High Tech Gets Into the Cheating Act

[Adam's Apple]

Cheat Wave
By Abe Aamidor, The Indianapolis Star
April 7, 2006

Purdue University undergraduate, identified only as "Student A" by the school, left for a restroom break during a math exam, but took a copy of the exam with him and passed it on to someone school officials will only identify as "Student B."

Minutes later, after Student A had returned to his seat in the examination room, Student B began text-messaging correct answers to him. It happened in 2004, and was one of the most egregious uses of high-tech tools to help students cheat, said Heather Webb, student affairs specialist in the office of the Dean of Students at Purdue. Both students were suspended, then allowed to return to the school.

It's called "high-tech cheating" for a reason -- the tools of the trade no longer include a crib sheet hidden up one's sleeve. Rather, it's the cell phone, the BlackBerry device, the PDA (or personal digital assistant), the programmable graphing math calculator and the current standby-- the Internet, with its ability to do lightning-fast searches.

Though reports often are anecdotal, educators across the country say they are seeing an increase in high-tech cheating.

for full article:
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060407/LIVING/604070321/1-/ARCHIVE

 

[Annie]

Cheat Wave
By Abe Aamidor, The Indianapolis Star
April 7, 2006

Purdue University undergraduate, identified only as "Student A" by the school, left for a restroom break during a math exam, but took a copy of the exam with him and passed it on to someone school officials will only identify as "Student B."

Minutes later, after Student A had returned to his seat in the examination room, Student B began text-messaging correct answers to him. It happened in 2004, and was one of the most egregious uses of high-tech tools to help students cheat, said Heather Webb, student affairs specialist in the office of the Dean of Students at Purdue. Both students were suspended, then allowed to return to the school.

It's called "high-tech cheating" for a reason -- the tools of the trade no longer include a crib sheet hidden up one's sleeve. Rather, it's the cell phone, the BlackBerry device, the PDA (or personal digital assistant), the programmable graphing math calculator and the current standby-- the Internet, with its ability to do lightning-fast searches.

Though reports often are anecdotal, educators across the country say they are seeing an increase in high-tech cheating.

for full article:
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060407/LIVING/604070321/1-/ARCHIVE

This seems weird to me. I do NOT allow students to go to rest room or lockers during exams. IF it's a bonafide 'emergency', they will take an alternative exam at another time. They know this, have yet had one take me up on the alternative. Once they turn in their exam, they may go.

It was the same when I was in school, 300 years ago. How stupid was this professor or any that give the same exam to multiple classes?

 

[Adam's Apple]

This seems weird to me. I do NOT allow students to go to rest room or lockers during exams. IF it's a bonafide 'emergency', they will take an alternative exam at another time. They know this, have yet had one take me up on the alternative. Once they turn in their exam, they may go.

It was the same when I was in school, 300 years ago. How stupid was this professor or any that give the same exam to multiple classes?

I doubt that the professor had seen the inside of his classroom for months, possibly the whole year. It was probably a TA who administered the test. Without a security guard at the door frisking the students as they entered, how could anyone be sure what the students do or do not bring into the classroom? We should have more teachers in the classroom like you, Kathianne. This lax atmosphere on campus probably is a big contributor to why so many of our kids are not learning. The professors don't care if they learn or not--they'll still get their paychecks either way.

 

[Annie]

I doubt that the professor had seen the inside of his classroom for months, possibly the whole year. It was probably a TA who administered the test. Without a security guard at the door frisking the students as they entered, how could anyone be sure what the students do or do not bring into the classroom? We should have more teachers in the classroom like you, Kathianne. This lax atmosphere on campus probably is a big contributor to why so many of our kids are not learning. The professors don't care if they learn or not--they'll still get their paychecks either way.

Thinking of some of my 100 and 200 level courses, way back when, I guess I can see that point. There were classes with 150-200 students, so would be hard to catch a cell or blackberry-but if I did during an exam, that would be a 0.

 

[Adam's Apple]

What did you think of the fact that both students were suspended and then re-admitted? Just a little slap on the hand--standard punishment these days. Purdue should have kicked them out for good.

 

[Annie]

What did you think of the fact that both students were suspended and then re-admitted? Just a little slap on the hand--standard punishment these days. Purdue should have kicked them out for good.

Very true, but seems to be more the norm today than the exception. Interestingly enough, seems they have no 'code of conduct' available online.

 

[Annie]

Very true, but seems to be more the norm today than the exception. Interestingly enough, seems they have no 'code of conduct' available online.

My youngest was offered a partial scholarship to Purdue, but he chose law enforcement over engineering. His school does have a published policy:

http://www.wiu.edu/policies/acintegrity.shtml

 

[Adam's Apple]

In the same article, I thought it was cool how professors at the U. of MD had turned the tables and used the internet to catch student cheaters. Also how professors can submit papers suspected of plagarism to an internet database to help them catch that type of violation.

 

[5stringJeff]

Cheating at West Point = expulsion. Buh-bye.

 

[PsuedoGhost]

Most college level programs now do have zero tolerance policies for cheating. I know that my school does, and it is the norm at every other college that I was looking at during the selection process. I can tell you right now, that a zero tolerance policy is extremely effective at preventing cheating. Although there will always be a mintue few who do cheat. At this point though, they have been doing it for some time, and are not likely to get caught.

I just thought I'd let you know, that suspension and readmittance is not the norm among college campuses.