Cheating Prevention in College Classrooms

Cheating on tests, plagiarizing papers, how insidious and ubiquitous is the problem -

Statistics vary, but recent studies indicate "more than 75% of college undergraduates had cheated at least once - an all-time high - and 20-30 % regularly". (1) Who's Who Among American High School Students found that 80% of a recent group of 700,000 top students admitted to cheating. (2) Cheating in academic settings has reached an all-time high, and become so widespread that TV's Dr. Phil even devoted part of a recent program to this phenomenon, hosting a teacher and several students to discuss the cheating situation in their school. Using a smart-board, he demonstrated how some instructors use Turnitin.com* to have students run their papers through the program and attach the print-out report to their paper when they submit it to the instructor.

~ Blue Books ~ Body Parts ~ Cell Phones ~ Changing Answers ~ Codes ~ Copying ~ Crib Sheets ~ Etched Pencils ~ Gum Wrappers ~ Hats ~ Illegal Access to Tests ~ Impersonation ~ IPods ~ Plagiarism ~ Search Engine Translation ~ Water Bottles ~

~ Articles online ~ Books ~ Videos ~ Web Sites ~

Quizzes and Examinations

In an effort to assist TCC faculty in detecting and thwarting attempts at cheating on classroom exams, the following list has been prepared based on reports from students and faculty, articles from magazines and newspapers, databases, websites, and media programs. If you are aware of other techniques not represented on this list, please let us know library@tcc.fl.edu and we'll add those in to share with your colleagues. Our intention is to assist in preventing cheating from occurring. Some old methods have a new twist to them, and there may be some you've never heard of !

For our students reading this document, it isn't a list of suggestions ! Indeed, if you try these in a classroom, you're more likely to get caught as more faculty are now aware of the possibilities.

First offense students caught cheating are in violation of the TCC Student Handbook, Standards of Conduct, Article I sec P, and Article IV, sec B, and are subject to sanctions included in Article V, sec B, which can include a grade of zero (0) for the exam, a grade of "F" for the course, and a written entry in their academic file. Further infractions invoke other procedures as listed.

Cell Phones

- ah yes, those annoying devices have become a key player in a lot of cheating on exams these days - for example -

• - - using the phone to take a picture of the exam page/s to send to other students
• - - using the phone to store information to be retrieved at a later time
• - - text-messaging - some students have become so adept at this that they can type in a message while holding the phone under the desk out of sight, then wait for the vibration of an answer from a co-conspirator and surreptitiously read the reply.
• - - searching the Internet to look up facts and information online while taking a test

Suggested: BAN ALL CELLPHONE handling in the classroom. Cellphones must either remain inside a closed backback or purse from the time the test is distributed until the student leaves the classroom, or if students lack a backpack or purse, collect the phones on a desk near the instructor or in the front of the room prior to distributing the exam. Announcing this policy in class prior to the exam may be useful as a deterrent.

Ban Other Electronic Gadgets that can be programmed include graphing calculators, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) , programmable watches, palm pilots, and of course laptop computers. Those headphones may not be playing music from an IPod, instead, students have pre-recorded information and are listening to audio-crib information! There have even been reported instances at the university level of micro-video cameras used with co-conspirators in nearby locations sending answers back to the test-taker on communication devices. James Bond 007 in the classroom.

Water Bottles

- new version of crib sheets - seems some students have been found to have peeled off the labels, written data on the label, then replaced the label covering back on the bottle - except that when you look into the bottle you can read the formulas / dates / or other recorded information hidden on the inside.
Suggestion: BAN WATER BOTTLES from visible access. Give students options to: Zip it up inside backpack, leave it in front of classroom near instructors desk, or trash it.

Old Fashioned Cheat/Crib Sheets

are still around and with computer technology they are easier then ever, since students can type up multiple 'cheat sheets' of information, reduce the font-size down to itsy-bitsy, making them much smaller then a handwritten copy might be, then tuck them away inside a calculator cover, hide up a sleeve, in a pocket, inside a blue book, inside the brim of a cap, head scarves, etc. One on-line cheat guide suggests making them small enough to eat in case a suspicious instructor comes by. Use of food packages, gum, chips, cookies, etc are also popular items for crib sheets .
Suggestion: constant vigilance for clandestine behavior. No Food items allowed. One study found that an instructor leaving the classroom during an exam or other students not covering their papers were interpreted as open invitations to cheat. (3) Enlist additional proctors for large classrooms so more then one set of eyes is keeping everyone honest.

Pencils and Pens

another version of the ever popular crib sheet, this involves etching with a razor or pin on a pencil, not more then 4 sides, so that with a simple turn the evidence is hidden from anyone walking by - and using clear labels printed off a computer with tiny font wrapped onto pens. Having several pens or pencils on the desk isn't usually cause for concern.
Suggestions: Limit the number of items a student can have on their desk, and continue vigilance for suspicious behavior.

Blue Books

Another variation of the crib sheet is to insert a page or two into a blue book to copy from during the exam. With reduced font, a lot of information can be squeezed into a small page !
Suggestion: have students stack their blue books as they enter the room. When you are ready to distribute the exams and the desks are cleared, randomly distribute the blue books among the students. Announcing this practice a class period ahead of the exam will likely deter this method.

Writing on Body Parts

We've all known about students writing on their arms, covered up with sleeves, until they need to peek at the information hidden away. Writing on ankles, then pulling down socks when the need arises, etc.
Dr. Phil brought up a new one, female students wearing short skirts or low-cut tops and writing on their inside thighs and/or cleavage, relying on faculty not staring at their laps or chests in the classroom.
Suggestion: constant vigilance for clandestine behavior, shifting of apparel, although admittable this could be a difficult situation.

Copying Answers from Another Students Paper,

with or without their knowledge and assistance. Old fashioned, but still in use apparently according to research.
Suggestions: besides constant vigilance, if space permits spreading students apart is an easy way to combat this method, change usual seating patterns, and using a test-bank program to produce several versions of the same set of questions so the order of the questions will be different is another route when extra space not available. This form of cheating is easiest with multiple choice questions. Sit or stand in the back of the room during part of the test. Cheaters will usually turn see where you are, which makes it easy to keep an eye on them.

Illegal Access to an Exam. Obtaining an advance copy prior to the exam date.

Suggestions: keep exams and other office items [ie computer files] secure, locked down. Using the same version of an exam semester after semester is inviting copies to flourish. You can bet a copy will get out into circulation. Instead, use a test-bank program to store favorite questions and print the exams in several versions to prevent answer-keys from circulating.

Changing Answers on a Graded Exam.

You've graded the exams, handed them back and then a student asks to be re-graded, claiming their answers were correct and the grading was wrong.
Suggestions: To prevent additional material from being added to an already graded essay or short-answer write-in question, mark the end of the original answer with a dash or line in a colored ink while reading the student's answer: or in the case of multiple choice answers, draw a line down the page thru the answers so erasures would be evident.

Impersonation: Having Someone Else Take Their Exam.

Easier to get away with in big classes. While class rosters now have pictures, hair styles can change, photos are less then perfectly clear, hats can distort the image.
Suggestions: inform students that they will be expected to provide a current student ID card and/or a driver's license in order to take the exam.

Hats

and speaking of hats, those items can be used to hide crib sheets and prevent instructors from seeing the student's face while the students eyes are looking at a neighbor's test form.
Suggestions: Ban hats altogether, or require student to turn the brim around to the back so their faces are completely visable. This will also make handling a crib sheet more difficult.

Search Engine Translation

For this method, the student instructs the search engine (Ex Google) to find items on their topic in another language (Ex Spanish), then has the Search Engine translate the essay into English - since the paper didn't originally appear in English, locating this plagiarized copy will be much more difficult. Such translated essays are likely to have grammer and syntax errors unless the student takes the time to clean it up.
Suggestion: be sure to have other writing samples from the student on file for comparision. Require students to submit drafts as well as the final paper, and copies of all their source materials. TCC Library and computer labs provide free printing ! Check for citations of their sources within the paper. Use Turnitin.com

What Can Faculty Do to Reduce Cheating Attempts -

Students report the most effective methods to prevent cheating are:

1. Scrambled test forms 81.6%
2. Small classes 69.8%
3. using numerous proctors 68.4%
4. different make-up exams 68.4%
5. several distinct test forms 66.6%

"Academic Dishonesty & the Perceived Effectiveness of Countermeasures: an Empirical Survey of Cheating at a Major Public University." NASPA Journal, 1996

U. S. News & World Report found 1/3 of faculty from 21 difference campuses said "they had observed cheating in their classes and did nothing about it". (CQ) The most common reason given is that the process of administering consequences to a student that denies having cheated and demands due process review is time consuming.

Combating plagiarism: CQ Researcher reports studies indicate 40% of college students have plagiarized sources at least once. (Sept 19, 2003). Suggestions to reduce plagiarism in your classroom assignment:

• • explain plagiarism - many students are patently unaware of their responsibility to cite sources and how to paraphrase
  • collect writing sample at beginning of class
  • collect notes, outlines & rough drafts along with the completed papers
  • use Turnitin.com

see also the TCC Library page for faculty information about plagiarism

*Contact CIT 201-8388 for information on using Turnitin.com here at TCC.

