to inform students on how important it is to not cheat and not tolerated in class. inform about punishments due to cheating
Hi Susan,
If a student is caught plagiarising, they recive an "F" on the assignment, no question about it. We have an institutional cheating policy at my school so that consistency is maintained with the policy. All students are reprimanded according to the policy.
Patricia
Hi Michelle,
That's right! When you catch someone cheating and they are reprimanded, it makes others think about cheating twice. Some times we have to make sacrificial lambs out of students so that others know that this type of behavior will not be tolerated.
Patricia
Make it clear from the very beginning that cheating will not be tolerated, articulatre the consequences, and act immediately when an offense has occured.
I think it's important to let students know from the very beginning that you will not tolerate cheating and that cheating will result in an F on that paper or exam. It's true that some people won't care that they are really cheating themselves, but you have to set boundaries.
Some instructors here have marched the student down to the Dean's office with the exam and the evidence of cheating, sometimes resulting in the expulsion of the student. However, I don't feel that this has been enforced consistenly. Some students have been allowed to return to the classroom, and others have not.
I try to make sure that possibilities for cheating are reduced by making students put away their backpacks, cell phones, etc. before the test is handed out, and by monitoring the class during the exam. My students get a study guide (something I never had) and know what material is going to be on the test, so there shouldn't be any need for cheating if they have studied the material.
Plagiarism is a huge problem these days because of the ease with which one can copy things off the internet. I let my students know that they cannot just "cut and paste" things off the internet and that there are ways to find out if they have done so. I have given a number of F's to students who have copied directly from websites. They often react with surprise that it is illegal to do this. How have others dealt with this problem?
As an English instructor, plagiarism is the form of cheating I deal with the most. TurnItIn helps immensely, but it does not prevent students from having friends write the papers for them. To curb this, I have the students work on papers during class time. I come around and work one on one with the students, so I can see what they are working on and help them with any problems they are having. I become familiar with the students writing ability and style, but since starting this, I havent run into any problems with cheating.
I think study guides are a great way to prepare students for tests. It gives them confidence about their knowledge and helps them to focus on concepts that will be on the test.
Some ways to reduce cheating are:
Having a series of exams throughout the course and not base the final grade on the final exam.
Not having unrealistic demands on exams
Developing rapport with your students allows you to sense their abilities and discipline.
Even if you tell a student they are cheating themselves, not you, the cheating students just disregard that statement and continue cheating. They know that they are not helping themselves by cheating, but they are lazy and do not care. It's hard to stop cheating students but I believe strict discipline is the only way to stop other students from following along.
Hi Scott,
What an awesome response! I like your perspective. I agree whole heartedly. You used some great analogies. I can tell you do a fantastic job to minimize cheating.
Patricia
Reading through the discussion posts I think there are many great ideas to help prevent this frustrating issue. I have to agree with the statement that we have to verbally let the students know our expectations as an instructor. With that stated, I also agree that to a cheater out words mean very little. I am of the opinion that someone that is going to cheat is going to try and push the limits and nothing I say prior to the test is going to make a difference. I think we have to “prove†to them that are expectations are “real†and this is done through our actions as an instructor. What do I mean by this? In addition to having instructors clearly articulating expectations EACH INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT or TEST, I think that instructors need to explicitly link assignments to learning objectives. Students often cheat on assignments that they see as meaningless or “busy-work.†If they understand the point of the assignment, especially how it will help them learn the material, they are more likely to push through it on their own rather than copy from someone else. This is also true for exams, if there is no “value†established in the exam, cheaters often rationalize that there is no reason for studying and or learning the material. I learned from a previous employer that “cost is only an issue when there is no valueâ€. If value of the material is created, cheating diminishes. We have to show them the importance of the material and show real life applications. Education is really just sales....just like when you purchase a car, you don’t ask the salesman how much is the red car over there and expect to get an answer. The salesman will say something to the extent of.....you mean that red car over there with, A/C, heated leather seats, 90 miles per gallon, new tires, low miles, etc. etc. etc.......all those great benefits for the low cost of $100,000. At this point the customer is sold on all the great options that price is no longer a factor. Education is the same. We sell the importance by showing them all the great “things†they can do with what they have learned. My experience is that cheaters are some of the smartest students in the class.
