Category: Cheating

Cheating is one of the major problems that exists in the academic environment and is presently the most important issues at tertiary level education. Research has shown that a significantly large number of undergraduates cheat and this number has increased in the past thirty years (McCabe et al., 2001). In addition even graduate students tend to cheat as much as the undergraduate students. Nonis & Swift, (2001) in their research have found that there are links between dishonesty as a student and dishonesty in their subsequent careers. Thus the impact of dishonesty like cheating in academic life may have far-reaching consequences.

Partly this increase in cheating plagiarism is associated with students understanding of the Information technology, the internet, online student guides and research papers and the simplicity in how information can be downloaded and used. And this kind of cheating has become common knowledge as it has also gained public attention. Easy access to the internet is one of the reason why there has been a drop in academic honesty and responsibility specifically in the case of plagiarism as there are indications of extensive plagiarism in universities and colleges. According to one report:”officials at some colleges say that in recent years they have seen a sharp increase in students cutting and pasting material into papers from Web sites without attribution, or purchasing term papers from online term-paper mills” (Young, 2001, A26). There are several ways through which students cheat using internet.

• First are all the research papers and existing research done by scholars and other articles and e-books, students in this case take information from these sources and fail to attribute it to the original writers trying to pass it off as their own.
• Secondly they use the different websites like cliff-notes which provide information on different subjects and directly cut and paste the information.
• Third instead of writing their own assignments and papers they either use pre-written papers that are being sold on the paper mills or order customized papers spending large amounts of money and getting their work done by others.

In the first two cases they may be directly copying or rewording the original text without citing proper references while in the third case they use the help of the papers mills to do their work for them, all three cases are of cheating.

The advent of information technology has aggravated the problem of plagiarism which has existing for many years on university campuses. In addition internet plagiarism also leads to the questions of academic honesty as many of the online sources are used not only by the students but also by the teachers and professors and leads to the issue of correct referencing and usage of online resources. As a result academicians and university administrators should be aware and concerned about how the students perceive the information available on the internet and the difference between fair and unfair use of resources which are so easily available.

Plagiarism on the net has a very unique position, the structure of internet permits the easy access and manipulation of information and copying of ideas. Today students can access ideas and concepts without being first aware about the actual concepts. And since there is so much information available that it is quite easy to conceal or cover the misuse of another’s ideas. In this kind of environment it seems that plagiarism is expected. This though does not mean that internet is responsible for plagiarism rather that the message given by this easy access to information is confusing. But for those who are more inclined towards using other people’s work and passing it off as their own as now it is much more easier than it was before, however those who want to use it ethically can use it too.

What is significant that in addition to a rise in cheating through internet has led to a more more confused state where the old ethical laws and arguments become qquite hazy. In an article in The New York Times Senator Norm Coleman, a Minnesota Republican is quoted as saying “Law, technology and ethics are not in sync right now”. (Lee, 2003)In the same article Ann Fabian a professor at Rutgers University believes that “The Web has changed notions of intellectual property, and we don’t have the norms to deal with it.” (Lee, 2003)

Today with greater technological advancement the context of cheating has also been evolving and developing. Presently although cheating has significantly increased however students do not consider it important as they believe that it is a new reality, and the traditional concept of cheating is also transforming. However the ethical questions regarding the usage of information from the internet without attributing the material to the original writer is a misrepresentation and proper citation is extremely important because plagiarism amounts to academic dishonest or academic fraud. New definitions and new policies are needed to deal with this technology related cheating.

Works Cited

Lee F R. (2003). Are More People Cheating?; Despite Ample Accounts Of Dishonesty, a Moral Decline Is Hard to Calculate, New York Times. Web.

McCabe. D. L., Trevino. L. K., and Butterfield, K. D. (2001). Cheating in academic institutions: A decade of research. Ethics & Behavior, 11(3), 219-232.

Nonis, S., and Swift, C. O. (2001). An examination of the relationship between academic dishonesty and workplace dishonesty: A multicampus investigation. Journal of Education for Business.,76(1), 69-77.

Young, J. R. (2001). The cat-and-mouse game of plagiarism detection. Chronicle ofHigher Education, A26-A27.

The Idea against cheating

Cheating is an academic dishonesty practiced in the academic discipline by students in schools and colleges in different forms. Cheating involves breaking rules and academic conventions set in the academic field to deter students and other learners from falsely and unjustly claiming grades and other academic success, which they have not worked to attain.

While proponents for cheating support the idea, yet cheating undermines the academic integrity of the student by causing students unjustly gain academic grades without intrinsic value and hinders learning.

Cheating is condemned in the academic discipline as that which undermines academic integrity of the learner at different levels of their academic pursuits by causing students gain academic grades that do not reflect the academic capabilities of the student. That allows students gain grades that do not have intrinsic value for the learner.

Bouville supports the idea on the lack of intrinsic value for grades earned through cheating by asserting that admission to universities and other institutions of higher learning are based on the grades earned at high school, when a student completes high school education (2).

