The problem is the University not the students.

If you put M&Ms next to me and tell me not to eat it, I won’t. Well I could hold out for a few days, two weeks even, but eventually for whatever reason, I will eat the darn things. (Which describes my current situation.)

The same goes for cheating. Its so easy to cheat. Even if you hold out for a while eventually you will not. Even though it is bad and terrible, etc. Don’t believe me? Take your most favorite treat in the world, for example your great grandma’s blackberry pie which somehow remained perfect 30 years after she has passed and let it sit on your desk. Honestly how long will it last? This is why researchers often spend so much time to correct for human bias. It’s just what humans do. It is also why good people go to work in Washington and came back terrible people. Its hard not to cheat when the cheatin’ is good.

I know its wrong, but driving 20 miles an hour over the speed limit, almost running over a pedestrian and then giving them the finger, and as Long Islanders we have all done that.

Rather than to obnoxiously (for both you and your students) looking for ways to catch them, isn’t it better to redesign tests so you don’t have to? I have been learning this from some badass Canadian physicists I have been chatting with the over the last year or so. And as my Adelphi friend said, you don’t have to look all the way to Canada, there are people doing neato things at Adelphi. I have learned a lot watching my colleagues in the physics department. Oral exams is a good way to go!

In fact I am 20% through administering an oral final exam right now. It is so awesome! You really get to “teach” physics in real time. You see their mistakes and can ask those meaningful questions. And it also allows us to extend knowledge for the elite students (we just did some Lagrangian mechanics on one final exam – for physics 1 – BADASS! – It was a special case)

Students don’t want to take oral exams. The stress is high so you have to destress with the students. You have to build trust, use patience and let them speak. Let them know it is expected that they would get the wrong answer. It’s a conversation and not an interrogation. I am keeping the grading simple.

If you follow this blog you know I also like group exams, which is my usual poison.