Online Assessment: Exams & Quizzes

Exams and quizzes, our traditional method of assessing students, can be delivered online. However, a few things should be taken into consideration.

First, there is no real way of preventing students from cheating. Students will open their textbooks and notes, and they will try to "Google" "the answers. There are methods to dissuade students from cheating outright. Some ideas include:

• Avoid question banks from textbook publishers. Many times other teachers post these resources online for their students, so their answers can be found in Google.
• Include application questions. These types of questions could be multiple choice or free response, but they require students to apply what they've learned and can't really be "Googled."
• Set time limits. Most online test applications will allow you to set parameters for when a test opens and when it closes, as well as the length of time students have to complete a test. Keep in mind that this type of assessment might be new and stressful for students, and they might encounter technical glitches, so it is usually a good practice to give students a little extra time to complete the test (i.e.: 60 minutes instead of the typical 45 minute class period). That will help prevent students from feeling rushed. Also, students who receive help in Academic Achievement may be entitled to more time on their tests.
• Consider proctoring your test. Some teachers are using Zoom to proctor their tests like they would be standing in the front of their classroom.
• Shuffle Questions and Answers. Most online test applications will give you the option of shuffling the question order and/or the order of answers within the question.