Teaching chemistry using BBoard

[tsmith2]

As many of us embark on converting our traditional lecture style teaching to include more online content, I have started down the path of going paperless. It's true--and I'm not ashamed to admit the compelling proof that going paperless can save a lot of time and money. In just 7 weeks this semester, going paperless has saved our department roughly $640 in paper costs by avoiding mass print jobs for my larger than average class sizes (89 students in my intro to chem class). Still I'm continually plagued with the same question that I am not sure how to answer: if I administer my exams/quizzes online, the students invariably use their notes, textbooks, Google (the bane to my existence), etc... to work through the assignments. In my opinion this is cheating, but I can't stop them from using these materials if they are taking exams online. I'm curious to know what others think about using such resources as BBoard to administer assessment tools.

[vsarria]

To avoid that students continued to use their notes, textbooks, Google.

You can use the :

LookDown Browser, how and where you can find that? I'm not, in my institution, there is a computer assitant department that take this in charge.

LockDown Browser is the solution.

[JimTheChemist]

Question for you Mr. Smith:

Is it possible to set up the exam so that if the student navigates away from the exam[adds a tab; stops making the exam the main window, etc.], you can get an alert? This might help you stop them from cheating. Just a thought.

[Morannon27]

Thoughts from a current undergraduate:

I know BlackBoard is on my school's internal network. Some computers on our campus have access to this internal nework (school website, Blackboard, school e-mail) but not to the outside internet. It is possible to set up an entire computer lab to function in this way, if you could get permission to do so. You could then tell students they had to take the exam sometime on exam day between 8am and 5pm, in the designated computer lab. You'd have to make sure the exam is only available during that time period, and is only accessed by that group of computers. There may be another way to work this out, but I really do think this 'internal network' phenomenon is your best shot. Your school's techonology center may be able to help with specifics.

Another potential alternative is to have students bring their personal computers to lecture and complete the exam online. You could sit in the back and make sure no one deviates into the dreaded google waters :-P. This does have obvious problems, such as some students may lack a laptop they could easily bring to class.

Some ideas. Good luck!