Since there have been exams and tests, there have also been methods of cheating. Unfortunately, it’s a fact of life that at least one person will try to cheat when it comes to an assessment, test, or exam.
However, with modern technology, many traditional forms of cheating have been made all but impossible – but is this the case with Google Forms quizzes? Can Google Forms detect cheating?
Sadly no. There’s no technology or program that Google Forms uses to detect cheating, so you’ll need to employ your own methods if you suspect cheating might have occurred.
This guide will explain everything you need to know about Google Forms and cheating, including the ways you can prevent it. So, if you’re ready to learn a lot more – then read on and discover the answers!
Google Classroom
Before we move on to Google Form, it’s important that we look at what Google Classroom is and why it’s important.
Google Classroom is a way to produce blended learning for your students. It is a set of tools online that allows teachers to set assignments, grade them and return them.
Google Classroom uses Google Forms for online quizzes, alternative assessment paths, and other assignments. It’s a very useful program to use for teachers and students, but of course – it’s not without its flaws.
One such flaw is the fact that Google Forms cannot detect cheating. Indeed, as Google Classroom is designed to be used outside of the classroom setting, it’s entirely possible for students to cheat on their assessments.
Let’s examine a little more about this and see what you can do about it.
Cheating Using Google Forms
Unfortunately, cheating in Google will occur. We’d love it if every student simply followed the rules and received their grade fairly, but as we mentioned before – cheating has always existed when it comes to exams, etc. and it’s not likely to disappear anytime soon.
How Students Could Cheat
Let’s take a look at some of the ways students could cheat before we look at how you might be able to discourage it. The main ways include:
- Googling for the answers
- Asking other students to share answers, parents or others for the answers
- Forcing somebody else to complete the assessment on their behalf
- Copy and paste essays from online sources
How You Can Prevent/Detect Cheating
Now, let’s take a look at some of the best ways you could prevent and detect your students from cheating.
Third-Party Apps
Unfortunately, Google Forms cannot automatically detect cheating – but this doesn’t mean it’s impossible to know if your students have cheated!
There are third-party apps out there that you can connect to Google Classroom which can detect cheating.
Most of these apps are free, but some may require a small fee of subscription. It’s best to look around to get a clearer picture.
Plagiarism Checker
Google Classroom does have a plagiarism-checking facility, but it won’t do it automatically.
You will need to run the assessment through it (you see this a lot with EMS services like Blackboard which uses TurnItIn).
It’s important at this point that we mention that the type of assessment that you assign will play a large role in how you can detect cheating.
Classroom Quizzes, essays etc. will all have different cheating methods, and therefore you will need a different way to check for cheating.
Check Previous Submissions
If you have a student that writes in a certain way or has consistently been receiving similar grades, but then suddenly receives an incredible grade – then you should check their previous submissions.
You may be able to tell that their current submission is clearly not their own work. If so, it’s wise to speak with the student for more information.
Enable Locked Quiz Mode
On Google Forms, you can restrict your students from accessing external resources by using the locked mode to find answers. In other words, during a quiz, students will be unable to access things like apps, email, new tabs, extensions, and screenshots.
You can set this function before assigning the students their quizzes, which is a great way that you can help to prevent cheating.
Granted though, this will not stop them from cheating using a secondary device or asking someone else for the answers.
Use Shuffle
Once you go to Google Classroom, you will be able to see the quizzes option on your screen. If you access this, you can set all of your parameters for the quizzes like rules and deadlines.
Once you have devised your quiz though, there’s a function at the bottom that says “shuffle option order”. This should help to prevent students from telling one another the answer “code”.
It also stops other students from quickly glancing at someone else’s screen for an easy answer (if they are in the same room of course).
Adjust The Structure
It’s always a good idea to keep things fresh in the classroom, but this is very important when it comes to assessments.
Over time, some students can recognize patterns with quizzes, or can even work out a way to cheat that you cannot counteract.
Adjusting the structure of your assessments such as adding video questions, sequencing questions, multiple choice questions, and image questions should help you to make cheating incredibly difficult for your students!
What If I Suspect Cheating?
If you suspect a student has cheated, then there are a few things you could do. They include:
Communication
Before you do anything else, you should always open a dialogue with the student. Cheating may not have occurred, so you need to ensure that you have got all the facts right first.
The student may admit they have cheated for some reason, and may even be able to help you prevent it in the future.
Repeat The Assessment Under Supervision
If you suspect cheating has happened and the student denies this categorically, a good way to check for this is to repeat the assessment but under strict supervision.
It’s important not to single out a student though, so if an assessment must be repeated – you should select a number of students to repeat the assessment under your supervision. You need to ensure the number is manageable though so you can keep a close eye on them.
Create Google Forms New Assessment With A New Format
Finally, you may decide to create a brand new assessment with a new format – but ask the same questions and look for the same things as the previous assessment.
Remember, plagiarism for example can occur by accident – so creating a new assessment format (such as an oral exam) can test to see if the student actually has the knowledge they have alluded to, or whether they have actually just copied online sources!
The Bottom Line
In Conclusion, Google Forms cannot specifically detect and track cheating, there are various ways you can check for cheating with Google Forms involved.
It’s important that you get some advice from others if you suspect cheating may be prominent though.
We hope you have enjoyed our guide and understand the best ways you can look for, and prevent cheating using Google Forms and beyond. Happy quizzing!
