The prevention of contract cheating in an online environment

Contract cheating refers to students getting someone else to do their assessed work (Lancaster & Clarke, 2007). While the term has become closely associated with students buying custom essays online, contract cheating can occur with any task type, and need not involve a formal contract or payment. In online learning it can be difficult to tell if students have contract cheated, because it is harder to observe students working, and contract cheating assignments are bespoke creations made specifically for the student. This guide dispels some myths about contract cheating and offers practical suggestions for how to prevent it through assessment design, detection, and partnerships with students.