Hawkes Learning offers a “Show Work” feature designed to provide insights into student understanding and potentially deter cheating. While it doesn’t automatically detect cheating, it encourages students to demonstrate their problem-solving process, making it more difficult to simply copy answers. This article explores how the “Show Work” feature functions for both instructors and students, and its potential role in academic integrity.
How Does the “Show Work” Feature Work?
The “Show Work” feature in Hawkes Learning’s WebTest allows students to supplement their answers with explanations, justifications, or uploaded images of their work. This feature is enabled on a per-question basis by the instructor within the Assignment Builder.
For students, a textbox appears alongside questions with the “Show Work” option enabled. They can type their explanations, upload image files (png, jpg, gif, or tif up to 10MB), or use a combination of both. Importantly, the “Show Work” submission doesn’t impact the automatic grading of the question itself; correct answers still receive full credit, and incorrect answers receive no credit, regardless of the “Show Work” content.
On the instructor’s side, the submitted “Show Work” can be reviewed within the Assignment Reviewer, accessible through the Tools tab or various student score reports. While reviewing a student’s attempt, instructors can see whether the “Show Work” was submitted for each question. This allows instructors to gain a deeper understanding of student thinking, identify common errors, and potentially spot inconsistencies that could indicate academic dishonesty.
“Show Work” and Academic Integrity
While Hawkes Learning’s “Show Work” doesn’t automatically flag cheating, it provides valuable context for instructors to evaluate student understanding. Requiring students to articulate their reasoning makes it more challenging to rely on external resources or simply guess answers.
By reviewing the “Show Work” submissions, instructors can:
- Identify Misunderstandings: Pinpoint specific areas where students struggle, allowing for targeted feedback and instruction.
- Detect Potential Cheating: Notice discrepancies between a correct answer and a student’s explanation, raising suspicion of unauthorized assistance. For example, a correct answer accompanied by an incorrect or irrelevant explanation might be a red flag.
- Encourage Deeper Learning: Knowing they need to explain their work encourages students to engage more deeply with the material and develop a stronger understanding of the concepts.
Conclusion
The “Show Work” feature in Hawkes Learning is a valuable tool for promoting academic integrity and enhancing the learning experience. While it doesn’t offer automated cheating detection, it empowers instructors with information to better understand student performance and potentially identify instances of academic dishonesty. By encouraging students to demonstrate their understanding, “Show Work” fosters a learning environment that values process as much as product.
