Cheating behaviour in online exams: On the role of needs, conceptions and reasons of university students

IF 5.1 2区教育学 Q1 EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

Journal of Computer Assisted Learning Pub Date : 2024-05-12 DOI:10.1111/jcal.12994

Marco Rüth, Maria Jansen, Kai Kaspar

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Online exams have become a more common form of assessment at universities due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, cheating behaviour in online exams is widespread and threatens exam validity as well as student learning and well-being.

Objective

To better understand the role of university students' needs, conceptions and reasons regarding cheating in online exams.

Methods

In Study 1, we used four pairs of contrasting online exam scenarios to explore the impact of addressing students' needs on their cheating intention. In Study 2, we examined how students' conceptions of online exams are related to their cheating behaviour. In Study 3, we asked students to name their most important reasons for and against cheating in past online exams. All studies were conducted online and are based on a convenience sample of 339 students from universities in Germany.

Results and Conclusions

First, students were less likely to cheat when they expected exam content relevant to their future profession, exam tasks relevant to their future professional life and detailed feedback on their performance. Second, most students' conceptions of online exams were related to their cheating intention and behaviour, whereas the conceptions that online exams support teaching, promote collaboration and impair learning were of relatively high importance. Third, most important reasons for cheating included the relevance of grades and the unfairness of exams, and most important reasons against cheating included moral standards and values as well as the fear of consequences.

Implications

Addressing students' needs and considering their conceptions and reasons could be a learner-centred approach to decrease cheating behaviour.

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在线考试中的作弊行为：大学生需求、观念和原因的作用

背景由于 "Covid-19 "的流行，在线考试已成为大学中一种更为普遍的评估形式。目的更好地了解大学生的需求、观念和原因对在线考试作弊的影响。方法在研究 1 中，我们使用了四对对比鲜明的在线考试场景，以探讨满足学生需求对其作弊意向的影响。在研究 2 中，我们探讨了学生对在线考试的认识与作弊行为之间的关系。在研究 3 中，我们让学生说出他们在过去的在线考试中作弊和不作弊的最重要原因。所有研究都是在网上进行的，并以德国各大学 339 名学生为方便抽样为基础。结果与结论首先，当学生预期考试内容与他们未来的职业相关、考试任务与他们未来的职业生活相关以及对他们的表现有详细反馈时，他们作弊的可能性较低。其次，大多数学生对在线考试的看法与作弊意向和行为有关，而对在线考试支持教学、促进合作和损害学习的看法则相对重要。第三，作弊的最重要原因包括成绩的相关性和考试的不公平，而反对作弊的最重要原因包括道德标准和价值观以及对后果的恐惧。意义解决学生的需求并考虑他们的观念和原因可能是减少作弊行为的一种以学习者为中心的方法。

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来源期刊

Journal of Computer Assisted Learning EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH-

CiteScore

9.70

自引率

6.00%

发文量

116

期刊介绍： The Journal of Computer Assisted Learning is an international peer-reviewed journal which covers the whole range of uses of information and communication technology to support learning and knowledge exchange. It aims to provide a medium for communication among researchers as well as a channel linking researchers, practitioners, and policy makers. JCAL is also a rich source of material for master and PhD students in areas such as educational psychology, the learning sciences, instructional technology, instructional design, collaborative learning, intelligent learning systems, learning analytics, open, distance and networked learning, and educational evaluation and assessment. This is the case for formal (e.g., schools), non-formal (e.g., workplace learning) and informal learning (e.g., museums and libraries) situations and environments. Volumes often include one Special Issue which these provides readers with a broad and in-depth perspective on a specific topic. First published in 1985, JCAL continues to have the aim of making the outcomes of contemporary research and experience accessible. During this period there have been major technological advances offering new opportunities and approaches in the use of a wide range of technologies to support learning and knowledge transfer more generally. There is currently much emphasis on the use of network functionality and the challenges its appropriate uses pose to teachers/tutors working with students locally and at a distance. JCAL welcomes: -Empirical reports, single studies or programmatic series of studies on the use of computers and information technologies in learning and assessment -Critical and original meta-reviews of literature on the use of computers for learning -Empirical studies on the design and development of innovative technology-based systems for learning -Conceptual articles on issues relating to the Aims and Scope