Wiki - A useful tool to fight classroom cheating?

Abstract

As a part of the activities of Chair of Computer Science, Department of Mathematics and Informatics various types of eLearning activities have been applied for the last eight years. Using open source LMS system Moodle, we started with a simple repository of learning resources, went over creation of eLessons, quizzes, and glossaries, but recently also started using elements of Web 2.0 in teaching. Usage of forums, blogs, and wikis as simulation of classroom activities proved to be very successful and our students welcomed these trends. What we didn't expect, but what we gladly embraced was the fact that usage of Wikis helped us fighting cheating in teamwork assignment solving. Namely, practice of application of teamwork at several courses was spoiled by students who didn't do their part of the task. Yet, their teammates covered for them and only later, within a survey about their satisfaction with the course, complained about the fact. Usage of Wikis for assignment solving combined with the ability of LMS Moodle to reveal all of the activities and history of changes, enabled us to separate actual doers and non-doers for each of the assignments, to the satisfaction of both teachers and students. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.