Other things that I think are important to reduce cheating is to simply reduce temptations. I may not be able to control student behavior, but I can at least show them that we care about the integrity of our classes by doing little things. For example, space students out during exams, provide multiple versions of the same test, require students to leave all non-essential materials at the front of the room, and have the WiFi turned off in the test room. Phones are also another big problem area. With Smart phones, answers can be found in a heartbeat. I have a blanket rule in class. If I see a phone, I will send you home for the day. Phones have no place in the classroom. As an adult college student if is a simple concept......as an instructor I never come to class with a phone and I expect the same. Nobody is so important that they cannot live without a phone for an hour. Pretend it is 1990, when we still had to use landlines. I often times have the same multiple choice question in the same order, just different order of answers. At quick glance the cheater looks at a neighbor to just see question number and answer not realizing that the answers are different.
On the first day of class I do always address the class and discuss the relation of academic integrity to professional ethics and their future chosen career. I feel that students are more likely to uphold integrity in academic assignments if they see it as holding more value than just being “another institutional rule.â€
Lastly, I feel the most important thing that must be done with cheating is to not ignore it. An instructor can become known as someone who does not tolerate cheating or look the other way, and then the cheaters will not choose her class! Also, many instructors mistakenly assume that they can reduce cheating on their own, but it takes the entire campus. If instructors do not report cheating, that same student may be cheating in other courses and no one would ever know. The answer is exposure. I have a zero tolerance policy and if I find out a student is cheating, not only will I expose to the entire campus faculty but I will automatically give them a failing grade. Too many students work too hard at actually learning the material to be snuffed by a cheater. Just like a police officer, our job as instructors is to up hold the law.....whether we like it or not. The students may not like me, but they will respect my consistent position on maintaining structure and authority for learning.
Hi Andrew,
Great presentation to share with students! They need to be reminded of the importance of not cheating.
Patricia
We have a cheat script that is read before each exam so the rules are laid out clearly to avoid any confusion. If a student is caught cheating, they are asked to leave and are given an F grade.
I often ask students to sit farther apart then usual. I also keep an eye on students without making them feel as though I am suspicious or hovering over them to make sure they don't cheat. It is on several occasions I catch the eye of a student to let them know I am observing but not scanning for any improper behaviors or actions.
At the beginning of the semester, the first test I give them a speech about cheating, what my feelings are, what the policy is, and what could happen to them. I also explain that they are only cheating themselves of knowledge. I explain that when they take the registery if they have cheated through school they will not have the knowledge base to pass the test. If they get caught cheating on it they have just wasted 2 years of their life and a lot of money.
Not allowing smart phone in the class!
MBWA is an effective deterrent during tests.
Multiple edition tests are effective in making it difficult to cheat.
Success without cheating is most effective.
Being specific about an expectation. Demonstrating it's relevance, in particular when it strikes a chord of value in the student: be financial gain, more control of their life, or simply pride in their work.
Walking them through the steps until they succeed in the task and then doing the same for the next expectation.
You can't change moral compass, but you can provide a better option, at least in the classroom. After that, it's outside your sphere of direct influence.
A friend sent me this tip on students cheating.
"If you see a student with a black rubber band around their wrist, it is most likely a cheating method. They stretch the band, write the answers down, and then unstretch it. The band is black until they stretch it again to read the answers."
Hi Christopher,
I do not know of an easier way. It sounds like you are being very smart with grading and preparing different versions of tests.
Patricia
Hi Kathryn,
Great ways to deter cheating. Students will think twice about cheating if they not that they are being watched.
Patricia
