So far away: threshold copying distances for multiple-choice answers in different exam room settings

Paper-based multiple-choice exams are commonly used to assess students. Answer sheets for these exams have a configuration which affords a potential opportunity for cheating. A proportion of students report cheating on assessments. This research assessed maximum distances at which multiple-choice answer sheets could be copied in different rooms and for different viewing conditions. Participants were 10 healthy observers. Stimuli were generated on a University standard multiple-choice answer template with 40 answer responses recorded for each sheet. Responses were recorded at a range of test distances. Method of constant stimuli and probit analysis was used to estimate the threshold copying distance at which 62.5% of responses were correctly identified. With the copied sheets flat on a desk, testing took place in a tiered lecture theatre, a flat exam room, and with the exam positioned at different angles of regard: straight-ahead, at 45 degrees to straight ahead (oblique), and sideways. Threshold distances were greater in the tiered lecture theatre than the flat exam room and were greater in the straight-ahead position than the oblique position, in turn greater than the sideways viewing position. In the straight-ahead position in the tiered lecture theatre, exam answer sheets could be copied from 7.12 m; and in a flat room, from 3.34 m. For the sideways viewing condition threshold copying distances were 2.58 m (tiered lecture), and 2.36 m (flat room). Multiple-choice answer sheets can be copied from relatively large distances, a potential opportunity for academic dishonesty. Tiered lecture rooms should not be used as venues for multiple-choice exams. Multiple-choice answer sheets can be redesigned to reduce the risk of copying. These results will be of practical and theoretical interest to educators, administrators and students.纸质多项选择题考试是学界常用的学生学业水平评估手段。此类考试的答题卡存在一项设计特性，为作弊行为提供了潜在可乘之机。 已有一定比例的学生承认在学业评估中存在作弊行为。本研究针对不同考场环境与视觉观看条件下，多项选择题答题卡可被抄袭的最大距离展开了量化评估。 本研究的被试为10名健康视觉观察者。实验刺激基于高校通用的多项选择题答题卡模板生成，每份答题卡预设40道题的作答选项。实验在多个测试距离梯度下开展。研究采用恒定刺激法与概率单位分析（probit analysis），估算出当62.5%的作答选项可被正确识别时的临界抄袭距离。 实验时将答题卡平铺于桌面，测试分别在阶梯教室、普通平层考场两种环境中进行，且设置了三种不同的视觉视角：正前方、与正前方成45度的斜向视角，以及侧方视角。 实验结果显示，阶梯教室中的临界抄袭距离大于普通平层考场；正前方视角下的临界距离大于斜向视角，而斜向视角的临界距离又高于侧方视角。在阶梯教室的正前方视角条件下，答题卡的可抄袭距离可达7.12米；在普通平层考场中，该临界距离为3.34米。侧方视角条件下，阶梯教室的临界抄袭距离为2.58米，普通平层考场则为2.36米。 研究表明，多项选择题答题卡可在相对较远的距离被抄袭，这为学术不端行为提供了潜在空间。因此，阶梯教室不宜作为多项选择题考试的考场。此外，可通过重新设计答题卡结构以降低抄袭风险。本研究结果对教育工作者、考场管理者与学生均具有实践与理论层面的参考价值。