1 "Combating Plagiarism". CQ Researcher, September 19, 2003. Entire issue.

2 "Cheating in Schools". CQ Researcher, September 22, 2000. Entire issue.

3 "College Cheating: Immaturity, Lack of Commitment and the Neutralizing Attitude." Research in Higher Education, 1986

"Wired for Cheating". Chronicle of Higher Education, 7/16/2004

"Which Methods of Cheating Are Most Common at UNC?"

Academic Integrity in Courses @ York University. "For Faculty: Examinations".

Colleges Clap Down On Cheaters, Karen Thomas, USA Today

Koch, K. (2000, September 22). Cheating in schools. The CQ Researcher Online, 10, 745-768. Retrieved April 15, 2005, from http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2000092200. Document ID: cqresrre2000092200. link is for on-campus access

Hansen, B. (2003, September 19). Combating plagiarism. The CQ Researcher Online, 13, 773-796. Retrieved April 15, 2005, from http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2003091900. Document ID: cqresrre2003091900. link is for on-campus access

Glater, J. (2006, May 18). Cheating gets easier with gadgetry. [Ipods and other gadgets]. New York Times, International Herald Tribune. Retrieved July 17, 2007 from http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/05/18/technology/web.0518cheat.php

Detecting and Preventing Classroom Cheating: Promoting Integrity in Assessment, by Gregory J. Cizek

Cheating on Tests: How to Do It, Detect It and Prevent It, by Gregory Cizek .

Plagiarism Handbook: Strategies for Preventing, Detecting, and Dealing with Plagiarism. By Robert Harris.

VR 3055 Caught Cheating: Cheating Crisis in America's Schools. 2004.

"Charles Gibson explores a troubling trend that some believe could pose a serious threat to America's educational system -- the growing level of cheating by students. During a six-month investigation, 'Primetime' visited colleges and high schools across the country to discover how today's students cheat and look at the possible reasons why they do it."

From Download Your Workload to the Evil House of Cheat: Sybercheating; Plagiarism; Intellectual Propery Theft. Slide presentation by Theresa Gillis & Janeanne Rockwell-Kincanon, Instructor Librarian, at Western Oregon University, 2000. 22 slides. #14 details the Search Engine Translation method.

How to Cheat: Techniques Used by Cheaters, from Teachopolis, the Virtual City for Teachers. "Note: This document is really designed for teachers, not cheaters. I compiled it after weeks of "lurking" on cheat sites. Most tips are in the cheaters' own words. " This is an outstanding list if only because of the multiple methods that the author identified, including Communicating in Codes, Turning in the Exam scam, Badger the Professor, If You're Caught techniques, and more. Author is Dr. Robert Bramucci, now Dean of Open Campus at Riverside Community College, CA.

The Cheating Page ! this site has suggestions for students on several methods of cheating practices, and provides a template to print a gum wrapper to be used to hide crib sheets. When the student needs the hidden information, they pull out a piece of gum and eureka ! their data is available. This site also suggests writing on the desk top during the preceeding class period, then getting there early enough to sit in the same seat. The author even provides a selection of papers he wrote while in college, labeled by class and grade received.

MAFiA presents improved ways of cheating at school. Among the several methods described on this site, one is advice to partner with a classmate and tag team the instructor as a distraction, asking questions, while the other partner copies from their cheat sheets.

A Guide to Cheating During Tests and Examinations. [no longer a functioning link] Apparently, Wikipedia decided to dump this from their site - the page now comes up blank ! I guess Wikipeida didn't want to openly endorse cheating. This page had variations on above methods, but included advice on hiding crib sheets inside pens that un-screw, or using hollowed-out pencils, writing on the bottom of shoes, which seats to avoid, copying from a planted source (hiding books in the restroom, then during the test leaving to look up answers). This one even had suggestions on how to beat a multiple version test by simply copying not only the answers but the form ID from a neighbor.

Michigan State University has published an online resource for faculty, Cheating From Where the Faculty Sits on guidelines on what to do before, during and after a test and in the classroom. Contains a lot of good advice on methods of discouraging cheating attempts !

Google Scholar Links on College Cheating Links to a variety of sources on this topic.

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see also: TCC Library's quicklist on preventing or minimizing cheating in the classroom - pdf (pdf 26.57 kB)

and: from University of California, Davis: Office of Student Judicial Affairs: Creating a Climate of Academic Integrity: Tips to Prevent Cheating (pdf) - this is a very useful guide

revised July 2007