Photo Credit: Maddie Norwood. A student is caught cheating on a test using the ol "write it on your palm" trick.[/caption]Cheating is a huge problem for many schools, and there is no questioning that technology has made it easier. Students are able to look up test answers online, view documents that aid them on quizzes, and share homework with other students. However, does this mean more students are cheating? Phyllis Farlow, a counselor, said that teachers are “not any more worried” about cheating, but “with cellphones and technology, we have to be even more diligent.”
The biggest concern for OHS faculty is the use of technology like cell phones and laptops in class. The laptops have benefited students in many ways, and Mark Greenstreet, an English teacher, said that the “benefits [of technology] do outweigh the costs.” He believes that “some people who normally wouldn’t have cheated cheat.”
A survey of 21 OHS teachers showed that most teachers agree with Greenstreet. Teachers were asked to rank how concerned they are about cheating on a scale of one to five, one being the least concerned and five being the most concerned. The average result was 3.86. Using the same scale, they were also asked to rank how often they see students cheating on tests (with one being not often and five being very often) and how strictly they respond to cheating if they notice it (with one being leniently and five being very strictly). The average results were two and 4.43, respectively. From this data, it is evident that teachers are usually very strict about cheating, even though they rarely notice it.
Students and teachers disagree on how often students cheat. An anonymous OHS student said, “A lot more people cheat than [teachers] realize.” The student explained why he cheats. “I cheat because the teachers of this school are oblivious.”
Some policies teachers have for how they react to cheaters are giving a “zero for the assignment or test,” making “the student admit to me and a parent that he or she cheated,” making “sure that the student receives no more than a high F on the test,” and requiring that students “retake [the test] on a one-on-one setting.” Typically, teachers will call the student’s parent. In the survey, some teachers commented on how technology has affected cheating:
“Cell phones make it harder to catch kids.”
“Students now take pictures of their notes and use it during tests while pretending to listen to music.”
“Kids think they are smarter than they are. It’s humorous to see what students think they can get away with.”
“Students have too much access and little self-restraint. They do not understand that learning is more than grades.”
Many teachers had humorous stories to share of cheating they have seen in their classes. “I once had a kid use a blank sheet of paper to cheat with. It was brilliant. I was so impressed that I gave him a second chance-- the only time I’ve allowed a second chance for cheating,” said a teacher. Another teacher said, “I had a student last semester who would wait to take his quiz until we were going over the answers. He didn’t know that his time stamp was twenty minutes after the other students’ until I confronted him.” One teacher used a creative method to convince a student not to cheat. “Many years ago, I had a student who got all [of the] answers correct for form A of [a] test. Unfortunately, he had form B. He was on the wrestling team, so I informed Coach Shriner. After a week of intense workouts and running, the student apologized profusely and guaranteed me it would never happen again.”
Greenstreet said that he sees cheating about 10 percent of the time on tests. He believes that technology has made cheating easier because students can access the web and share documents with each other. Even with the problems technology creates, “so much good is possible through it,” according to Greenstreet. Before technology, he thinks the most prevalent form of cheating was copying another student’s work. “[Students] still do that,” Greenstreet commented.
He said that students who cheat are “cheating [themselves].” Some students’ “utter denial [of the fact that they were cheating] terrifies me,” said Greenstreet. He sees students cheating once as the “student calling for help.” If a student cheats a second time, then he treats the cheating more seriously.
Greenstreet said that cheating can get progressively worse and can cause a student to believe cheating in relationships and jobs is acceptable. “I can get away with this, look where else I can use it,” he illustrated.
On standardized tests like MSLs, EOGs, and EOCs, there are strict guidelines regarding cheating and what teachers must do if it occurs. If a student is caught cheating, they are removed from the testing room and do not receive their score. Teachers must file a testing irregularity report that is reviewed by Mary Calhoun, the district testing coordinator. Calhoun discusses the issue with the school principal and superintendent, and may have to report the incident to the state. Eventually, a decision will be made as to whether or not the student can retake the test. In some cases, officials will decide that scores of people testing in the same room as the cheater must be thrown out.
However, cheating on standardized tests is rare because there are many measures put in place to keep tests secure. For example, tests have different form numbers and colors, and teachers try to keep students with the same test from sitting near each other. Two other measures are that tests are locked up securely before they are administered and teachers have scripts telling them what to say when they administer a test. “That’s why we sound weird,” said Farlow. She said that there were no testing irregularities last year and that OHS students “do a really good job” at not cheating on tests.
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