Crystal,
This makes you wonder what technology will have to offer in the next few years!!!
Shelly Crider
It seems like all instructors are concerned about cheating, be it online or in traditional classes.
As so many have said, we need to ensure students know how to cite references. I do give opportunities to rework citation issues, especially early in the year to give them benefit of a doubt.
I've found cheaters are lazy and the plagiarized text will often be the 1st or 2nd result in a Google search.
I wanted to mention Google Glasses as a tool to see if imagery is plagarized (I teach digital design as well as AP Art History). This applies for both online and in person classes.
Cheating should be a concern in both settings, however in at least two ways the online classroom actually makes it more difficult for students to cheat. Some LMS's provide a way to create assessments which draw questions from a question pool, meaning that each student takes a slightly different assessment with different questions. Some LMS's will also randomize the questions, so each student with take the same quiz, but the questions will be in a different order.
If instructors see cheating in an online environment as acceptable, then he or she is projecting a poor brand for e-learning.
There is a stigma for online learning that has to be addressed piece by piece. It is a top down challenge, that the instructors must champion.
There is often more written work required in an online environment. If cheating were allowed then -- the discussion board would be full of copied and pasted content.
This is a point of integrity. Maintaining and fostering academic integrity and excellence is just as important for the small as well as large opportunities.
Specifically, if we allow small corners to be cut then it will foster an environment for larger corners to be cut.
Cheating also degrades the learners ability to communicate a comprehensive absorption of content. IF the course is such that the learner must build on each week's knowledge -- the learner must know that he or she is only cheating themselves.
I disagree. We should be concerned about students cheating in an online environment as well as in the traditional classroom. Technology makes it easier to cheat and the instructor cannot physically (face-to-face) keep an eye on students. Some solutions may be to come up with deterrents so students are not tempted such as assigning extra credit activities, improvement opportunities, assign essay questions vs. multiple choice/true false, use discussion forums as assessments, etc. I think it is important to deter students from cheating and embrace the technology. Use the technology as the deterrent.
Emory,
I love how you add information on the syllabus. The more we push the information, the more likely the students will take it to heart.
Shelly Crider
Anthony,
We, as instructors, want each of our students to actually learn what we know is important to be successful.
Shelly Crider
Cheating will always remain a concern, rather it's resident or online. Students, like nature will find a way. I explain at the beginning of my course the penalties if caught cheating. I also include such information on their syllabus.
We should be concerned with students cheating in an online environment. In the online environment it is so easy for someone to simply copy and paste information they have found on a website. That is not learning. Even if the information is good, they are not processing it.
I've also had a student try and turn in scans of drawings that came from an instructional book I personally own, trying to pass them of as their own. It is still an issue in either environment.
Ron,
It is nice to give the student a second chance if they are first time offenders....good job.
Shelly Crider
Cheating is always cheating... The questions are, how serious is the cheating and what should or will be done about it. If the similarity score is very high, approaching 100%, then either the student has submitted an assignment from a prior attempt at the class, or, it is a direct copy of someone else's work. If it is a partial plagiarism issue, I will give the student a chance to redo as long as the similarity score is below 20% on the re-submission. Some school administrations put in place difficult and time consuming procedures to turn students in for plagiarism, and thus regulate the number of students that are actually turned in for the offense.
I feel there should always be a concern in regards to cheating/plagiarism in an on ground and online environment. We need to let students know that it’s not acceptable to submit another student work as their own.
Cheryl,
Even in a classroom, cheating is becoming more creative with the use of texting and searching online testbanks students may look for before class.
Shelly Crider
Terry,
I so agree....cheating is cheating. We want our students to be productive in the workforce, so we need to let students know that we believe cheating is just that.
Shelly Crider
Ashley,
Nice job....make sure you give examples of plagiarism as well.
Shelly Crider
I think cheating needs to be monitored more closely in an online setting. In a traditional classroom, it's far easier to see if someone is looking at the person next to them. In an online setting, another person can be sitting next to them, telling them the answers to a quiz. I like the fact that some online schools require that the students take an assessment test at a setting that offers a proctor.
Cheryl
This is my pet peeve in any type of environment. I feel that students online should be held to the same standard as on-ground students. Cheating - is cheating and it is ethically and morally wrong. All students should be brought before the Honors Committee when this happens.
I agree, I think you need to discuss plagiarism in the beginning of your course and make sure students understand what it is and what it isn't. I think some students do it intentionally, but some really just don't understand academic integrity.
Academic integrity should be a concern whether the course is in a traditional classroom or e-learning environment. Assessments in an online course could use higher levels of learning skills, like critical thinking questions, in order to individualize each student's response. Unannounced call by the instructor to the student, to discussion a particular course objective, can be a great addition to the course syllabi and may help reduce the urge to cheat.
