Dpgriff

I don't know much about online classes so these might be dumb questions. Wouldn't it be easy to cheat on online tests? You could look up all the answers on the internet couldn't you? You could even print out and organize all the information before you begin taking the test. Wouldn't this allow you to essential make every test open book? How can they prevent you someone else from doing the tests for you?

NotAClue

They usually go one of two ways: they expect you to use books/Internet and make the questions subject to interpretation as opposed to something easily googled or they make simple google-able questions with an insanely short tine limit designed to prevent you from having enough time to google or look up answers in the book.

MissShona

No, it's not easy. Practically every online test I took was timed. In fact, I just took a final exam where I had 60 minutes to answer 50 questions; 10 of which were short answer. Even on the exams where you have more time...then you still have to know what you are doing. For example, I had an accounting course where you had 2 hours to answer 15 questions. However, you are setting up the problems from start to finish; i.e. listing your chart of accounts, developing the reports to get your final answer. So if you do not know it, then you hardly have enough time to teach yourself while taking the test.

Also keep in mind that many fact-to-face classes have open-book tests as well. Depending on the material, it still doesn't make it any easy.

One thing that I guess you 'could' do would be have someone else take the test for you. But most courses have your final grade consist of more than just exams. Will this other person also be doing your projects, responding to online discussions, participating in group meetings? If so, I hope that they are collecting a nice fee for all this!

love4rn

I agree with the post above, I took online classes and it’s not as easy as you think and really why would you want to cheat anyway.

samuelarnold

Online courses are for people who want to add to their knowledge and skills or simply enjoy them as a recreational activity. Taking an online course is perfectly valid in itself and not a form of 'cheating'.

If you mean that you cannot properly be tested in an online course, that is not necessarily true. Multiple choice tests can be time-limited and essays can be checked for original content.

Getting answers online also applies to regular courses so there are many systems set up to check for plagiarism, etc .

BowTieFratty

There are also some professors that just do not test when they teach online classes. I had taken a professor for three normal classes and found him to be pretty easy. I signed up for one of his online classes and instead of his traditional 4 tests and 1 paper format, he had a really tough research paper and 5 other papers format. I spent way more time online than I would have if I would have taken his class normally.... last online class I will ever take.

Katrina8

The online classes I've taken (at Columbia College) have had timed quizzes and at least one proctored exam. You wouldn't have time to look up all the answers for a quiz, and they were very strict on where you could take an exam, who could proctor it, how that proctor could communicate with the instructor to get the password for the exam, etc. And the proctored exams are timed and often include essay questions. Good, not for profit schools make sure it's not easy to cheat your way through an online class.

socialbutterfly1

The online college courses I took at Home - Flexible Learning had proctored exams that had to be taken at an educational institution. My proctor had to be approved before the exams were sent to the proctor. I took the exams at a university close to my home so it was very easy and convenient. They have a testing center so it was as if I was taking the test in a classroom. I had to provide a picture ID of myself, for verification purposes, before taking the exam. I was not allowed to bring anything with me into the exam room so I don't see how someone could cheat if most schools follow similar procedures.

BettyfromCA

There have been quizzes and/or tests that I took with answers that could be easily found online. The professors seemed to have found the questions online, but who knows? How ethical is that?

seanmccormic

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aplusclass

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supersnakess

what are these advertisers doing here?

BettyfromCA

Yeah, you can basically cheat while taking online courses. There are even professors who use questions that have already been made up, and then, they tell you not to cheat! Despicable, if you ask me. I'm planning on reporting two professors, for that, in the future. Not sure what the dean would do, though.

Regards,
BettyfromCA

quitejaded

Yes, you can easily cheat with online courses.

It depends on the teacher.

Some teachers ask hard questions that are difficult to google and make the test timed so there is no time to find the answer (like an open book test, basically)

Some teachers use a program that does not allow you to open anything else but the test (so you'll have to google using another computer)

Some teachers make you take the test in a proctored setting to ensure you do not cheat.

Also, sometimes someone has the answers for your test questions, but they are wrong! So its hard to know if you can trust what you do find on google.