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Comment by JohnWhigham | Hacker News Reader

If you can't see them, doesn't that open up the possibility of students taking the exam together?

I give regular online exams without any protoring software, pure honor system. I have three students who live together who consistently turn in identical work. What I don't understand is why the keep doing it, when I keep giving them 0s for copying.

Uncontrollable stupidity apparently. Where I went to school you would have been called to the Dean on the first event and perhaps out on academic probation if they didn't like your answers. Second time would have been academic suspension

Crazy stuff.

Presumably they have some kind of recourse as to their grades.

How did you find out they live together?

Not every university / university class is big. Most likely explanation is that they simply said they live together.

Ah, that'd make sense. I would just think that they wouldn't mention it if they planned on cheating lol.

Back when I worked first line at a University, I had access to the student records system (so that I could verify students if they required a password reset).

I was able to see current and past residence data, which I suppose could have helped me verify the student's identity ("what post code[0] do you currently live at?"), but I tried not to look at that information when possible.

Lecturers also had access to this system (it dealt with some submission data), so I guess they may have had access to view residency data?

This is just an educated guess based on my experience, though.

[0]: For American readers, think ZIP code

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