Bouville continues to assert that unjustly gained grades enables student to get grades, which do not reflect the academic capabilities of the student (2). In addition to that, the purpose of testing students to determine their academic abilities in different field is defeated, ending up with graduates without the competence required in their fields of specialization.

Bouville argues that grades directly relate to the intrinsic value they are deemed be equivalent to and show the academic abilities of the student (3). Grades play a critical role in enabling others determine what a graduate can do, and forms the basis for predicting future success of the student (Bouville, 4).

Bouville affirms that cheating hinders learning at different academic levels with the explanation that students who engage in cheating fail to engage in academic tasks such as doing their homework by copying the work of others, thus hindering them from learning what they were required to do.

Thus, these students do not develop academically and when faced with situations that demand practical application of the skills and content they purportedly studied, fail to perform, casting doubt on their academic knowledge. However, proponents of cheating do not view anything wrong with cheating.

In support of cheating

Cheating, students argue, is a motivating factor that drives them toward achieving better grades (Jordan, 1). Arguments show that it is not always the case that when a student gets bad grades in a specific subject, the student has low academic abilities. A number of variables influence the final grade a student gets in class.

Among the factors, include the perceptions by teachers who might give a student a grade because the teacher either perceives the student as a good academic performer or perceives the student to be a poor academic performer and gives the grade accordingly. In addition to that, other variables that affect student performance include lack of unpreparedness due to underlying reasons such as sickness, family background, and lack of other supporting factors that might be termed as environmental factors.

That implies that the argument that cheating interferes with the learning of the student, and interferes with the academic integrity of the student and future carrier might be invalid. Thus, cheating might support a student with academic abilities attain grades that reflect the actual abilities of the student hindered by external factors. Other factors in favor of cheating include pressure to attain better grades in school or college by teachers and students, and the fear of failure.

Opposing Cheating

Despite proponents arguing in support of cheating, cheating is an academic misdemeanor that undermines the academic integrity of the student and institutions of learning.

Students awarded grades they have not worked for find it difficult to use the competence their grades suggest they have since grades show how good a student is in a specific discipline. While every student could like to excel academically as might be the expectations of the student and parents, yet, academic dishonesty places the student at a difficult position to use the grades that might lead to lifelong embarrassments and disgrace.

In addition to that, students who cheat, get grades enabling them admission into universities where they find difficulties to use the grades and pursue university courses negatively influencing their academic life and gradually into their social lives. Thus, the guilt pervades the mind into the entire life of the student.

The student undergoes a process to determine the ability of the student to perform in a specific field and the level of learning the student has gained in the same area to determine improvements required and not to portray the student negatively. In addition to that, teachers and parents should teach students to view learning positively and benefits of going through the process of learning without pressuring the students for better grades leading to cheating. Thus, cheating should be discouraged at all levels of academic life of the student.

Works Cited

Bouville, Mathieu. “Why is cheating wrong.” n.d. Web.

Jordan, A. E. “College Student Cheating: The Role of Motivation, Perceived Norms, Attitudes, and Knowledge of Institutional Policy”. 2001. Web.

In a broad sense, cheating can be described as a manipulation of certain conditions to obtain an advantage. As a matter of fact, it is a vice that has no true gain to its culprits. As the writer has put it ardently, it is common to cheat especially in academic-related tests and assignments. Actually, quite a number of students at school have at one point cheated or assisted classmates with their assignments.

This leads to compromising academic standards and consequent downgrading of integrity levels. However, this vice cannot be stereotyped to other hardworking students at school. There are those students who work hard in their studies and pass their examinations in a right manner. This paper seeks to explain the reasons as to why kids resort to unethical methods of passing their examinations despite having been given the right guidance.

According to research conducted on different college students by the writer, he found lack of content in their works. This is a basic requirement in addition to being articulate, creative and adorable. The compulsion of students to resort to unethical means of passing their examinations is as a result of many different reasons. One of the most prevalent of these is laziness; which culminates to poor preparation for the examinations.

In the end, students resort to manipulating the prevailing examination conditions for academic survival and exploit the opportunity to cheat. Another major reason that has enhanced the thriving of this menace is the burning desire amongst students to attain better grades. This is precipitated by the high level of expectations bestowed upon the students and the imminent fear of failing to pass the examinations.

Parents on the other hand go to greater extents to protect their kids. Some even state categorically the virtues they have instilled in bringing up their kids. This, to a large magnitude, encourages kids to employ dubious means to pass the exams and kill two birds with one stone.

More often than not, students are caught off guard during examination periods. This is because procrastination makes students accumulate so much work and only realize it when limited time is left for revision. Some claim that attaining low grades is justifiable for them to cheat in examinations.

This is done to gain better grades but is only for a short term and equally wrong. A claim by others that they are watching out for each other through cheating cannot be an endorsing factor for consideration. This is because the malpractice of exam cheating is unjustifiable. Quite a number of those indulging in exam cheating do so for thrill apart from securing good grades. When their mentors go unpunished on unethical practices, it acts as a justification to harbor the vice.

