Would Cheat in an Online Course?

[peachshan, BSN, RN]

I am currently taking an A &P course online (I am taking it at a community college that offered the lecture online). I took my first quiz today and made an okay grade without looking at my notes. When I told my husband, he ask why I just didn't cheat. I told him I want to feel like I learned something out the class. Also I guess I am kind of a nerd lol, j/k. If given the opportunity, would you look at your notes for each quiz and test? Or try to study and then take the test?

[vickietee]

I'm glad you went with your gutts and didnt cheat, but learned something, i learned before taking my Nclex that you can have an idea what may come out but you cant be sure what you will get because everybody's exam will be different, i got that first hand so if i had been cheating it probably would have been hell on earth for me, glad i took it first time and passed.

Goodluck!

[NightNerd, MSN, RN]

I wouldn't cheat, but that's weird that your professor would ask you to totally ignore your notes if you're taking a test from home. We were always required to come to the campus for big exams, and we couldn't have any notes during those tests. Anything we did at home we could use our notes for.

BTW, kudos to you for taking on A & P online! You're a braver soul than I.

[Stephalump]

Using the book or notes while taking online classes is not cheating. If your professor wanted to keep you from using resources, he/she would have proctored tests.

I think it's awesome that you want to be sure you learn anatomy and physiology. But learning comes before testing. Meaning, you can still study and learn before an open book test. In fact, most are timed in such a way that you wouldn't be able to pass without studying, even with the book.

[jtboog2003]

Using the book or notes while taking online classes is not cheating. If your professor wanted to keep you from using resources, he/she would have proctored tests.I think it's awesome that you want to be sure you learn anatomy and physiology. But learning comes before testing. Meaning, you can still study and learn before an open book test. In fact, most are timed in such a way that you wouldn't be able to pass without studying, even with the book.

That's what I thought too. I have had professors give you very little time to answer questions for midterm and final exams taken at home, so that it would be extremely hard to look up the answer to the questions. They were much more concerned about these exams in regard to really knowing the info, and would make it so you actually had to know.

I still feel that it's kind of understood that you can look at your notes when at home. If a professor was really concerned about it, they would proctor the exams. I have had proctored exams before, and online exams. I don't feel liked I retained the info any less by looking at my notes sometimes. You still have to have some idea of what's going on to even be able to look in the book or in your notes. You can't just pull answers out of nowhere when you're being timed. I have both studied for exams and used my notes at times, everyone did.

With my professors it wasn't like you could get away with not knowing the material at all and just use your book to answer. You had to be able to understand and apply things to real situations.

I don't really consider using your resources at home when taking home exam cheating because like someone said if they wanted to keep you away from your resources they would monitor you while taking exams. Be it having to come into take the exams, or even watching you on camera while you take it at home. But that's just my opinion, others may think it is.

But seriously do you really think professors don't know that you have your book and notes available for the exam and may use them?

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

I did a lot of my theory classes online, and yes, would occasionally look at my notes during an exam. It's not something you can do often though, because most of the exams were timed, so you had to know your stuff!!

[Abigail612]

All the online classes I have taken before were all open book, however this did not make it easy because the tests were timed so there was not a lot of time to look up all the questions plus the questions are twice as hard as compared to in class so really you had to study in order to do well.

[Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM]

I think I may have used my notes to take tests at home once or twice (only) and here is what I learned:

The ones where I had my notes ready, I was 10x more nervous about than the ones where I didn't use anything.

It was because I knew I wasn't prepared. When I was prepared I could concentrate on the question and the answer...not trying to find it in my notes before time was up, as all our tests were timed.

So, what I started doing was playing a mind game with myself, if you will. After I realized that approach didn't work, I focused on just flat out, learning what I was supposed to...I kept my notes nearby and they acted more of a security blanket, but I left them alone.

I also want to note if you take timed tests, you have to do a LOT of preparation in order to find things quickly....it took me just as much time to do that as it did to just study the first time, like I was supposed to.

Bottom line...it was more trouble than it was worth.

[CallieNM, ASN, RN]

If the exam is not proctored and the teacher did not tell you you couldn't use notes- then of course I would use my notes and book!! It's not cheating, sometimes even looking up and rereading something can help you learn it better! But you should still study for it because you will probably have a proctored final that you will not be able to use notes or book.

Now, I have a class I am taking now, Nutrition and Diet Therapy where the exam is online and not proctored, but the teacher had us sign a paper saying we would not use notes or a book. Also the exam only gives us 1 minute per question, so its not like I have time to look anyways!

[llg, PhD, RN]

As someone who teaches an online class ... Are you sure your professor does not expect you to use your resources (books and notes) to take the test? At my school, we assume that tests are "open books and open notes" etc. unless we have arranged for the test to be proctored. I'd double-check with your faculty and/or course syllabus and school policy before assuming that you aren't supposed to be using those resources.

[readyforachangenow]

My a&p in hybrid- lecture is online and lab is on campus. All quizzes are open note/book. All exams are going to be done in class during the first part of lab.

[sjtrk]

I've only taken one online course and the tests were timed but they gave us soooo much time I'm sure most people used their notes/books. I personally didn't, not because I thought it was cheating per-say but more for myself. I'm weird like that though. It just felt better for me to not use my notes/book. I pulled an A in the class and felt very satisfied. However, I don't think it's cheating if you were not specifically told you couldn't and the exam isn't proctored. As others have stated you will most likely have to study anyways to get the test done within the time frame plus most online courses have a proctored final exam anyways