# Detecting and Preventing "Multiple-Account" Cheating in Massive Open Online Courses

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1508.05699 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1508.05699/

## Key facts

- Cited by 2 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 24 Aug 2015.

## Built on by (most cited first, 2 of 2)

- [Cheating Automatic Short Answer Grading: On the Adversarial Usage of Adjectives and Adverbs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.08318/) (2022)
- [Time Series Analysis for Education: Methods, Applications, and Future Directions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2408.13960/) (2024)

## Abstract (arXiv)

We describe a cheating strategy enabled by the features of massive open online courses (MOOCs) and detectable by virtue of the sophisticated data systems that MOOCs provide. The strategy, Copying Answers using Multiple Existences Online (CAMEO), involves a user who gathers solutions to assessment questions using a "harvester" account and then submits correct answers using a separate "master" account. We use "clickstream" learner data to detect CAMEO use among 1.9 million course participants in 115 MOOCs from two universities. Using conservative thresholds, we estimate CAMEO prevalence at 1,237 certificates, accounting for 1.3% of the certificates in the 69 MOOCs with CAMEO users. Among earners of 20 or more certificates, 25% have used the CAMEO strategy. CAMEO users are more likely to be young, male, and international than other MOOC certificate earners. We identify preventive strategies that can decrease CAMEO rates and show evidence of their effectiveness in science courses.