Those who do not condone the vice and are utterly against it are often labeled as either rude, mean, boisterous or uncooperative by their peers. It is a compelling issue to have students cheating in their examinations as this beats the logic and sole purpose of learning. Being tested is an important stage of getting to know how much knowledge has been acquired by students in the learning process.

In conclusion therefore, cheating may seem a short term solution but it is arguably derogatory in the long term. Honesty is a virtue that should be instilled in all students. It is important that students learn to prioritize their long term goals and stay focused on them.

Introduction

Cheating among student in collages is on the rife today and this is one of the serious challenging factors in most learning institution. According to the article written by Lawrence Himan, ‘How to Fight College Cheating’, he reports that about 74% of the students in colleges have accepted cheating in one or more of the several exams they undertake.

He also reports that the evolution of electronic devices have made is possible for the students to accelerate cheating and this includes gadgets like cell phones and PDAs (Anderman, Eric, and Tamera 86). It should also be noted that various colleges are enacted punitive measures to help curb the menace of academic cheating.

Failure in the academic paper, forfeiting of the degree course, and a poor recommendation for future jobs are some of the repercussions of cheating in colleges (Anderman, Eric, and Tamera 111). Thesis statement: Is academic cheating expected to be on the rise following the advancement made in the IT sector; Cell phones, I pads, and online assistance.

The acquisition of the cell phones which is essentially used for communication has been turned into academic assistance gadget, the cell phones have been made in away that they are able to access internet and this has provided students with the easiest means of reaching useful information regarding academic writings.

Student in most parts of the world have been found to engage cell phones widely in accessing information and pasting them in pretense that they are there own (Cizek 146). In this reference, most institutions have banned entrance of the exam room with any device that is internet enabled as this alone is tantamount to suspension as well as expulsion from studies in the institution (Cizek 177).

In the other way, the student have used I pads to plagiarize their papers. With the assistance of this device, the students are able to access already similar papers in the various sites in the internet at a fee. Today several sites are on the internet and have presupposed on the possible various papers the students might be expected to give a write up on and do the papers in prior for the students to purchase (Davis, Patrick, and Tricia 123).

This kind of arrangement has increased the complacency level among the students and most of the student wait and procrastinate until the last minute that they endeavor to beat deadlines. In this way, the students are able to submit papers not of their original work but in disguise (Davis, Patrick, and Tricia 158).

Online assistance also plays a major role as it segments another huge their cases online to freelancers who then undertake to deliver the papers on the time indicated at a cost. The online assistance has equally made it possible for the student to keep postponing their program as they are assured of assistance even in the shortest deadline (Lathrop, and Kathleen 44).

Technology has therefore made academic cheating very technical and no one can be apprehended of cheating as the source can not be ascertained. The learning institutions will therefore be forced to devise other methods that are equal to detecting even the far fetched academic cheating sourced even from the online assistance otherwise, the war against academic cheating will remain a mirage.

The question one may ask is, why do student cheat in exams?, the possible answers for the question may be as follows; most of the student are paid for the studies by the parents, this scenario makes it obvious for the parent to exert certain pressure form the students to reciprocate by giving viable grades that commensurate the fees paid for the students for their studies.

The students are on the other hand have to yield for the pressure and the easiest way of enabling this is by cheating in the examination. Procrastination is another reason as to why the students do involve themselves in academic cheating, in the colleges; the students get to be carried away with other extra-curriculum activities that are not linked to academic work taking place in the collages (Lipson 92).

In this case, the students get to be ambushed with the examinations and thus resort academic cheating. The students in a bid to keep cheating at a bay should then balance their time in collages to sit both of their requirements appropriately.

Finally, the students find it easier to engage in cheating at the expense of doing the real academic work (Spiegel, and Bernard 142). This is detrimental academically as it shutters the dream of the individual professionally as they will not be endowed with academic wealth as opposed to those who honestly earn their grades.

The act of cheating also inculcate the sense of no confidence in an individual owing to the fact that they are aware that their earned grades are not their own.

This low self esteem has also impacted negatively on the student in their various place of employment and this has resulted into high cases of doubt by the employees in some student and sometimes this leads to degradation of institutional status.

Works Cited

Anderman, Eric M., and Tamera Burton Murdock. Psychology of academic cheating. Amsterdam: Elsevier Academic Press, 2007. Print.

Cizek, Gregory J. Cheating on tests: how to do it, detect it, and prevent it. Mahwah, N.J.: L. Erlbaum Associates, 1999. Print.

Davis, Stephen F., Patrick F. Drinan, and Tricia Gallant. Cheating in school: what we know and what we can do. Chichester, U.K.: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. Print.

Lathrop, Ann, and Kathleen Foss. Student cheating and plagiarism in the Internet era: a wake-up call. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 2000. Print.

Lipson, Charles. Doing honest work in college: how to prepare citations, avoid plagiarism, and achieve real academic success. 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2008. Print.

