Promoting Academic Integrity in Moodle Quizzes

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Considering AI in online quizzes

Generative AI tools, like ChatGPT, are reshaping traditional assessment practices and raising new questions about academic integrity. Students may be tempted to use these tools on quizzes—sometimes without realizing it could violate your expectations. The good news: many of the same strategies that discourage traditional cheating also help manage AI use.

First and foremost, be clear with students about your AI policy. Let them know when AI use is prohibited, when it’s acceptable as a study aid, or when you want them to engage with it as part of the assignment. Explain your reasoning to build student buy-in. Pairing clear expectations with thoughtful quiz design reduces misuse and keeps the focus on authentic learning.

A tiered approach

Reducing cheating in quizzes takes a multi-layered approach that combines both technology and teaching strategies.

Think of these strategies as a pyramid. Tech-based options at the top are quick to put in place, while teaching-focused approaches lower down take more effort but create a stronger foundation for academic integrity and help students value it.

1. Modify Quiz Settings

Thoughtful use of Moodle’s quiz settings can reduce opportunities for both traditional cheating and AI misuse. These options focus on limiting access, randomizing content, and keeping students engaged with the quiz itself.

• Set time limits and availability windows. A shorter window keeps students focused and reduces the chance of looking up answers elsewhere.
• Release correct answers only after the quiz closes. This prevents sharing answers with classmates who haven’t taken it yet.
• Shuffle questions and answers. Randomizing order makes each attempt different and discourages copying.
• Use random questions from the bank. Pulling from categories gives each student a unique version of the quiz.
• Enable Safe Exam Browser. This tool blocks printing, copying, opening other applications, or visiting outside sites during the quiz.
• Show one question at a time (and prevent backtracking if needed). This makes it harder for students to copy questions into an AI tool or gather them all before answering.
• Set attempt limits. Restrict the number of quiz attempts so students can’t “test” questions in an AI tool and then retry.

2. Modify questions

The kinds of questions you ask matter just as much as the settings you choose. By designing questions that go beyond simple recall—sometimes even weaving in course-specific data—you make it harder for students to rely on AI tools and easier to see their authentic thinking.

• Start with an integrity pledge. Use the NC State honor pledge—or write your own. You might also include an AI-specific acknowledgment so students confirm they understand your expectations about AI use.
• Use open-ended question types. These can be auto-graded or manually graded depending on the format:
  • Short answer: Auto-graded when all possible correct responses are provided.
  • Numerical: Auto-graded. Instructor provides the correct numerical answer (with the option to allow a range of error).
  • Calculated: Auto-graded. Instructor includes wildcards (randomly selected numbers from a dataset).
  • Essay: Manually graded. Students may submit answers as online text or file upload.
  • PoodLL recording: Manually graded; students submit audio, video, or drawings.
• Ask beyond recall. Design scenario-based questions that push students to apply concepts, not just memorize facts.
• Ask AI-resistant questions:
  • Mix in data or examples unique to your course. Datasets, case studies, or scenarios students have only encountered in class reduce the usefulness of generic AI responses.
  • Require explanation or justification. Ask students to briefly explain how they arrived at their answer. This is harder for AI to fake convincingly.
  • Use multi-step questions. Break a problem into parts where each answer depends on the previous one. AI struggles more with connected reasoning across steps than with one-off facts.

Instead of:	Try this:
What does safranin do in the Gram stain procedure?	If a microbiology lab student left the safranin out of the Gram stain procedure, what would be the result?
Real income is defined as:	If money income remains the same while the average price level doubles, what will happen to real income?
Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere are called __________________.	Which of the following analogies best describes how carbon dioxide works as a greenhouse gas?

3. Rethink assessments

Sometimes the best way to protect integrity is to rethink the assessment itself. By shifting toward authentic, lower-stakes, and open-resource formats, you make cheating less appealing—and AI tools less effective as a shortcut.

• Break up large exams. Smaller, more frequent assessments lower stress and give a clearer picture of student learning.
• Design authentic assessments. Choose tasks that let students show how well they can apply course concepts to real or realistic situations.
• Try open-book or open-note formats. These reduce test anxiety and lessen the incentive to cheat.
• Include reflection as an important assessment component. Have students briefly describe how they solved a problem, why they chose an approach, or what resources they used. This kind of metacognition is difficult for AI to fake.
• Assign personalized or applied tasks. Ask students to connect concepts to their own experiences, recent class discussions, or specific local contexts. This promotes critical thinking and also incorporates things AI won’t “know.”
• Incorporate critique of AI. In some cases, allow students to use an AI tool but require them to evaluate, correct, or expand on its answer. This turns AI into a learning tool instead of a way around the assignment.

4. Promote a positive, supportive learning culture

Students are less likely to misuse resources, including AI, when they feel supported and see assessments as part of their growth. Clear expectations, meaningful practice, and opportunities for collaboration foster a culture where integrity is the norm.

• Lower the stakes. When exams carry too much weight, students may feel more pressure to cheat.
• Be intentional with course structure. The way you organize assessments and activities sends students a message about what you value.
• Encourage authentic engagement. Allow multiple attempts, build in peer learning, and put less emphasis on high-stakes tests. These signals show students you value their learning and are invested in their success.
• Talk openly about AI. Share your stance and expectations, so students don’t have to guess where the boundaries are.
• Build community through collaboration. Group projects, peer review, and discussion activities encourage students to rely on one another and less on AI shortcuts.
• Model responsible AI use. Show students examples of how AI can be helpful (and where it falls short) so they see it as a tool to support learning, not replace it.

Promoting academic integrity in online quizzes isn’t about finding a single fix—it’s about combining strategies that work together. Adjusting Moodle quiz settings, designing stronger questions, rethinking assessments, and fostering a positive classroom culture all reduce the pressure and temptation to cheat.

As AI becomes part of students’ everyday lives, clear expectations and thoughtful design matter more than ever. By setting boundaries, encouraging authentic engagement, and modeling integrity, you help students focus on meaningful learning.

Workshop Information

Moodle Quiz Settings: Best Practices for Promoting Academic Integrity

• Watch a previously recorded workshop
• View the workshop slides

Resources

Saunders, W. & Perkins, C. (2021) “Teaching, Learning and Academic Integrity During the Pandemic,” Southwestern Business Administration Journal: Vol. 19 : Iss. 1 , Article 8. Available at: https://digitalscholarship.tsu.edu/sbaj/vol19/iss1/8

Budhai, S. (2020, May 11). Fourteen Simple Strategies to Reduce Cheating on Online Examinations. Faculty Focus: Higher Ed Teaching & Learning Strategies from Magna Publications. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/educational-assessment/fourteen-simple-strategies-to-reduce-cheating-on-online-examinations/

Malamed, C. (2020, July 7). Writing Multiple Choice Questions For Higher Order Thinking. The ELearning Coach. https://theelearningcoach.com/elearning_design/multiple-choice-questions/

DELTA Resources

• Best Practices for Creating Multiple Choice Questions
• Types of Assessment
• Creative Alternate Assessments
• Moodle Quiz Knowledge Base Articles

Moodle Documentation

• Effective quiz practices
• Questions