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Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Academic Integrity is a common concern for online and hybrid courses. In addition to using plagiarism checking software and proctored Exams/Tests, instructors can also consider alternative strategies to effectively assess student learning while reducing the tendency/possibility of academic integrity violations. See below some strategies and tools to design effective assessments.

Assessment (Re)Design with Integrity in Mind

Instructors sometimes combine two or more strategies to redesign their assessment activities to make the assessments relevant and manageable for students.

  • Project-based learning and problem-based learning

Alternative assessments such as project-based learning and problem-based learning require students to demonstrate their achievement of learning outcomes by applying the new knowledge and skills and solving complicated problems. Such projects usually last several weeks. Therefore, it is recommended that faculty provide scaffolded assignments and quality feedback to support student learning. Read more on alternatives to the traditional exam as measures of student learning outcomes.

  • Individualized assignments

When students are required to apply the course content to their real lives, it is almost impossible to cheat. In addition, students are more motivated and engaged in the learning process when they can 1) draw on their personal experience and 2) see the connection between the course and the real world problems or needs. Some examples include case studies, research projects, student-proposed projects, and service-learning projects.

  • Require presentations or reflection videos

Instructors can require students to present their final project by presenting to the class or just the instructor. The presentation can be synchronous via a web conference tool (e.g., WebEx) or asynchronous (e.g., Kaltura video). It is recommended that instructors use specific guiding questions or structures and grading rubric to communicate their expectations. The presentation or individual reflection videos also provide valuable opportunities for students to organize their ideas and elaborate on what they have learned.

  • Scaffolded Assignments

Many alternative assessment methods last from several weeks to a whole semester. To make sure students are on track, instructors often use scaffolded assignments. Scaffolded assignments can break down the large assignments into smaller and more manageable steps that build on each other. Instructors can also provide high quality feedback at the early stage and provide opportunities for students to make improvements. This strategy allows the instructor to:

  1. identify struggling students to provide the necessary support,
  2. identify the most challenging knowledge and skills, and
  3. focus on the learning process, instead of the final product.
  • State how much collaboration is permissible

For each assignment or exam, stating clearly how much collaboration is permissible will help students understand the instructor’s expectations. Some departments or course instructors also arrange online help sessions or group study sessions to help students better prepare for assignments and exams. This is especially important for group projects. Instructors need to clearly communicate which part can be group work and which parts need to be individual work.

Testing Options

References and Additional Resources

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