Spiegel, Patricia, and Bernard E. Whitley. Academic dishonesty. Mahwah, N.J.: L. Erlbaum, 2001. Print.

Introduction

Cheating in schools has become the order of the day and is no more considered a big deal. Sometimes it is even deemed necessary. Students copy from others’ assignments and tests. Sadly, this is not only by the participating students but also by quite a number of teachers. Some merely ignore it while others go as far as taking part in it.

Public schools are the most affected by this particular issue. The reasons for cheating in public schools include; extrinsic inspiration of students, inadequate connection to school, negative frame of mind, risk taking comportment and setting of unrealistically high targets for teachers. Researches done over the years show that cheating is increasing steadily with time in all institutions (Baggish).

Extrinsic inspiration of students

There are two major categories of students: students who appreciate learning mainly for the sake of gaining knowledge and those seeking prizes, admissions to higher learning institutions and contented parents. The former are self- driven whereas the latter are motivated by the promised accolades.

There is however a third group of scholars who display equal rations of both inspirations. A survey done by the Independent Schools Health Check (ISHC) showed that self-driven students cheat the least (17.7%), mixed students cheat moderately (25.2%) and prize seeking students cheat the most (38.3%). Most students in public schools are either prize driven or mixed hence they tend to cheat more than private schools.

Inadequate connection to school

Learners in public schools mostly feel unsupported by their teachers and dislike studying. They find the school rules unfair and lack a sense of belonging. They generally experience little or no internal pressure to succeed, unlike their private school counterparts who relish their specialized curriculums, like their teachers and find them helpful.

This deficiency in public schools leads to increased cheating in assignments and quizzes. Due to the low internal pressure for success, most students do their work simply to maintain routine and not to boost their knowledge. However, even some of the students who retain a suitable connection to school take part in cheating.

Negative frame of mind

Such students are usually experiencing emotional, developmental and interactive troubles. The majorities are found in public institutions and are a much diversified set of students. They generally feel isolated, upset, dejected and displeased with themselves. Their rates of cheating are pretty high, between twenty and forty percent. This is in accordance with the study done by the ISHC.

Risk taking comportment

Students who take other risks include those who use tobacco, hefty consumers of alcohol, users of drugs such as marijuana and those who are taking part in sexual activities.

According to the analysis carried out by the ISHC, 15.3% of consumers of low alcohol amounts cheat, 29% of the moderate consumers cheat and 50.6% of heavy drinkers cheat in examinations. This shows that the risks taken are directly proportional to the cheating levels. Students who take more risks also cheat more whereas those who take fewer risks cheat less (Blackler).

Ignorant teachers

Cheating is no longer rampant in colleges only but also in high schools. This has caused the attitude that people now treat it with, considering it no big deal. A distressing 15% of students today hand in papers gotten largely from term-paper mills and websites on the internet.

They contend that the internet is a good research implement hence it should not be considered cheating. “We are partly to blame. We are not helping them to understand. Getting teachers to let students know they care about the issue is an important first step.” (McCabe-2001 referring to educators, parents and society in general).

Worse still, students today feel that teachers sometimes disregard cheating. However, now many high schools expect a solution from technology and anti-piracy software.

Setting of unrealistically high targets for teachers

In Atlanta, detectives who have concluded a two year investigation established that objectives set for public school teachers had been unrealistically high. Under the federal No Child Left Behind act for America’s public schools, it is essential for each student to accomplish annual advancements.

Success is rewarded and failure penalized. The gravity to yield grades by any method possible thus became more vital than genuine educational growth. This led to bullying of teachers from the uppermost ranks to lower ones threatening them to either achieve the desired outcome in three years or get canned.

Teachers assembled to rub out wrong answers and correct them; they sat the lower-scoring students next to their more adept colleagues and conveyed answers to students both directly and indirectly. In one particular instance, a student sat under the desk and declined the exam yet astoundingly he made the required grade.

People who threatened this arrangement such as Dr. Jackie Boyce in 2009 were immediately silenced with intimidations. There have been established cases of cheating in several districts and states and they are still on the rise. The public education director of FairTest (The National Centre for Fair and Open testing), Robert Schaeffer is not astonished and feels that, “the more you look, the more you’re going to find.”

Anti-thesis

Although most surveys show that public schools cheat more than private schools, some tend to disagree. A study, (Report Card 2002: The Ethics of American Youth) issued by Josephson Institute for Ethics revealed that private schools cheat more than public schools. 78% of students who go to private religion based high schools take part in cheating whereas 72% of those attending public high schools cheat.

It was found that even those whose spiritual backgrounds mattered greatly to them took part in cheating. Surprisingly, the spiritual background does not seem to prevent students from lying. If anything, students attending religion based learning institutions lie more by 5% according to this study.

Regardless of these conclusions, believers of religion based education continue to emphasize that government assistance to religious learning institutions will improve the principles of students. A Yale University professor and supporter of vouchers, Stephen L. Carter, contended in Christian Today “For the millions of parents who continue to support school vouchers, the religious school is seen as a partner in training the child in right and wrong.”

