TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

USF Hits The Shift Key, Aims To Secure Online Courses

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 11, 2008

After claims by the wife of a University of South Florida football star that she did her husband's online coursework, the university is asking faculty leaders to study how to better protect the academic integrity of such courses.

Administrators directed at least one academic council of faculty members and students to weigh how to secure online courses and exams. By next week, administrators may call more faculty leaders to talk about improving the patchwork security.

"Without question, we need to look very closely at how we're doing online courses, at who's on the other end of that computer," said Glen Besterfield, USF's associate dean of undergraduate studies.

Metro, Page 1

•The university has no uniform standard to protect against cheating in online courses, and instead relies on instructors to ferret out academic misconduct.

•Security varies widely from professor to professor. Some have students take online exams in proctored settings, or they require student identification before testing. Many don't, however.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT