By Rajvee Patel
MHS teachers are implementing a variety of techniques to test their students during distance learning, Principal Francis Rojas said in a Zoom interview on Nov. 3. Various departments have discussed approaches to taking assessments and each one has different needs, Rojas added.
Math teacher Annie Nguyen has tried various testing methods in her class to keep cheating at a minimum, Nguyen said in a Zoom interview. The best method is where she requires students to show her a 360 degree view of their study space, including the room’s walls, before taking a test, Nguyen added. Students’ phones also have to be visible, and during the test, the camera on the device they use has to be at a 90-degree angle so she can see their hands to make sure they are not typing anything on the keyboard, Nguyen continued.
“The issue is that some kids can’t see [the screen] very well, so they want a second device. One device will have the Zoom shared screen, which, of course, there will be no cheating on that one, but the problem is the second device. They could have notes on it, and I wouldn’t know,” Nguyen said.
Teachers typically reach out to department leads and the administrators when they think the school should invest in a certain platform that can help with testing, Rojas said. The school has tried to observe what platforms teachers are using and has invested in some of them, he added.
“For those of our teachers who have started using this district-wide platform called Otus, that is a way for us to administer assessments,” Rojas said. “I know for science, we have invested in a program called Labster, and that allows our science teachers to implement online lab simulations. We’ve also purchased Nearpod for the entire school since we’re having more teachers using it.”
English teacher Heidi Shannahan typically uses Google Forms when it comes to testing her students, Shannahan said in a Google Meet interview. She requires students to turn off their cell phones, turn on their cameras and mics, and she has also implemented a time limit, Shannahan added.
“I find that the most authentic way for me to test my kids is to have them write [using Google Forms],” Shannahan said. “Through writing, a teacher can identify if a student has the comprehension of whatever the class is reading. It shows [students’] writing skills and depth of thought, and there’s a whole bunch of things that writing will tell us about a student.”
A lot of the testing involves a massive change in the teaching curriculum strategies, science teacher Glen Barrett said. It is like a moving target, where teachers have to figure out how to test students effectively and what they are testing for, Barrett added.
“A lot of this involves re-examining what it means to test, and it really boils down to assessment overtesting,” Barrett said. “I don’t want to make the students feel like they’re being punished. I want them to be able to feel like they’re being assessed so I can adjust my teaching, and they can adjust their learning.”
Social studies teacher Danilo Escobar requires his students to have two devices running when testing, Escobar said in a Zoom interview. One device is used to monitor students to make sure they are not talking to someone or researching on another device during the test, Escobar continued. On the second device, which is the school-issued Chromebook that students take the test on, he uses a software that allows teachers to see what windows students have open in order to hold them accountable, Escobar added.
“It’s harder for [the students] to ask for help,” Escobar said when asked about what problems he has faced while testing his students. “It’s a lot harder to identify the problem the student is having and answer their questions virtually by typing them out.”
One major problem for students is technology issues, senior Esha Dammalapati said in a Zoom interview. Sometimes, students attempt to submit a test, and the Wi-Fi goes out, or there is a glitch, she added. In her AP Calculus BC class, if anyone experiences any problems during the assessment, they have to retake a more difficult exam on another day, she added.
“You have to have a good internet connection at that time and good loading,” Dammalapati said. “I guess that’s also another fear, in case you get logged out.”
Teachers are working long hours and doing the best they can, Barret said. They understand that this is really hard, but if students are cheating, they’re really hurting themselves as they progress through school, Barrett said.
“It’s so important to note that the cheating doesn’t affect me at all. It really doesn’t,” Barrett said. “I process the paperwork, I feel bad for the student, I put the grade in. It doesn’t affect my future. It affects the student’s heavily.”
Academic dishonesty will always land on the learner’s side, Rojas said. The person who is benefiting from the learning is the student, so if the student is cheating, they are not reflecting their true knowledge, Rojas said.
“It’s like you’re digging yourself in a hole,” Rojas said. “The only person you’re cheating is yourself. That’s what it comes down to,” he said. “It’s not worth it in the end. It might help you get by in that instance, but it’ll just put you even more behind.”
