Since learning at Penn Foster is online, people may wonder how Penn Foster track cheating. It may be easy for students to cheat when they are online exam or their work may be done by others. So, knowing how Penn Foster track cheating is important to know.
Penn Foster Tracking Cheating
On Penn Foster blog, there is a post by Dara Warn about the integrity of Online Proctoring. According to that post, beginning in 2014, Penn Foster started to introduce online proctoring as an additional option to a face to face proctor. Since then, there have been thousands of remote proctored exams which have been taken on the systems of Penn Foster. From these remote proctored exams, there is less than 1% of proctored events flagged for infractions. It indicates that in this exam environment, students are impossible to cheat.
The student is given strict guidelines about what they are able to do and they are not able to do to simulate a traditional test-making environment. The students are also given rules about what they are permitted to bring into the room and when they are permitted to leave. Through webcam, the student is recorded while the testing system controls what the student sees on their screen. Students also will be required to show their license or ID to the webcam as additional identity verification. The recordings will be audited by the remote proctoring platform after the fact, and it will contact Penn Foster with any reports of infractions.
How about students who cannot take remote proctoring? They will have to use paper proctored exams. The student will have to find someone who meet the requirements to proctor the exam and then Penn Foster will verify the person. Through an ongoing programmatic roll-out, Penn Foster goes on working to change all exams to the remote proctor option.
How to Ensure The Awareness of Students About Integrity of Online Proctoring
The tipping point for integrating online proctoring across its suite of programs is past well. Students are very aware and informed of the option by promoting the online proctoring option via lifecycle communications, webinars and automated messages.
An honor code and culture of integrity is established across Penn Foster’s program offerings by directing students to the Student Handbook. There, students are informed about a section on academic integrity, plagiarism and remote proctor FAQ’s. Students are informed about the rules and policies of Penn Foster, expectations and the full set of instructions for remote proctoring so that students are aware about these.
With paper proctor exams, students need to wait until the end of the semester to take all of their exams. With online proctoring, students are permitted to take exams anytime so that it provides them additional flexibility which can make students to continue progress at their own pace without waiting until the end of the semester to take their course exams.
As we know that the validity of online education often under fire. So, online schools need to show that they are dedicated to student outcomes by setting them up for success. Online proctoring is one of measurements to make sure that students are learning the materials and gives a higher degree of integrity and credibility to the school.
Academic Dishonesty or Cheating in Penn Foster
As written in Penn Foster’s Student Handbook, specifically in the Academic Dishonesty section, the definition of cheating is any effort at inappropriate collaborative activity where the work submitted to the school does not represent the work of the enrolled student. Plagiarism is one of the cheating types or academic dishonesty. What is plagiarism? It is the adoption or reproduction of words or ideas or statements of another person without acknowledgement.
What are the examples of cheating or academic dishonest? There are a number of types of academic dishonesty. Some of them are clear, but some others are less clear. In the list below, you are able to see the types of cheating or academic dishonesty.
- Bribery
- Cheating
- Conspiracy
- Misrepresentation
- Collusion
- Fabrication
- Academic Misconduct
- Duplicate Submission
Is an academic dishonesty a serious problem? If students are caught for cheating, unauthorized collaboration, plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty, it can be serious. They can get suspension or expulsion from the institute.
So, you have to make sure that you do your works honestly and well. Now, what will happen if students fail an exam at Penn Foster? As a new student of Penn Foster or a candidate of Penn Foster student, you may wonder about it. As we know that sometimes, the things happen unexpectedly. Well, since Penn Foster offers you the flexibility of a self-paced, online program, so you are able to take the time you need to study and understand the material the first try. But, when you have tried your best but you fail in the exams, here are the things to do.
- Multiple Choice Exams at High School, Career School, and College
If the lesson a multiple choice exam and you failed in it, you can retake the test. You can do it if you get less than a perfect score. So, you can go back to your notes and study guides and then try again. However, it is important for you to know that this retake option has an expiration date. You have to retake that exam in 30 days of the first time you took it. Also, note that you are only able to do one retake for each exam. Penn Foster will consider the higher grade to be the official grade on your transcript.
- Written Assignments & Projects at High School, Career School and College
You will have writing assignments or projects on some courses and those must be submitted through your Student Portal. If your submission did not follow the guidelines, these assignments will be returned without grading and with instructor feedback. So, make sure you understand and obey the guidelines.
- College Proctored Exams
Proctored exams are final students. These exams are held at the end of particular courses or at the end of the semester in a college degree program. If you fail in this exam, the rules to retake are different. First, you have to make sure to check whether you fail or not to your instructor by contacting the Help Center on your Student Portal.
