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Are online colleges programmed to actually make you learn rather than the traditional pass or fail formula (which is what's driving students to cheat because they want to pass!). I wonder how online classes are set up? I know it's easy to find the answers online (aka "cheat") when one goes to school online, in their own homes so I doubt the online colleges are set up this way but more like they're actually trying to make one learn and get one ready for the degree one is majoring in.
Whether a course is on line or in the classroom there are always students who will find ways to cheat. For those more interested in getting a credential than actually learning, they will find a way to game the system
Some schools still have quizzes and tests that are unproctored, but more and more are using online proctoring services. As far as papers and projects, it's just as easy for on-campus students to cheat.
With my classes at least, there were cheat-deterrents in place with quizzes and tests. Browser lock-down, for example, so you can't open a new window and google answers. Sure, you could look them up on your phone, but the tests are also timed; if you're wasting time looking up answers, there is no way you'd finish the test in time. But quizzes and tests were also only a minor percentage of our grades; the bulk of the grading relied on written assignments and discussion board participation, which is a lot more difficult to fake your way through.
Really, it probably takes just as much mental bandwidth to devise cheating schemes as it does to just do the damn class fair and square.
Last edited by Ginge McFantaPants; 08-09-2017 at 07:58 PM..
I found that I learned less with online classes that in person classes. It was easier to cheat on tests online, but as the above poster stated most online tests were timed and there wasn't enough time to look the answers up.
Are online colleges programmed to actually make you learn rather than the traditional pass or fail formula (which is what's driving students to cheat because they want to pass!). I wonder how online classes are set up? I know it's easy to find the answers online (aka "cheat") when one goes to school online, in their own homes so I doubt the online colleges are set up this way but more like they're actually trying to make one learn and get one ready for the degree one is majoring in.
Cheating is a function of built-in "laziness" of the curriculum assessments, the ethics of the professor, the school and department culture and their degree of enforcement, and the risk-preference of the student. One can easily design out cheating. Few professors do as it takes an investment of time and energy unrelated to promotion.
I spoke with a school's program director and have told me upfront that schools want student's money (free or not). I was also informed just because one has a training or degree in something it doesn't mean they'll do well at it in the work force and some don't even practice what they went to school for. In other words, some people are just happy with a "title" of Doctor. My point in asking this thread question is to find out how online schooling works. I actually want to learn and do well in the work force so I was curious how online learning works and if one can actually learn (if I can learn on my own, then the online thing actually might suit me). It's far beyond from apprenticeship for sure where you get taught by someone one-on-one. I think online schooling is more like being self taught (at one's pace) like what most people do these days, is they research things online now, when back in the day you had to go to school for it.
Regarding "cheating", one thing is to slack on learning vs. one actually wants to learn but also WANT to pass and have higher grades.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Becki in Tx.
I found that I learned less with online classes that in person classes. It was easier to cheat on tests online, but as the above poster stated most online tests were timed and there wasn't enough time to look the answers up.
Let's separate quality online courses from legit institutions as opposed to various "on line" colleges that only want your money.
Background: I have a MS and have been in the workforce for over 30 years, so I'm coming from having some years of experience.
I've taking on line classes from legit schools. I found the material to be of the same difficulty as if I were in class. The harder part was there was no direct interaction with the professor. If I had a question, it was either email or wait until the next Skype session to ask it. So there was a big loss of real time interaction and feedback. Likewise there was little interaction among students. As someone with the background I had, it made things more challenging but not overly so. However, I would not consider it a good method for someone who didn't already have a strong academic background to build from. The pace was fast and if someone got stuck down a rabbit trail because they couldn't get a real time discussion, they would get left behind pretty quickly.
I have only taken 2 online classes, both in my MA program. I found them to be far more work, which I guess accounts for the time I would have been in class.
For example, I knew that in the in-person class, reading the book in great detail wasn't necessary, the professor would lecture the notes and give students the main ideas and then there would be a great deal of discussion.
However, in the on-line version, we were required to read the ENTIRE textbook, outline each chapter on our own, write a 3 paragraph summary of what we learned in each chapter, AND participate in an online discussion about the chapter, posting a min. of 3 times in each discussion topic.
The final was still a paper for both methods of the class, 8 pages on one specific topic within the text.
Not sure how one could cheat UNLESS you just had someone else take the entire class online.
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