Strategies for Increasing Security of Online Exams

Below is a list of tools and settings available in Canvas that can help increase the security of your online exams.

Note:
There is no way to absolutely guarantee that students are not going to cheat (online or in class), but there are some things you can to do maximize your online quiz security.

Also keep in mind that alternative assessments to exams and quizzes may be more appropriate in the online setting. Consider exploring other ways for students to demonstrate their knowledge and mastery of a subject such as case studies, online projects, exploratory worksheets, reflective essays, etc.

Classic vs New Quizzes: The recommendations listed below reference options in Canvas' Classic Quizzes. New Quizzes has many of the same options, but the screenshots will look different.

1. Randomize Questions with Question Banks

Use question banks to create pools of questions for your quiz to pull from. Questions will be drawn at random and placed in a randomized order for each student taking the quiz. This way every student is getting a different quiz.

Screenshot of Canvas quiz settings example showing how to click the 3 dots next to +Quiz in order to access Question Banks

Example: An instructor wants to create a 20 question quiz worth 100 points with each student receiving a different set of questions. To do this, she first creates a question bank of 30 questions in her course. She then creates a question group in her quiz that will randomly pull 20 of the 30 questions worth 5 points a piece.

2. Shuffle (Randomize) Answers

Use the "Shuffle Answers" setting in quizzes to randomize the answer choices on a multiple choice exam. By doing this, each student should receive a different answer order for each of their exam questions, making it more difficult to share answers.

KEEP IN MIND: If your quiz has multiple choice answers such as "All of the Above" or "A and C" make sure to reword these so they will work if the answers are in a different order. For instance, "All of the Above" can be changed to "All the answers are correct."

Screenshot of Canvas Quiz Options with box next to Shuffle Answers checked

Example: An instructor wants to make it more difficult for students to share answers in a multiple choice exam. By selecting "Shuffle Answers" in the quiz settings, each student will be given answers in a different order.

For Student-1 the answers to "What sound does a dog make?" will be

A. Bark bark
B. Cluck cluck
C. Hoot hoot

And for Student-2 it will be

A. Cluck cluck
B. Hoot hoot
C. Bark bark

What options can I set in a quiz?

3. Set a Time Limit

Limit the amount of time students have to take a quiz and cut down on the potential time they have to look up answers and share them with others. Based on the time limit set, Canvas will automatically submit a quiz once the student has reached the specified time limit or when the availability window ends, whichever comes first (availability window is addressed in #5 below).

Screenshot of Canvas Quiz Settings. Image of Quiz Options with boxes next to Shuffle Answers and Time limit options checked. There is 20 minutes input for time limit amount.

Example: Students are given a 20 question multiple choice exam. The instructor wants them to have 60 seconds per question. He sets the exam time limit to 20 minutes. Once a student begins their exam they will have only 20 minutes to complete it. No matter where they are at in the exam when the 20 minutes ends Canvas will auto-submit it.

What options can I set in a quiz?

4. Show One Question at a Time

By default, students taking a quiz in Canvas will see their questions as a list that they scroll through and answer. As an alternative, you can select for each question to be shown one at a time. Rather than scrolling, students click a "next" button to advance through each quiz question as it is individually displayed on screen. One of the biggest advantages to students only seeing one question at a time is that it makes it more difficult for them to take screen shots of their quiz to share with others.

Another option, if you select "Show one question at a time," is to lock each question after a student has answered it. This keeps students from being able to go back and change their answers. Please keep in mind that this can also be problematic for students who need to rethink their answers during the quiz.

Note: Showing one question at a time has sometimes been reported to slow down load times of the quiz. Please take this into account as you assign time limits for quizzes.

Screenshot of Canvas Quiz Settings. Option to show one question at a time is selected

Example: An instructor doesn't want students to be able to screen shot all of the questions and answers in their quiz to share with other students. By selecting "Show one question at a time" in the quiz settings she can make it more difficult for students to create copies of the quiz.

How can I create a quiz where students only see one question at a time?

5. Set Quiz Availability

Setting quiz availability dates and times will limit the window in which students have access to the quiz. The more secure option is to shorten the access window, but you must also allow for some flexibility for students with different schedules.

Screenshot of Canvas quiz settings. The Assign box is showing with

[1] Assign to: who is taking the exam (normally this is left as the default which is "Everyone" in the class)
[2] Due Date: the date and time that the Quiz is due (this date doesn't prevent students from taking the quiz, it is only the date it is due)
[3] Available From: the date and time when the Quiz will become available for students to take the quiz
[4] Until: the date and time when students can no longer take the quiz

Example: An instructor would like to limit his class to taking an exam on one day. He sets the the Available From date to: October 21 at 12:01 AM and the Until date to: October 21 at 11:59 PM. He can also set the Due date to match the Until date so students will see the due date on the Calendar and in their To Do list.

What options can I set in a quiz?

6. Don't Allow Students to View Quiz Results

The timing for students to see their quiz results plays a big part in the security of your exam.

!! The default feedback option in Canvas allows students to see which questions they got wrong and to view the correct answers RIGHT AWAY !!

For the most enhanced security, it is best to uncheck the box to "Let Students See Their Quiz Response" at least until the quiz is closed. (If the quiz is auto-graded, as is the case with multiple-choice questions, you will also need to Hide the assignment grade if you want to prevent students from seeing their quiz score. You can then post the grades once everyone has taken the quiz.)

Screenshot of Canvas Quiz settings. Let Students See Their Quiz Responses is checked and an arrow pointing to it saying

Example: An instructor doesn't want students to see which answers they got incorrect or what the correct answers are for an exam until all students have taken it. Before she opens the exam she needs to uncheck "Let Students See Their Quiz Responses" under the quiz settings. Once the exam is complete she can go into quiz settings and recheck the box and select which dates she wants students to see the correct answers.

What options can I set in a quiz?

7. Create an Academic Honesty Statement

As part of your exam, create a no points question where they must type in or agree to an academic honesty statement such as:

“I acknowledge that I am the assigned student taking this exam. I affirm that I will not give or receive any unauthorized help, that I will not use any unpermitted aids or resources, and that all work will be my own.

This includes:

- - No talking, texting, or communicating during the exam
  - No sharing screens
  - No shared resources such as a Google Docs
  - No use of group chats or messaging apps including GroupMe
  - No internet browsers or computer applications open during your exam (except Canvas)"

OPEN BOOK: If students are allowed to use notes or books it could be something like:

"I acknowledge that I am the assigned student taking this exam. I affirm that I can use my books and notes while taking the test, but I will work on my own. I will not share my answers or discuss them with anyone, even after completing the test.

This includes:

- - No talking, texting, or communicating during the exam
  - No sharing screens
  - No shared resources such as a Google Docs
  - No use of group chats or messaging apps including GroupMe
  - No internet browsers or computer applications open during your exam (except Canvas and your own study resources)"

OTHER: Tool to use During the Quiz

Screenshot of Respondus Lockdown Browser Required message in Canvas — Respondus LockDown Browser message in Canvas

RESPONDUS LOCKDOWN BROWSER

OU has made the Respondus LockDown Browser available for use with Canvas. This is a custom browser that locks down the testing environment in Canvas (students are unable to copy, print, access other applications, or visit other websites during an online exam). However, it is most effective in proctored environments, as students can still use other devices (cell phones, tablets, additional computers) when unproctored.

The Office of Academic Integrity

If you have any questions or concerns, or need to report violations to the Office of Academic Integrity Programs contact: integrity@ou.edu.

For additional information and recommendations regarding Canvas settings to increase security visit Quiz Settings to Maximize Security by Kona Jones in the Canvas Community.