How to Prevent use of ChatGPT During Online Tests
Many teachers worry students might turn to online resources like ChatGPT to find answers during online tests. Thankfully, a solution existed long before the rise of AI technology. LockDown Browser is used by thousands of schools to lock down the testing environment during tests in learning systems like Canvas and Schoology.
Anti-plagiarism systems can detect the use of AI generated text with long-format essays. But detection works poorly with short texts, such as responses to essay questions on a test.
We used ChatGPT (the AI bot itself) to explain why this is so:
Detecting the use of ChatGPT on short texts of under 300 words can be difficult … Short texts may not contain enough features or clues for detection software to analyze, such as word frequency, punctuation patterns, or sentence length.
With further prodding, the AI bot explains that detection is difficult because ChatGPT isn’t good at writing short essays in the first place.
Because of the complexity of the deep learning model and the nature of the training data, ChatGPT may not perform as well with short texts … [T]he model is more likely to generate generic or less informative responses for short texts, as it may not have enough specific information to draw upon.
Since AI generated text cannot be accurately detected with short-answer essays, it’s essential to prevent students from accessing ChatGPT during the assessment itself. And that’s what LockDown Browser does. With this tool, students cannot use ChatGPT, Google, Chegg or thousands of other resources on the internet during tests delivered in learning systems such as Canvas and Schoology. Other areas of the student’s computer and learning system are also locked down during the assessment.
For online assessments delivered in classrooms or computer labs where a teacher is present, LockDown Browser is all that’s needed to prevent students from accessing outside resources on their computer. It’s used by thousands of schools and universities to secure hundreds of millions of exams each year.
ChatGPT is new, but the tools to prevent its use during online tests have been around for years.
Want to see how it works? Read this article.