Evaluate students in a way that makes cheating in exams irrelevant

Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, the concept of education and knowledge delivery has been turned upside down in a very short span of time. As a result, both students and teachers have been strongly impacted.

One aspect of online discussions that is of concern is student evaluation system in general and cheating in particular. Evaluation of students is no doubt a very important part of the education process and is one of the factors that preserves the integrity and reputation of an institution.

The primary purpose of academic institutions is quite naturally knowledge assimilation, dissemination and delivery. However, a look at the Vision, Mission and Values statements of leading B Schools actually point towards the goal of making great leaders. Knowledge seems to be a means to an end rather than the end in itself. The words commonly used in these statements of Vision, Mission and Values include :

Values based education, responsible leaders, culture of trust, respect dignity, integrity, mutual respect and ethical behaviour.

It strikes me that the use of these mind-boggling technologies to prevent cheating imply distrust to begin with. These actions would fly in the face of the statements that populate the preambles of these institutions. This is even more relevant since the students are adults typically between the ages of 22 and 35 years.

Therefore, institutions need robust evaluation methods and cannot afford to have situations where students who beat the system are rewarded. The question is whether we need to look for more enlightened and appropriate solutions to the challenges.

The following questions need to be addressed:

How do we reconcile the conflict between the stated goal of developing future leaders with the desirable traits and the need to implement strong monitoring measures to ensure the robustness and fairness of the evaluation system?

How do we treat the products of these institutions in the manner they should be – as potential leaders in the corporate world, government and society in general?

If the number of students who beat the system irrespective of all the controls are small, is it worth subjecting the largely honest majority to the indignities of close monitoring?

In my understanding, the challenge for the institution is not just about how to prevent cheating but to live up to the stated statements of purpose. We are on the cusp of change and disruption in the education space. Institutions have a tremendous challenge in ensuring equity and fairness in the evaluation process This is an excellent opportunity for B Schools to practice what they preach to live their mission statements and abide by their core values.

Instead of looking at how to monitor and control students to prevent cheating, faculty should be designing evaluation systems to make cheating irrelevant.

This may be easier said than done. But it is very essential.

(The author is adjunct faculty in Marketing at IIM Bangalore and IIM Udaipur)