Page 11 - Pakistan Link - January 29, 2020

OPINION JANUARY 29, 2021 – PAKISTAN LINK – P11

n By Pervez Hoodbhoy Cheating on Online Exams Although such proctoring services prob-
Islamabad ably have some value overseas, their utility in
Pakistan is doubtful and they are not used.
OVID-19 has made in-person exam Apart from the cost, they also assume that a
proctoring impossible and so nor- student has a quiet room, wide-angle webcam,
Cmal safeguards have disappeared. and stable internet connection. This excludes

My inbox is full of anguished emails from rural areas but even in cities the last condition
university students across is not easily fulfilled.

Pakistan bewailing the use of Can any online exam work in these cir-
unfair and unethical means cumstances? The answer is: yes. A one-on-

by their class fellows. Upon one oral exam over Skype or Zoom is the only
combining these complaints totally safe method. But this is tedious for large
with those of my colleagues classes and checks only a small aspect of his
in various universities, and or her learning. To my knowledge, only a few
adding in my own online university teachers use it.
teaching experience, a frighteningly dismal Despite difficulties in evaluating students,

picture emerges. online university education has worked rea-
Almost every university student in this sonably well in some countries. Indeed, there
country cheats. Perhaps the actual figure is are distinct advantages in going digital: an in-

lower (80-90 per cent?) but it’s hard to tell. structor’s recorded lectures can be rewound
Many students say they are reluctant and and reviewed at will for self-paced learning,
would opt for honesty if there was a level students can ask questions online without

playing field. But exercising virtue brings bad feeling intimidated, and learning is available
grades or even failure. Rare is the student with 24 hours a day. Additionally, a wealth of infor-

strong moral conviction — or perhaps lack of question and insert it into the Google search The ones I tried out with physics and mation and knowledge is just a click away and

opportunity — who is not complicit. bar of that laptop or a hidden smartphone. The math problems give instant answers. All you helps a student understand difficult points.

A system full of holes is easy to beat. Not answer pops up even before he/she fully fin- need to do is cut and paste the exam question Why then is online learning failing so

regarded as a significant moral crime, cheat- ishes typing. into the indicated box. These answer services miserably in Pakistan? Why has fancy 21st-

ing was plentiful even in the days of in-person What of a question which Google can- use artificial intelligence and operate without century education gadgetry not excited our

classes. But with online exams, the bottom has not answer? Such slightly clever questions can human intervention. While not cheap, they are students’ imagination? Why don’t our aca-
dropped out. Knowing their paychecks will indeed be devised by a conscientious profes- affordable. According to my informant, stu- demic environments sparkle with energy? Two

be unaffected, many teachers don’t care what sor. One shared with me how that worked out dents pool in to buy a subscription and then obvious reasons stare at us. First, the generally
their students do. If one is somehow caught, with her class of 30. In an exam none of her share answers over WhatsApp. More expen- uninspiring online lectures delivered by teach-

cheating can always be deemed to be that stu- students got any question right. But, upon sive are answer services staffed by human ex- ers. Second, most students and many teachers

dent’s fault. After all, the pathways to cheating inspection, it turned out that every wrong an- pert essay writers. The students need provide have insufficient mastery over English to use-

are so many. swer belonged to one of six near-identical sets. only basic information such as the topic and fully engage with internet learning materials.

The diffi culty of preventing online cheat- Conclusion: the students were either sitting some course materials. But a more serious, much deeper reason
ing and low ethical standards means that these in the same room or had created WhatsApp Special automated proctoring services, underlies this failure. Pakistan’s education
days most students cheat. groups with members messaging each other hired by overseas educational institutions, can system gives importance only to getting high
Consider: while taking an exam the during the exam. catch cheaters who are taking their exam at grades, not to actually learning a subject. Even
home-bound student supposedly sits facing From a frustrated student who emailed home. These services block browsers from ac- a good teacher — and these are few and far

his/her laptop camera without access to books, me from an engineering university in Karachi, cessing forbidden websites, check to see if the between — cannot make a student study, read
notes, or smartphone. Correspondingly, the I learned something brand new after which I student has contacted a friend or answer ser- books, meet schedules, and take responsibility.

teacher is supposed to be eagle-eyed, watch- explored the matter further. Fact: there exists vice, verify identity and geographical location, Real learning is purely voluntary. Largely a re-

ing many students simultaneously on Zoom a plethora of commercial companies that will and see if the student is looking at flash cards sult of childhood training, it cannot be forced

or MsTeams. Neither supposition is true. For get you the required answer for almost every or boards, etc. Some can even detect Bluetooth upon students. There is an age-old adage: edu-

example, moving slightly out of the camera’s exam question. Among them are study aids devices and suspicious movements of the test- cation is all about learning to learn. The

field of view allows the student to copy the Chegg, Quizlet, Course Hero and Brainly. takers’ head, keystrokes, and eyes. CHEATING, P7

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