He went on to say the fact that nine out of ten of all students go to spiritual based learning institutions is likely to portray a parental conclusion that nurturing decent and respectable children is of greater magnitude than improving academic performance (Kennedy).

Conclusion

Cheating undoubtedly leaves a certain mark on every student who takes part in it. Impossible as it may seem, it actually leaves a positive mark on some even though most experience negative effects. Due to the inefficiency in enforcing measures to curb cheating, majority of the culprits get away with it; and most of them carry on with dishonesty in higher learning institutions and on to their occupations.

They also behave similarly in their family units. As a result, children brought up by these people wind up having a lower moral upstanding than their parents. This directly increases the percentile of cheating students with passing time.

Some of the cheaters however, are usually caught and disciplinary measures taken depending on the level of learning. For high school students, warnings, suspensions and expulsions in extreme cases usually suffice. In higher learning institutions more severe measures are usually taken.

Sometimes cheaters are sentenced to prison or barred from further learning in those particular institutions. This forces them to give up education altogether and seek other ways of earning a living. However, not all learn the intended lesson. Those who learn adjust their behavior and in many cases manage to bring up children with higher moral standards. However those who fail to learn end up just like those who were never caught in terms of attitude.

All in all, cheating should be eliminated no matter what the cost. Its eradication should begin from educators, parents and the community in general. This will improve the learning capacity and moral code of the students who being tomorrow’s leaders, will improve the world as a whole (ProQuest Education Journals).

Works Cited

Baggish, Rosemary and Peter, Wells. “academic honesty and the Independent School.” Independent School. Academic Search Complete. Web.

Blackler, Zoe. “View from here – Exposed: Biggest Cheating Scandal in US History.” The Times Educational Supplement.4958, 2011

Kennedy, Robert. “Why You Won’t Find Cheating In Private Schools.” Private School Review. Kennedy Robert. Web.

ProQuest Education Journals. ProQuest Research Library; ProQuest Social Science Journals. Web.

Introduction

The education system is usually faced with a lot of challenges one of them being cheating in exams. The main reason behind cheating in colleges is usually to pass the examination and reach the expected grades. Many students suffer from transition from high school to colleges and the belief that college education is tougher than that in high school makes them panic hence the temptation to cheat in exams.

The learning atmosphere in colleges, for instance, lack of strict rules with much freedom also may make the students relax and forget their studies hence cheating due to lack of adequate time to revise for exams.

All in all the factors that lead to cheating do not in any way justify the wrong act and the students usually face a lot of consequences. This paper gives an insight into some of the consequences faced by a college student because of cheating in exams.

Consequences of a College Student Cheating In Exams

There are various consequences that are linked to cheating in exams in the college level. The student face some punishment which in most cases is determined by the seriousness of the cheating, the institution’s stipulated rules and regulations in regard to examinations, the particular lecturer’s or professor’s view of the circumstance among other factors.

One of the consequences involves failure in the specific course which leads to the overall failure. This is because cheating may result in getting a zero mark.

Apart from the failure, the student may also face the academic examination and disciplinary body which may make severe judgment for instance suspension or probation in case of first attempt or discontinuation or expulsion of the students in case of repeated attempt which affects not only his or her academic life but also the general life for instance in terms of securing employment opportunities.

Another consequence of cheating in examination among the college students is that the habit of copying or relying on others as opposed to working hard in their studies creates a negative attribute on them where they lack creativity and originality in their academic work.

They also lose the sense of responsibility as they depend on others for their educational success reducing their chances of gaining new knowledge which adds to their pool of existing knowledge hence putting them in better places in various aspects of life.

The ethical and moral grounds of the college students who engage in cheating habits is also undermined which may affect all other aspects of their lives as they do not value accountability and ethics for example in family or work place settings (Hinrichsen 1).

In the event that the student who engage in cheating exam successfully finishes the college education, he or she may create a false character to the outside world as the certificates and other documents shows that the student is capable or fit for a particular position in the work place whereas he or she has little or no knowledge on the field.

The lack of independence and responsibility could also be carried on to the work place where the individual becomes inefficient and highly non-resourceful reducing the possibilities of securing and retaining a good job.

The students who are caught in cheating also face a lot of embarrassment and shame such as facing the disciplinary body which could be ruthless thus affecting their self esteem negatively.

The reputation of the particular student is also damaged as he or she is viewed as being incompetent and wrong by the other students, the lecturers and professors and even the administration. This reputation may have negative impact to the student even long after the cheating incident. A student who engages in cheating exams without being caught may also consider him or herself as a winner forgetting that it may affect them sometimes in future.

The students may find themselves being involved in other unethical acts in their adulthood which could lead to more severe consequences than those faced in an educational setting. Another effect of cheating in exams is that the honest present and even the future students in the system also suffer from the cheating behaviour.

This is because the cheating is deemed to affect the education system in a given manner as the rules tend to be inclined to both the honest and the cheating students. The grades of the honest students are also affected as they tend to be positioned lower than the cheating ones because the cheating students perform better in most cases although their means are not justified (Smith 1).

