Reconceptualising the Notion of Online Exam Cheating Based on the Results of a Questionnaire Survey
Authors
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Nikoletta Tolner
AffiliationTolner Nikoletta is an assistant lecturer at the Alba Regia Faculty of Obuda University, where she teaches digital technology and is involved in the development of online learning environments and e-learning materials. She is a third-year PhD student at the Doctoral School on Safety and Security Sciences of Obuda University. Her doctoral research focuses on the security, methodological, and pedagogical aspects of online examinations, with particular attention to academic integrity, the prevention of cheating, and the role of digital tools and artificial intelligence in education. In her research, she analyses the attitudes of instructors and students using questionnaire-based data collection and statistical methods. Her aim is to identify solutions that contribute to the development of secure and reliable online assessment systems in higher education.
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Dr. habil Monika Pogátsnik
Affiliation
Dr. habil Monika Pogátsnik is a habilitated associate professor at Óbuda University, serving as Vice Dean for Education at the Alba Regia Faculty and Director of the Institute of Engineering. She also leads the Dual Training Office at Óbuda University and actively contributes to the pedagogical renewal of engineering education as the head of the Engineering Pedagogy Research Group. Her main research area is engineering pedagogy, with a particular focus on work-based learning, the development of non-cognitive skills, and the study of career orientation attitudes. Throughout her academic career, she has published more than 130 scientific papers, which have received over 310 citations. She is a member of the extended board of HERA – the Hungarian Educational Researchers Association, where she actively participates in professional discourse on educational research at the national level. In addition to her teaching and research activities, she plays a key role in the development of dual education and in strengthening the practical competencies of engineering students.
Abstract
Technological development, particularly the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), has introduced new challenges in the field of higher education examinations. The spread of online exams has transformed not only the methodology of assessment but also the perception of what constitutes cheating. The aim of this study was to explore how Obuda University’s students perceive the integrity of online examinations, with a special focus on the use of AI tools. Through a questionnaire survey involving 189 students, we investigated attitudes toward cheating, opinions on AI tools, and the motivations underlying cheating propensity. The results highlighted that students’ perceptions of AI use are not uniform: while some regard it as a tool that supports learning, others view it as straightforward cheating. The study underlines the importance of educational institutions responding to these changes by developing ethical, technological, and pedagogical strategies capable of safeguarding the integrity and fairness of examinations in the new digital environment.
Keywords:
online exam, cheating, artificial intelligence, academic integrityCitation data from Crossref and Scopus
