Learning tool or cheating aid? https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/05/14/professors-warned-about-popular-learning-tool-used-students-cheat
What I don't understand, is how it took higher education so long to catch on? I'm not even teaching anymore but know about Quizlet. IMO, it's because the teachers are lazy. So, here's something- my 11th-grade son is participating in dual enrollment as a distance learning student. His community college is in-state, but almost 3 hours away. After the 3rd or 4th week, the teacher switched to in-person proctoring for all quizzes (weekly) and did a complete 360. The syllabus did say he might have proctored tests, but we assumed that meant he'd either make the trek for a midterm/final, use a webcam or get to use a local CC campus's testing center. Anyway, none of this was an option- this teacher wanted his butt on her campus each of the 12 remaining weeks for his 10 question quizzes. Needless to say, we dropped, but his dual enrollment advisor called me and we spoke a long time about this. Turns out, the teacher found out kids were cheating- assuming it was Quizlet or similar and the teacher was trying to get a handle on things. This brings me to my point- when you buy a textbook as a college/faculty, you have access to a complete suite of resources, including online instant grade multiple choice quizzes. Ahhhh the ultimate in teacher laziness. So, obviously, these are the quizzes that make their way onto these kinds of websites. I find irony in the teacher's overreaction to the students being lazy when assigning free response questions instead of using canned curriculum would have avoided the whole situation. Once upon a time, teachers taught and graded tests (students, however, have always found ways to cheat) but the one shred of an advantage the teacher has over the student is asking them to complete short or long answer free-response questions. So, why don't teachers do that? For the same reason online classes aren't live or because there isn't a lecture attached to the class. LAZY. Online classes that are nothing more than "read-quiz-repeat" are trash. Upload a PP or PDF and call it done. Let the computer grade it- it takes too much time- assign a forum question so we all feel engaged. Barf. So, again, how did this take anyone so long to figure out? Of COURSE, digital content is shared. Of course, it is. The teachers, I'm afraid, are showing their lack of simple tech savvy. And frankly, any teacher not tech enough to figure this out, IMO, has no business teaching an ONLINE COURSE. Step up teachers.
Quizlet is a great tool for studying, but of course, people are abusing it and using in the wrong manner. I never shared my study notices on Quizlet.
As a teacher, I love quizlet for study guides and classroom activities. I will not use it to write my test though. Like others have said I prefer BCRs or essay type questions.
I have used quizlet for preparation. I did not realized it was that sinister and could be construed as cheating.