Conclusion

Cheating in exams among college students is in the rise as the school systems become more lenient in terms of the examination rules and regulation, the guidelines given to the students and also the consequences accrued to the cheating act. Students usually find themselves taking advantage of cheating at the expense of working hard.

It is thereby advisable that the education systems in colleges should be revised where the importance of ethics should be impacted to the students to ensure that the students are able to be resourceful and responsible even in their professional careers and other general life matters.

Works Cited

Hinrichsen, Erik. “Consequences of Cheating on Exams in College’. Bright Hub, 2010. Web.

Smith, Andrew. “Consequences for Cheating in School”. Ehow, 2011. Web.

Introduction

Cheating is a common phenomenon among students at all levels of education. It happens in high schools, colleges, and universities. In addition, it occurs in both traditional and online settings of learning. Students have sufficient time and resources that give them the opportunity to work hard and pass their exams through personal effort (Davis et al. 35). This begs the question: why do students cheat?

Research has revealed that several reasons and factors are responsible for cheating in schools. A study conducted to find out the prevalence of cheating in colleges found out that approximately 75 percent of college students cheat at one time in the course of their stay at school (Davis et al. 36).

There is need to find a lasting solution because cheating does not reflect the real potential of students. Effects of cheating are reflected in students’ performance at workplaces. Students cheat because many schools define excellence through grades, lack of self-confidence with one’s ability, pressure from parents and teachers to do well, and poor teaching methods that do not fulfill the goals of learning (McCabe et al. 51).

Discussion

Students cheat because many institutions of learning value grades more than attainment of knowledge (Davis et al. 36). Many school systems have placed more value on performing well in tests and examination than on the process of learning. When assessment tests and examinations play a key role in determining the future of a student, cheating becomes an appropriate channel to perform well (McCabe et al. 51).

Few institutions encourage mastery of learning materials rather than tests. In such institutions, students develop a positive attitude towards education because they are not worried about their performance in tests (Davis et al. 37). They focus more on the attainment of knowledge and skills. Psychologists argue that placing high value on tests teaches students to value short-term effects of education and ignore the long-term effects.

True or false questions, multiple choice questions, and matching tests are examples of assessments used by institutions that value grades (McCabe et al. 53). On the other hand, essay questions, research papers, and term papers are methods used to teach in institutions that value the learning experience and attainment of knowledge more than grades (Davis et al. 39).

Lack of confidence in their abilities motivates students to cheat. Lack of adequate skills and knowledge are some of the reasons that lead to the loss of confidence by students. According to McCabe et al,

“Teachers who focus more on grades have poor methods of teaching compared to teachers who value knowledge.” (51).

Students who think that they are not smart enough to cheat are more likely to cheat in order to get good grades. Learning that puts emphasis on grades involves repetition and memorization of learning materials (Davis et al. 41). Students forget much of the knowledge gained after sitting for their exams. Bored students have little or no connection to their teachers and are therefore likely to cheat because they are never prepared.

Such learning methods make learning boring and uninteresting (McCabe et al. 53). It does not motivate students to work hard and attain knowledge that could be useful in their careers. Interactive learning endows students with the confidence, which makes them believe in their ability to handle all kinds of challenges and situations (Davis et al. 42).

Students cheat because of pressure exerted on them by their parents and teachers to attain good grades (McCabe et al. 54). Many teachers and parents gauge the abilities of students by their grades. Many colleges use grades as a way of choosing the students who are qualified to join college. Self-efficacy is an important aspect of learning because it gives students the confidence to handle various tasks (McCabe et al. 55).

Teachers can cultivate a sense of self-efficacy in students by believing in all students regardless of their grades. However, many teachers alienate students who get low grades and give more attention to students that get high grades. On the other hand, many parents promise to take their children to college only if they get high grades. This motivates students to cheat in order to gain entry into college.

It is important for teachers and parents to find the weaknesses and strengths of all students and help them to exploit their potential. Sidelining some students is wrong and a good enough reason to cheat.

Another reason that explains why students teach is poor leaning and teaching methods (Davis et al.44). Good learning methods involve movements, inventions, creativity, discussions, and interactions. These methods improve comprehension among students and facilitate proper sharing of knowledge. However, many teachers find these methods tedious and time-consuming.

The aftermath is resentment form students because the teachers use methods that make learning boring. People learning through various methods. In addition, different students have different learning needs (McCabe et al. 56). Therefore, using a single teaching method does not serve the needs of all students. Some students develop a negative attitude towards learning and their teacher.

These students are likely to cheat in exams. Teachers should evaluate their students in order to develop teaching methods that cater to them all (McCabe et al. 58). Otherwise, some students might feel neglected in case they fail to comprehend certain subjects or disciplines.

