Picture this: You've just finished designing what you think is a bulletproof online course, complete with engaging content and thoughtful assessments. But then that nagging voice in the back of your head whispers, "How do I know students aren't just Googling or ChatGPTing their way through my carefully crafted exams?"
If you're an instructional designer who's ever lost sleep over assessment security, you're not alone. A comprehensive study by researchers Nas Ahadiat and Mohamed I. Gomaa surveyed 591 accounting faculty across 921 U.S. universities to understand perceptions of security and integrity in online assessments. While their focus was accounting education, their findings offer a treasure trove of insights for any of us designing secure online assessments.
🔍 The Security Hierarchy: What Faculty Really Think
The research revealed a clear "trust hierarchy" when it comes to assessment security, and the results might surprise you with how stark the differences are.
🥇 Face-to-Face Assessments: The Trusted Champion Traditional classroom assessments remain the undisputed favorite among faculty for security. An impressive 54% of faculty rated face-to-face delivery as "most secured," while only 1% considered it "most unsecured." This overwhelming confidence speaks to the power of physical presence and direct supervision that many of us take for granted when designing in-person experiences.
🥈 Hybrid Courses: The Strategic Middle Ground Here's where things get interesting for us as instructional designers. Hybrid delivery emerged as a compelling compromise, with 35% of faculty rating it as "secured" or "most secured." What makes this approach so appealing is that it offers significantly more security than fully online options while maintaining much of the convenience that makes online education attractive. It's a thoughtful balance that doesn't force educators to choose between accessibility and integrity.
🥉 Synchronous Online: The Power of Presence When faculty had to choose between online delivery methods, synchronous options won decisively. The research showed that real-time, live online assessments were perceived as significantly more secure than their asynchronous counterparts. There's something about the immediacy and live monitoring capability that creates accountability and reassurance for faculty. It captures some of the supervisory benefits of face-to-face delivery, even when mediated through technology.
📱 Asynchronous Online: The Trust Gap Challenge Asynchronous assessments faced the biggest credibility hurdle in the study. Only 12% of faculty rated this delivery mode as "secured" or "most secured," while a concerning 35% considered it "unsecured" or "most unsecured." For those of us designing online learning experiences, this represents our biggest challenge—and our biggest opportunity to innovate around security and integrity measures.
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| Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D. |
🎯 Beyond Accounting: Security Strategies for Every Subject
While this study focused on accounting, the principles apply beautifully across disciplines. Here's how to fortress-fy your assessments:
📊 Data-Heavy Subjects (Statistics, Economics, Analytics)
The Challenge: Easy to find formulas and solutions online
The Solution:
• Use unique, real-world datasets for each assessment
• Require students to show their work process, not just final answers
• Implement timed assessments with randomized question pools
• Consider hybrid proctoring for high-stakes exams
🧬 STEM Fields (Biology, Chemistry, Physics)
The Challenge: Standard problems with readily available solutions
The Solution:
• Create scenario-based problems using current events or local contexts
• Use virtual labs with unique parameters for each student
• Implement peer review components that require original thinking
• Design multi-step problems where each answer builds on the previous
📚 Literature and Writing Courses
The Challenge: AI writing tools and essay mills
The Solution:
• Focus on personal reflection and analysis rather than summary
• Use discussion forums for peer interaction and idea development
• Implement portfolio-based assessment with draft iterations
• Require students to connect readings to personal or local experiences
🏛️ Social Sciences (Psychology, Sociology, Political Science)
The Challenge: Widely available information and opinions online
The Solution:
• Use current events that post-date available study materials
• Require primary source analysis with specific citation requirements
• Implement case study analysis with local or regional focus
• Design collaborative projects that require real-world interaction
🛡️ The Arsenal: Top Security Tools Faculty Recommend
The study revealed faculty preferences for different security strategies:
Live Proctoring: The Heavy Artillery
• 84% rated as "secured" or "most secured"
• Best for high-stakes assessments
• Implementation tip: Reserve for final exams or certification tests to manage costs
Remote Proctoring (ProctorU): The Smart Compromise
• 74% positive rating
• More scalable than live proctoring
• Implementation tip: Provide clear tech requirements and practice sessions
Plagiarism Detection (Turnitin): The Safety Net
• 78% positive rating for written work
• Implementation tip: Use as both detection and deterrent tool
Hybrid Delivery: The Goldilocks Solution
• Best of both worlds approach
• Implementation tip: Conduct major assessments on-campus, everything else online
💡 Smart Implementation Strategies
Start with Risk Assessment
Not every quiz needs Fort Knox-level security. Categorize your assessments:
• Low stakes: Weekly quizzes, participation checks → Minimal security needed
• Medium stakes: Module exams, major assignments → Moderate security measures
• High stakes: Final exams, certification tests → Maximum security protocols
Build Security into Learning Design
Instead of bolting security onto existing assessments, weave it into your instructional design:
• Scaffolded assessments: Build knowledge progressively so cheating becomes harder
• Application-focused questions: Test understanding, not memorization
• Personalized content: Use student location, interests, or program focus in questions
The Transparency Approach
Be upfront about security measures:
• Explain why academic integrity matters in their field
• Share consequences of dishonesty in professional practice
• Make security measures feel supportive rather than punitive
🔮 Looking Forward: Emerging Trends
The research highlighted some fascinating patterns:
• AACSB-accredited programs showed higher confidence in security measures
• Graduate programs were more concerned about asynchronous security than undergraduate programs
• Public institutions favored face-to-face assessments more than private institutions
These patterns suggest that institutional culture and student population significantly impact security needs and perceptions.
🎯 Your Action Plan
Ready to level up your assessment security? Here's your starter toolkit:
This Week:
• Audit your current assessments using the risk categories above
• Identify which delivery mode best fits each assessment type
• Research institutional resources for proctoring and plagiarism detection
This Month:
• Pilot one hybrid assessment approach
• Create a question bank with randomizable elements
• Develop clear academic integrity policies for your courses
This Semester:
• Implement differentiated security based on assessment stakes
• Gather student feedback on security measures
• Analyze any integrity incidents to refine your approach
🐕 The Bottom Line
The research from these 591 accounting faculty confirms what many of us suspected: there's no one-size-fits-all solution to online assessment security. The key is matching your security strategy to your specific context—your subject matter, student population, institutional resources, and assessment stakes.
Remember, the goal isn't to create an adversarial relationship with students, but to design assessments so robust and engaging that cheating becomes both difficult and pointless. When students are genuinely learning and applying knowledge to meaningful problems, academic integrity often takes care of itself.
What security strategies have worked best in your online courses? Have you noticed differences between synchronous and asynchronous assessments? Share your experiences in the comments below!
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About the Research: This post is based on "Online accounting education: How to improve security and integrity of students' performance assessments" by Nas Ahadiat and Mohamed I. Gomaa, published in the Journal of Instructional Pedagogies, Volume 24. The study surveyed 591 accounting faculty across 921 universities in the United States.
Tags: #OnlineAssessment #AcademicIntegrity #InstructionalDesign #ELearning #AssessmentSecurity #OnlineEducation #Proctoring
Posted to E-Learning Corgi by Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D.
