Google Forms is a tremendous tool for organizing and automating digital quizzes. Here are five tips for designing cheat-proof Google Forms.

1.  Shuffle Answer Choices to Block Screen Creepers

When asking a multiple choice question, click on the snowman menu to find the “shuffle option order” feature which will randomize the order of the answer choices in your question. Shuffling answer choices will make it more difficult for “screen creepers” to copy answers from a classmate.

2. Use Section Breaks to Block Assessment Preview

Add sections to your quiz to prevent students from previewing a form before class. This is a common problem if you post your quiz through Google Classroom to all of your sections early in the day. You can take this a step further by adding a “password” to your form to prevent students from moving ahead until you are ready.

3. Use Branches to Create Alternative Assessment Paths

Google Forms doesn’t have a question bank feature to create different assessments for each student. However, you can create a similar experience by creating a branched form. First, add an un-graded multiple choice question in your quiz: “pick a number,” “pick a color,” etc.

4. Ask Better Questions

Don’t limit yourself to multiple choice questions. Consider some of these other options: sequence questions, matching questions, reading passage, video question, image question, and free response/short answer.

5. Enable Locked Quiz Mode

Locked quiz mode is one of many tools you have to protect the integrity of your assessments. When used in combination with the tips above, you have done your part to protect the integrity of your classroom quizzes.  Locked mode prevents students from accessing external resources while taking a quiz. Their tabs, extensions, chrome apps, and screenshot functions will be disabled during the duration of the quiz. Note: locked quiz mode is only available for Chromebooks.

Source: 5 Ways to Prevent Cheating on Your Google Form Quiz by John Sowash, published by Tech & Learning

 

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