Fake Sites Designed To Catch Cheating Students Are Working

Every student knows it's much easier to cheat on tests when taking them virtually. Remote testing service Honorlock wants to change that reality with a diabolically effective solution: fake answer sites for common tests hosted on URLs such as examequip.com, buzzfolder.com, gradepack.com, quizlookup.com, and wikicram.com.

When a student visits one of these "honeypot sites" during an online test, the site automatically sends data back to the remote testing software platform that the student is attempting to cheat. The service is currently being used by more than 300 institutions. One problem with this system and other remote proctoring services is how they can compromise student privacy. The bigger issue is that surveillance shifts the focus from learning to patrolling.

Instead of finding new ways to catch students succumbing to the temptation of using online resources during a test, what if we found new ways to test knowledge in a more real life way where students were allowed to use online resources, but their challenge would be to learn what to ignore in their quest for the best answer. That's what the real world is like.