The role of prior warnings when cheating is easy and punishment is credible

IF 4.5 3区经济学 Q1 ECONOMICS

Information Economics and Policy Pub Date : 2022-03-01 DOI:10.1016/j.infoecopol.2021.100959

Marc Humbert , Xavier Lambin , Eric Villard

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引用次数: 1

Abstract

During the COVID-19 sanitary crisis, many exams were hastily moved to online mode. This revived a much needed debate over the privacy issues associated with online proctoring of exams, while the validity and fairness of unproctored exams were increasingly questioned. With a randomized control trial, we estimate the effectiveness of prior warnings as a means of discouraging academic dishonesty in exams. We use original, non-intrusive technologies to surreptitiously identify cheating in a series of unproctored assignments and send a targeted warning to half of the students who were identified as cheaters. We then compare their cheating behavior on the final exam with the behavior of the group of unwarned cheaters. The warning proves effective but does not completely eliminate cheating, as some students’ cheating strategies become more sophisticated following issuance of the warnings. We conclude that switching traditional exams to online mode should be accompanied by proctoring. When proctoring is not possible, credible and effective anti-cheating technologies should be deployed together with adequate warnings.

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事先警告的作用，当作弊很容易，惩罚是可信的

在COVID-19卫生危机期间，许多考试被匆忙转移到在线模式。这再次引发了一场关于在线监考的隐私问题的争论，而无人监考的有效性和公平性也越来越受到质疑。通过一项随机对照试验，我们估计了事先警告作为一种阻止考试中学术不诚实行为的手段的有效性。我们使用原始的、非侵入式的技术来秘密地识别一系列未监考作业中的作弊行为，并向被认定为作弊的一半学生发送有针对性的警告。然后，我们将他们在期末考试中的作弊行为与未受到警告的作弊者的行为进行比较。这一警告被证明是有效的，但并不能完全消除作弊行为，因为一些学生的作弊策略在警告发布后变得更加复杂。我们的结论是，将传统考试转变为在线模式应该伴随着监考。当监考不可能时，应该部署可信和有效的反作弊技术，并提供足够的警告。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Information Economics and Policy ECONOMICS-

CiteScore

5.00

自引率

10.70%

发文量

期刊介绍： IEP is an international journal that aims to publish peer-reviewed policy-oriented research about the production, distribution and use of information, including these subjects: the economics of the telecommunications, mass media, and other information industries, the economics of innovation and intellectual property, the role of information in economic development, and the role of information and information technology in the functioning of markets. The purpose of the journal is to provide an interdisciplinary and international forum for theoretical and empirical research that addresses the needs of other researchers, government, and professionals who are involved in the policy-making process. IEP publishes research papers, short contributions, and surveys.