet browsers to look up answers.
Turnitin and other plagiarism detection tools have been incorporated into e-learning systems. These detection tools compare students submitted assignments to resources on the internet as well as to other submitted assignments and compare the level of similarity between them.
They provide a percentage to instructors of how similar submitted works are, provide links and sources for similarities and in some cases won’t submit assignments if they contain a high level of plagiarism.
What Systems Incorporate E-learning?
Academic institutions have used systems such as Moodle, Blackboard, Gradescope and Canvas among others. These systems incorporate a variety of software’s to centralize information, assignments, communications, important dates and lectures.
Lectures have been streamed on these Learning Management Systems and online tests have been conducted through them. In some instances lecturers have conducted online tests via video conferencing. Software such as Respondus Lockdown Browser is able to determine if a student is changing tabs or sharing their screens during a test.
Instructors can further monitor students through the live video footage to ensure they are not collaborating with someone, looking in their notes or textbooks, and further not changing between internet browsers to look up answers.
Turnitin and other plagiarism detection tools have been incorporated into e-learning systems. These detection tools compare students submitted assignments to resources on the internet as well as to other submitted assignments and compare the level of similarity between them.
They provide a percentage to instructors of how similar submitted works are, provide links and sources for similarities and in some cases won’t submit assignments if they contain plagiarism.
How Accurate Is The Cheating Detection System?
Learning Management Software is further able to provide access to students screens in order for instructors to ensure that a student is focusing solely on the given task. These systems act as checkpoints to notify instructors to check up on a student that has been suspected of cheating.
In some instances similar works may be difficult to avoid – for example in a maths test is it difficult not to use the same formulas and numbers therefore a plagiarism detector may determine that students have worked together when in reality they are following a given formula.
Students can in theory go to great lengths to bypass cheating detection system but it is highly unlikely they are tech-savvy enough to achieve this. E-learning was prevalent prior to Covid-19 and the reality is that students have enrolled to achieve a qualification of some kind.
While some might not take it seriously, the majority will and will find it difficult to find loopholes that automatically monitor students activity in an online test or detect plagiarism in a submitted assignment.
Cheating detection software is fairly accurate as it can flag a suspicious activity for an instructor to further investigate. Biometric software, 360 degree cameras, IP Address tracking and live invigilation during assessments are all accurate cheating detection methods.
Plagiarism detection tools are extremely effective in determining that a student has completed their own work and hasn’t just copied information from a textbook, internet resource or other students.
Issues With Cheating Detection Systems:
As with any system there will be flaws that students can bypass. It is arguably easier for instructors to detect cheating in an e-learning and online environment setting as they have access to students live activity on the computers.
However students can theoretically find loopholes and technically savvy student could possibly bypass the system entirely. In saying this they will not be able to avoid plagiarism detection.
Other issues that have been raised with proctor software is that students are concerned their privacy will be violated if their instructors have access to their devices however proctor software only give instructors access while the assessment is being taken.
How Are Cheaters Caught In An E-Learning Environment?
Just as in a physical environment students are held to a standard of conduct that includes ensuring they complete their own assignments and write their own tests, instructors are able to monitor and validate the identity of their students.
Biometric software can be incorporated into video camera’s while students are being recorded taking their exams in order to determine if the correct person is taking the test. Recording these sessions further promotes an environment where students are aware that they are being watched and instructors can monitor that they do not cheat.
Biometric software can confirm the identity of a student in the beginning of an assessment using facial recognition software or advanced systems are able to detect a students fingerprint.
As mentioned automatic plagiarism checkers make the instructors life easier by checking for intentional and unintentional copying of others work. As opposed to the previous methods where students submitted physical assignments and instructors had to go the extra mile to check their students work, these software do the work before the instructor even receives the document.
They are even able to reject work that has a high level of plagiarism and will flag snippets that contain copied work. More advanced software that has been incorporated into Learning Management Systems include keystroking software and IP address tracking.
Keystroke software can monitor a student to determine if they are copying and pasting information and can detect patterns that may be irregular by a student to raise a red flag with the instructor. IP tracking ensures that the student is in the appropriate location and no one is taking the exam on behalf of a student.
Instructors may also suspect cheating in a timed assessment if it takes a student too long to complete a question. The quicker a student completes the assessment the less likely it is that they have been looking up the answers.
What Methods Can Deter Cheating?
Methods that instructors incorporate into their Learning Management Systems include instructors watching their students take their online tests through recording software. They can require students to keep their microphones and cameras on for the duration of the assessment to ensure the assessment is being completed without assistance.
Other methods that instructors use to ensure that students are completing their own work include 360 degree camera’s that can view that students entire environment.
Incorporating both objective and subjective questions in quizzes that are loaded onto Learning Management Systems such as Blackboard and Moodle ensures that students will be required to have knowledge of the topic prior to answering the question.
In Conclusion
E-learning has adapted to ensure the integrity of a students work remains in tact. Multiple advanced software has been created and incorporated into Learning Management Systems to monitor students activity and detect misconduct.
As with any learning environment, students can look for loopholes but due to how advanced the software is it would take a highly technically skilled student to bypass the detection systems.
Instructors will be notified of suspected cheating in an online test if keystroke software, IP tracking or biometric software determines that a student is cheating by having another person write their exam for them, if the software picks up that they are copying and pasting information or if their keystrokes are irregular.
Plagiarism detection software is nearly impossible to bypass as it compares students work with resources available on the internet as well as to other students submitted works. If the detected plagiarism is too high, the work may be rejected altogether. This software flags the similar content and provides a source for where it may have been taken from.
Cheating on an e-learning environment is possible but it is highly unlikely that students will get away with it. It is not worth the risk as students can be excluded from an institution indefinitely and damage their futures.
