Article

London
School of
Business and
Research,
UK
Online Learning and the
Authenticity of Student
Assessment
LSBR Blog

Online Learning and the

Authenticity of Student
Assessment

One prevalent challenge online learning institutes have been faced with is the question of “How
to stop students from cheating in an online exams” and with the current demand for online
education, they are right to be concerned.

Online Learning and the Authenticity of Student Assessment

For over a month now following the coronavirus outbreak case, higher education, as well as a
large section of the US workforce, have been forced to work remotely. And as this spill over to
May, it is expected that the focus of many colleges and universities classrooms will be geared
towards sourcing for effective and authentic means to assess students learning online as
opposed to merely conducting a virtual class.

Over the past few weeks, Abhishek Chaudhary, Dean, London School of Business and
Research, UK, has conducted dozens of webinars and consultations with education industry
colleagues most of whom were seeking counsel, support, and resources. The most recurring
question from these consultations was related to assessment security and specifically “How best
to prevent cheating by students who are taking online exams”.

This persisting concern hints that online education doesn’t have the depth and incorruptibility of
typical person-to-person instruction – in essence, it is very easy to cheat. However, this
assumption is contrary to research and far from the truth, it also runs the risk of damning all
students as cheats. Even more so, it shifts the learning institutes’ focus from learning and
development teaching to an obsession with punishments and looses the opportunity for a more
thoughtful methodology to online assignment and assignment design.

While there are several great practices and techniques for administering assessment securely
online, no assessment is uncheatable. And looking past the obvious strategy, the most effective
educational response to the question of academic integrity and security of online assessments is
hinged on some elementary principles and concepts.

Primarily, online education is a unique learning system purposefully designed for remote
learning, teaching, and assessment with the aid of technological tools decisively employed for
engagement and outcomes. And what’s more, online education is complemented by various
services that offer assistance to students all through their learning cycle. In light of these, not all
remote learning is online education but all online education is a form of virtual learning.

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Besides, expecting a wholesome and seamless transition from a person-to-person class to a fully
optimised remote learning environment in just a few weeks is not realistic. It is also erroneous
and inequitable to allude the glitchy process (that is an improvisation undergoing improvements)
as a testament to the inferiority of online education, as a few cynics are likely to do.

The main aim of online education is to keep students purposefully engaged with their peers and
faculty members in the transition to remote teaching.

You may be wondering how these affect the security and authenticity of online assessment, it all
has to do with pressure and stress – the precursors to cheating. Presently, students are
experiencing so much pressure and stress and are more likely to cheat unlike when they feel
supported, connected and encouraged.

Similarly, students are less likely to cheat when allowed to demonstrate and express learning in
ways that come naturally to them. This is proven and in the words of Grant Wiggins, authentic
assessment can be defined as “engaging and worthy problems or questions of importance, in
which students must use knowledge to fashion performances effectively and creatively. The tasks
are either replica of or analogous to the kind of problems faced by adult citizens and consumers
or professionals in the field”. In essence, irrespective of the mode of teaching for scenario-based
projects, case studies, and word problems, authentic assessment is indicative of a first-rate
approach to measuring students’ learning by creatively engaging and enabling them to express
knowledge and not an approach to demand they verify their usefulness through stiff exams.

For instance, a faculty member preparing to examine students on nutrition, digestion, and
metabolism could introduce a more creative and participatory authentic assessment in place of
the typical multiple-choice exam. This teacher could allow students to track their dietary intake,
metabolic indicators, and then assess this result or examine food service menus to create a
unifying map showing the relationship of the outcomes on health and diet.

There are always ways to enrich authenticity even with traditional exams that represents the
most preferred tool of assessment. The common six multiple-choice or true and false exam
questions could be replaced with two short-answer items. Alternatively, students could be asked
to record a concise explanation of their answer to exam questions and the recording is turned in
after the exam.

The facts remain that, at this present time, there will be a reasonable limit on the extent to which
the transition to online education can birth a more veritable assessment. This isn’t unexpected.
And irrespective of the pedagogy approach we adopt for teaching and assessment, what is being
taught and learned under this current circumstance, may be a testament of our versatility and
flexibility that has been garnered over a lifelong process of commitment to learning.

This article on “How women can find mentors in the workplace” has been compiled by Ansh
Kumar, London School of Business and Research, UK

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Become a Global
Leader

London School of Business and Research, UK is a truly global business school with
international footprints in countries such as United Kingdom (London), India (New Delhi) and
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What makes us different
We start with an essential fact. There are neither enough formulas nor business cases to span
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Our lecturers, students and management share a common value system that underlines our
teaching, learning, professional development and research. We are committed to fully support
for you during your education and as a lifelong member of our LSBR community.

Vision
Mission Value
The Vision of London School Our Mission is to provide our To aim for Academic
of Business and Research, students with the Excellence

UK is to be pre-eminent knowledge, skills, attributes To foster Creativity

business school, nurturing and networks - the global To create Value

talent and advancing business capabilities - Learning is a lifelong

knowledge in a multi-
national and multi-cultural
environment
required for leadership and journey - so learn and give
success in demanding back to local, regional and
careers in the global global community

economy and to foster
rigorous, relevant and
innovative research on the
dynamics of global business
for students, business
leaders and policy makers
throughout the world.

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Why choose LSBR

Our 8 Differentiators
This section highlights the 8 differentiators that would help you make an informed decision as to
why you should choose London School of Business and Research (LSBR), Online Business
School to complete your much needed education qualification.

Career Development without change in No exams – Assignment based

your lifestyle assessments

LSBR offers you the opportunity to enhance
your career and growth in your life. You do
not have to leave your current job or bring
changes in your lifestyle to gain a
qualification you have been waiting for. Our
online programmes are simple, flexible and
can be taken at any stage of your career
once they are ready.
We have taken sting out of education. You
are assessed through submission of
assignments rather than traditional pen and
paper exams. This means that you can
prepare assignments anytime, sitting in
home, office or cafe and submit the same

Flexible, Study from anywhere, Study Quality

anytime
Using our online model you have the
advantage of learning without leaving your
country and still attain world class
qualification from the comforts of your home
You can be very confident about the calibre
of the qualification you will receive, as all
LSBR qualifications are fully recognised and
accredited by respective bodies ensuring that
the qualification attained are well accepted.

or office. Our programmes are very flexible

and the optional units enable you to Easy payment plans
specialise in the areas that particularly
interests you. You also have the option of We give you the widest payment options
studying units in any order you may like.
ranging from monthly, quarterly, half yearly to

yearly payment options. You choose the best
Accredited and Affordable method of payments as per your flexibility.

Our qualifications are fully accredited and Support

accepted world wide. We endeavours to
ensure that cost of our programmes are As a student you have access to a
always as affordable as possible without comprehensive support in form of online
compromising the standards of our study materials with option of downloading
education.
the same, live 24/7 chat support and
lightning fast email support. We know you are
Self paced learning schedule, therefore we ensure that you get
the answers to your queries as quickly as
The programmes offered are self paced. possible.

Faster you submit the assignments faster you
graduate and get the certification. You can
stretch the programme duration to suit you.

Think Smart

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* taken from industry inputs