Finally, students cheat because of laziness and lack of focus. According to Parker, students cheat because of lack f goo morals and laziness. According to Parker,

“A startling number attributed variously to the laziness of today’s students, their lack of a moral compass, or the demands of a hypercompetitive society.” (McCabe et al. 59)

She further argues that society demands much of students. This leads to cheating because students feel under pressure to perform well. Laziness is common among students. Students who waste their time on unimportant things have little time to study and do their homework (McCabe et al. 62).

They are unprepared during exams and result to cheating in order to perform well. On the other hand, many employees determine the capabilities of potential employees based on their grades. This motivates students to cheat in order to get high grades.

Conclusion

Reasons for cheating include lack of self-confidence in one’s ability to perform well, pressure from parents and teachers, and poor teaching methods that do not fulfill the learning needs of all students. In addition, many learning institutions place great value on grades rather than the acquisition of knowledge. Cheating is a common phenomenon among students at different levels of learning.

More research needs to be conducted in order to ascertain why students cheat. Further research is necessary because different students cheat for various reasons. Moreover, it is important for teachers to lay more emphasis on the acquisition of knowledge and skills rather than good grades.

Students have different learning needs that are satisfied using different teaching and learning methods. Teachers should evaluate their students in order to determine the most important teaching methods that cater to the learning needs of all students.

Works Cited

Davis, Stephen, Drinan Patrick, and Gallant Tricia. Cheating in School: What We Know and What We Can Do. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2011. Print.

McCabe, Donald, Butterfield Kenneth, and Trevino Linda. Cheating in College: Why Students Do It and What Educators Can Do About It. New York: JHU Press, 2012. Print.

The fact that he has cheated in his college entrance exam does appear to be something which should not have been done by my friend. Thinking about his action in doing so, I believe that he may have been in a mental state that instigated him to do so. He may have believed that the college entrance exam is not very significant at the moment and that there is nothing wrong in cheating for a test which will decide whether he should be admitted in the particular college. In effect I am sure he did not ponder over the problem in thinking about the deep rooted consequences of such an action. He would not have been aware that had he been caught cheating he could never have been granted admission and may have been debarred from applying in the college for a few years. The fact that he confided in me about having cheated does show his confidence in me, which also implies that he needs some effective advice so that such action is not repeated by him.

He has already cheated in the test and there is no reason to make him feel guilty about it. But he needs to be counseled about the action being principally wrong in not being a justified measure to determine his caliber in seeking admission to the given college. He needs to understand that this entrance was the first test for him and if he begins his career in this way, it may set a pattern for him in justifying such actions during future tests and exams too. There would ultimately be a time when he would be caught in the misdeed which may prove very detrimental to his future and career. The first time someone makes a mistake, he can be pardoned provided he realizes his mistake and does not repeat the act of delinquency. The most important task is to make him realize that it is wrong to cheat in an exam and that life has in store for us several exams where we just cannot cheat. It is clear that the adverse consequences of claiming credit by unjustified means are not known to him other wise he would not have indulged in such an act.

A student, who is on the verge of making a foray into the independent life of college which grants much more freedom and independence as compared to school life, must be made aware of the risks attached with such independence. He needs to understand that he is answerable for all his deeds to his family, friends, relatives and teachers and nobody is going to pardon him for repeated wrongdoings. He is now stepping into a different world where he is expected to display a greater amount of responsibility and to make achievements on the basis of his own strengths and capabilities. Cheating in the test would enable easy entry into the college, but during the semesters he would have to undergo several tests where he will not be able to cheat. Hence he should understand that cheating in any sphere of life is ruled out. He must also be made to realize that he will gradually reach different stages in life where he will have to set an example in front of peers, juniors and even his children after he marries. He would never allow his son to cheat in any exam. This process of understanding will go a long way in making him realize of the wrong action he has taken.

In making judgment about my friend that he is a cheat, one may forget that humans are a bundle of limitations and that he may have just been unaware that such an action is immoral and unjustified. He may have been in the company of friends who influenced him into thinking that there is nothing wrong with cheating in such a test. The shift from school to college can be utilized as an opportunity for him to change and adopt better habits and practices since the same friends will not be with him in college. It is very much possible that he may be having immense potential to make an excellent mark in life if given the right and appropriate guidance and directions in leading his forthcoming life. Hence it is imperative that he be made to realize of the wrong action he took in cheating in the admission test. After having realized his mistake he will surely adopt a more positive attitude in doing the things in the right perspective. Human tendency is such that nobody can be prefect all the time in terms of the different things that we do in our everyday life. If my friend has cheated, he may have made a mistake and it is proper to give him an opportunity in improving himself instead of labeling him as incompetent or as a cheat.

It is important to provide leverage to my friend on account of the different culture and circumstances that he comes from, as compared to majority of the people in this country. He is from a family that is not sound economically, and his father had expired when he was very young. Having been brought up in a tightly secluded environment he was not much exposed to the rigors of real life situations. He does not understand the implications and consequences of cheating in the exam. He got an opportunity to cheat and he cheated because he felt there was nothing wrong with it. Although ignorance of law is not an excuse, but since he was not caught cheating and had only confided in me, I consider it my duty to apprise him of the wrong action that he took as also of the serious consequence that lie ahead if he does not mend his ways. He will surely understand since he is very receptive to reason and is open minded in realizing the correctness of my advice to him.

