Apr 18, 2008

Electronic Cheating

Now that computers are used as a learning tool and students have MP3 players, programmable calculators and cell phones the size of a credit card or smaller, students are using these electronic devices to cheat.

How They Use Computers, MP3 Players and Cell Phones to Cheat

  • Students "borrow" or buy essays off the Internet
  • Student text message answers to each other during an assessment
  • Students put answers on MP3 player or programmable calculators before assessments
  • Students log on as another student to take assessments on the computer for activities such as Study Island (practice questions on an Internet site for achievement test) or Accelerated Reader (students take tests over books that they read to reach a goal)

These are just a few of the ways that students are using technology to cheat.

How to Try and Stop Electronic Cheating

Schools need to have strong rules for individual use of the computer. If students take assessments for other students or use the computer to cheat, they should lose their computer privileges along with consequences from the principal and parents.

Schools need to make strong plagiarism rules for students. If students copy papers, there should be strong consequences such as taking a zero, serving a detention or if the problem persists, receiving a suspension from school.

Teachers need to discuss these problems with students. Students need to understand that cheating is a serious offense. Some students do not think it is a "big deal."

Of course, there are some students who will always try to cheat. Some will get caught and some will not. Teachers are educators and not the police. However, there are a few things that educators can do to help deter it.