I had some Honor Council cases last semester. A few students logged onto the course web site during the final exam and accessed the slides from lectures and the solutions to problem sets and old exams. (Some questions are similar enough, and the solutions are detailed enough, that they can benefit.) Amazingly enough, the students did not realize that they could be tracked. The question going forward is a simple one: Should I make the site inaccessible during the final exam?
If I make it inaccessible, I save myself the hassle of Honor Council cases, but that is a small benefit. I also protect the student who succumbs to temptation while doing his business. The sneaky students already put course material on their phones, so they won’t be affected.
I could require that all students surrender their phones before the exam (or at least surrender them when they go to the restroom), but some will claim not to have brought a phone, while others may bring a tablet or a second phone.
For what it is worth, I do not consider leaving the web site accessible to be entrapment, but I am still conflicted. Of course, if I knew that I was catching serial cheaters, I would have no qualms whatsoever.
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