Adapted from Pepperdine University and the University of Denver.
Overview
Academic honesty and integrity continue to be a fundamental cornerstone of education at SJU. While remote testing and the availability of the internet present different challenges as compared to an on-campus classroom, several strategies are available to assist with academic integrity when an instructor would like to use Canvas Quizzes.
Adapting pedagogically to these circumstances is preferable to deploying technological and logistical countermeasures. Although the latter can also be useful, Saint Joseph’s University does not currently own a license to use lockdown browser technology or remote proctor software to manage quizzes.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, vendors have made generous offers to extend reduced or no-cost licensing to SJU and many other universities. However, to quickly implement a solution before the end of the Spring term is not prudent given the integration, training, and support challenges in introducing a new product. Instead, the University will advance a longer-term strategy to evaluate vendor products and select an academic integrity solution that may be ready by the Fall, 2020 semester.
The strategies outlined below take into account the absence of a licensed academic integrity solution when using Quizzes in Canvas.
Pedagogical Strategies for Online Testing
Design online tests with the assumption that, regardless of your preferences, students will have unrestricted access to the internet while taking online tests.
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Avoid asking questions whose answers can easily be found using internet search engines or quickly looked up in textbooks (unless navigating search engines and textbook indices promote your course's learning outcomes).
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Aim for questions that tend toward the middle terms of Bloom's taxonomy of cognitive processes as revised by Anderson and Kratwhol—understanding, applying, analyzing, and evaluating.
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Require students to affirm an honor pledge at the beginning of the assessment. The Quizzes tool in Canvas does not have a built-in honor pledge item. However, here are some creative ways to require students to affirm the statement, "I will neither give nor receive aid on this assessment." You might wish to write a pledge more specific to your course and your expectations in the form of a fill-in-the-blank question where the expected answer is the student's name: "I, _____, pledge that I will ..."
Other Final Exam Options to Consider
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Online, unproctored exams (i.e., open book, open notes) promote additional learning by allowing students to cite from texts and include excerpts in their answers. Consider using Canvas quizzes.
SJU Faculty Recommendations for Final Assessments
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Dr. Millicent Feske, Chair & Associate Professor, Theology & Religious Studies
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Dr. Jonathan Fingerut, Professor, Biology
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Dr. Janée Burkhalter, Associate Professor, Marketing
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Dr. Janine Firmender, Associate Professor, Undergraduate Teacher Education
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Jill Allen, Visiting Assistant Professor, Art
Additional Resources on Alternatives to Traditional Testing
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Use YouTube, social media, and gamification from We are Teachers.
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Consider open-book, take-home, student portfolios, and using summaries from the University of Minnesota
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Consider a final paper instead of a final, a reflective paper, memorandum or briefing, writing an op-ed, a poster session (can be done virtually) from UC Berkeley.
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Ideas for labs and using discussion forums from Florida State University.
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Matrix on alternatives methods of testing and potential impacts on students from UC Davis.
Create your Canvas Quizzes
Recommendations for setting up questions
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Display questions in a random sequence, except when using a series of individual questions as steps in a more complex scaffolded question.
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Draw questions randomly from a large question pool.
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Randomize the sequence of answers on multiple-choice questions.
Additional recommendations
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Impose a time limit, particularly if the assessment focuses chiefly on information recall.
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Release detailed feedback to students only after (but as soon as possible after, to promote learning) the submission deadline has passed.
Instructions for setting up tests and quizzes and using these features. The TSC team can show you how to implement any of these techniques in the Canvas Quizzes tool.
Addressing Testing Accommodations
Don’t forget to prepare for students who have documented accommodations. You are encouraged to work with students individually to determine the best course of action. If you are using Canvas for testing, you can set up additional time.
Use Zoom to Proctor an Online Test
If you think your students should be visually monitored while taking an online test, schedule the test as a synchronous class activity and host a Zoom session in which you require students to have their cameras on, and monitor the class just as you would in an on-site session. This technique also has the virtue of making you available to the students for questions, as previously discussed.
Prepare Students for Online Testing
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Before the first graded online test, give students a no-stakes practice test so they can become accustomed to the testing platform that includes samples of all the different types of questions (multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, short answer, matrix of choices, etc.) that you think you may wish to use later in the course.
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Review your test using Canvas’s Student View function so that you can see the test as students will see it.
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Request students review the following guidelines to avoid technical issues during an online test.
Checklist for Students
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Use a wired internet connection if possible. If you must use WiFi, use a private (e.g. home) WiFi network.
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In using WiFi, reduce the number of devices accessing the same WiFi network simultaneously. For example, put your phone in airplane mode while taking a test or quiz on your laptop computer.
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Log into Canvas directly using https://sju.instructure.com/ instead of using the Nest. By logging in directly to Canvas, you can avoid the timeout feature in the Nest which may interrupt your test-taking activities.
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Never have the same Canvas course open simultaneously in more than one window or tab in your web browser. Failure to follow this guidance is the most common cause of data loss while taking an online assessment in Canvas.
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Don't use the browser back button. Instead, use the "Next" and "Back" buttons within the assessment interface.
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Wait for each page to load completely. If you begin selecting answers before the page fully loads, you may lose work.
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Write short answer or essay questions in a word processor or text editor, then paste your answer into Canvas. This backup copy of the work will be available if anything goes wrong.
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Save your test answers frequently.
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Don't forget to submit your exam when finished! In Canvas, you must click "Submit” in order to complete the submission process. You haven't turned in your test until you've clicked "Submit " and received a confirmation that you've submitted your assessment.
Additional Tips and Best Practices
Canvas Instructor Guides