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Testing in the Online Environment

Currently there is no way to ensure honesty from students when testing in the online environment.  It is really best to avoid high-stakes testing in the online environment as much as possible, and utilize different assessment strategies to measure student learning.  However, there are some ways that you can make online testing a more individualized and secure process.

Set Time Limits

You can provide students the opportunity to use the materials covered and still have some sense of how well the students know the material by providing a limit to how long they have to take the test.  Determine what you feel is a reasonble time for students to answer all the questions and then set this as the limit.  Usually, even if students are looking hurriedly through their materials for the answers, they will still need to know the information very well in order to complete the test in the time period given.

Require Completion of the Test on the First Try

This eliminates the option for students to learn what questions are being asked, leave the test, go find those answers, and then reenter the test.

Randomize

Randomize the order in which multiple choice answers appear, or randomize the order in which the test questions appear.  If you are working from a test pool, you can also randomize the actual questions that each individual receives, so that everyone receives a different test.

Provide Test Feedback Only After the Testing Period is Over

You can easily provide the correct answers to the test questions after everyone has had an opportunity to take the test.  This can help prevent the "sharing" of answers between students during the learning module.

Offer Opportunities for Practice Tests

Giving students the opportunity to self-test on the materials covered can ensure that they feel more confident that they have learned the topics they will be tested over.

For more information see:

Test Manager

Creating a Random Block Test

Deploying and Modifying a Test

Assessment

Pool Manager

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