Encourage honesty in online quiz-taking

As is true with in-class tests, the higher the stakes and the easier it is to cheat, the likelihood that at least some students will cheat increases. 

If you give your students online quizzes, reduce the stakes by making each quiz worth fewer points. 

Be clear that the test students are about to take requires them to use no outside sources. Because students may skip over the instructions, feel free to use bold print highlighted in yellow.

Research data reveal that people are less likely to cheat if they are prompted to think about themselves and their own integrity. For students from collectivist backgrounds, prompting students to think of someone who sees them as a person of integrity probably doesn’t hurt, although we have not found any research evidence to back this up (yet).

These questions have a greater likelihood of being effective if they come before students start the exam. Make each question worth 0 points. 

[Essay question] Please copy these words in the text box, replacing the words between the <brackets> with the information requested. 

I promise that on this exam I will not use any outside sources. On my honor, <type your full name> and on the honor of my closest friend/relative, <type name of friend/relative>. 

Or you may want to use these questions instead.

[True/False] I promise that I will use no outside sources while taking this exam.

[Short answer] Name a person close to you who knows that you are a person of integrity.

[Short answer] Type your full name.