Stop or at least catch Students Cheating on Excel -

[jcmckeon]

Hello All,

I'm an adjunct instructor. My Excel tests and homework are "shared". Usually I can catch them when I review the formulas because I recognize the same formula error or weird spelling.

Is there anyway stop sharing files especially during a test. I just had a case where one student emailed his test to another student during the test. I found them out and...well...things didn't work out so well for them.

What ideas do you have to keep track of whether they email during a test or open the file after it was emailed to them.

I'm open to any and all suggestions to shut this sh*t down.

Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[jcmckeon]

Not really. They are all taking the test at the same time. Last week, 1 student emailed the test to another student during the test. I found the issue when looking at the formulas. Luckly the student who sent his sheet is not very good so I saw the same strange errors in the formulas. When confronted, they confessed.

I thinking - add a name sheet where the student adds their name, then capture this name in a hidden sheet. Then if the student passes the sheet along and the other student deletes and adds their name on the name sheet, this name gets recorded in the hidden sheet underneath the original name. At least I'd have evidence.

Need the VB code to do this. Someone on the other forum gave me some, waiting for a reply to my request for modification.

 

[mole999]

The hidden sheet with tracking IP can work but you also have to then consider cell changes being added, and if the students share the book to check they have made a good answer, you could potentially over accuse

 

[jcmckeon]

Hello, this site was my original posting. In the Excel forum I just posted the URL back to this original posting. I don't need to post the url here from the other site right?

Jill

 

[Fluff]

I don't need to post the url here from the other site right?

On this occasion, no you don't because I've already supplied it in post#2.
However if you cross post in the future, then you will need to supply links to any other sites you have asked the question.

 

[jcmckeon]

Thank you for the help!

 

[Alice Morland]

Jill, let me (us) know what solution you'll apply. I'm now curious about it and the outcome!
Alice

 

[jcmckeon]

Alice, Will do!

 

[MrIfOnly]

As others have noted, you probably will not be able to prevent cheating completely. One thing you can do is give a speech at the beginning of the course:

"You can cheat in this class, and you can probably get away with it. But, if you think about it: you are here paying for knowledge; so, if you cheat, you are only cheating yourself."

Some students will take that to heart, and some will ignore it and cheat. The latter will most likely fail in their chosen career anyway.