The action that my friend took by way of cheating in the college entrance exam is indeed undesirable and incorrect on his part and would have been severely punished had he been caught in the act. Having confided in me of his doing in this regard does indicate that he had the openness to share his actions with me. There may have been an inherent expectation from him for me to advise him in regard to whether it was right or wrong. It is required that he be cautioned that he did take a wrong action and that he must refrain from such activities. More importantly he needs to be counseled at this critical turn in his life, when he is stepping into a new world, about his duties in adopting the most ethical perspectives in leading his future life. He must be conveyed that there is so much to do for him and that the whole world is at his disposal only if he adopts ethical means to achieve his objectives.

The study was conducted by multiple authors who represented multiple organizations. Namely, the authors included Li Zhao, who represented both the Department of Psychology, School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, and the Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China. Jiaxin Zheng, Haiying Mao, Xinyi Yu, Jiacheng, Ye, and Hongyi Chen represented the Department of Psychology, School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University. Brian J. Compton and Gail D. Heyman represented the Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, and Kang Lee, represented The Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study, University of Toronto. The purpose of the study was to investigate the topic of academic misconduct and the effect of morality-based interventions on the behavior of students.

Authors hypothesized that compared to the conventional test format, cheating would be much lower under the three trust-exam scenarios. Regarding the three trust-exam versions strategy, authors anticipated the two circumstances that a warning about the penalty is less effective at lowering cheating since they would communicate implicitly the idea that pupils should not be believed, which is contradictory to how the trust component is meant to be used. To test the hypothesis, researchers used an experimental design, as the participants of the study took the same exam under four different conditions. The conditions included a traditional exam, collective-punishment trust exam, individual-punishment trust exam, and no-punishment trust exam.

296 first-year undergraduate students (206 women) from a university in eastern China took part in the study. They were enrolled in four separate sessions of the same introductory psychology course, which is a first-year undergraduate general education requirement. Each student was randomly assigned to one of the four conditions, with 71 in the traditional exam condition (37 women), 81 in the collective-punishment trust-exam condition (64 women), 82 in the individual-punishment trust-exam condition (55 women), and 62 in the no-punishment trust-exam condition.

The dependent variable of the study is cheating on the exam. Yet, it was divided into two categories – cheating occurrence and cheating extent. Cheating occurrence refers to whether the student cheated or not, and if he or she did, the extent of it would be measured from 1 to 5 depending on the number of questions cheated on. Each of the four conditions introduced different independent variables. The traditional exam condition implied the presence of a professor in the classroom as an independent variable. Collective-punishment trust exam introduced the independent variable of all classes scoring 0 for the exam if one of the students cheats. Individual punishment meant the introduction of students that cheated, scoring 0 on the exam. Finally, the no punishment condition implies that if somebody is caught cheating, there will be no consequences or punishments.

The second-highest cheating rate was created by the no-punishment trust exam condition. The study found that neither the cheating rate nor the level of cheating differed substantially between the individual-punishment trust exam condition and the no-punishment trust exam condition.

In comparison to the other two trust-exam circumstances, the prospect of collective punishment did appear to have a deterrent impact, resulting in a considerably reduced cheating rate and extent. The usual trust exam strategy nevertheless resulted in a much greater cheating rate than the conventional test approach, hence this conclusion does not justify its ongoing usage.

The educational experience is of value to each individual as it provides the opportunity to achieve the best possible future outcomes. Of particular value in this process is academic integrity as an integral part of learning. It affects not only students but also educational providers, which makes it even more critical to study. Therefore, this essay will explore the basic concepts of academic integrity and its role in the learning process and provide a reflective account of its presence in the personal and educational experience.

First, it is necessary to gain an understanding of what academic integrity is. Thus, it implies adherence to such concepts as honest learning and not breaking the rules set before students regarding the educational experience. Poitras Pratt and Gladue pointed out that it promotes “values of fairness, honesty, respect, responsibility, and trust as essential values to student conduct” (104). Research stated that violation of academic integrity results in “students’ academic misconduct, particularly plagiarism, collusion, and contract cheating” (Morris 2). This aspect is critical not only in the field of learning but also in the entire life of individuals. This is due to the fact that cheating and breaking the rules presented to people can put many other things, such as money or personal reputation, in jeopardy. It is also worth noting that academic integrity is an aspect that one acquires and develops in the process of gaining experience and awareness of the importance of such things as honesty and responsibility. Academic integrity can include taking responsibility for one’s own actions and helping others to recognize the need to take action on one’s own.

Regarding the process of learning, academic integrity involves several concepts at once. First and foremost, it emphasizes proper preparation for the educational process that will make it a worthwhile educational experience (Taylor 1). This includes not only memorizing the necessary information but also critically analyzing it and considering it in terms of current events and getting rid of any questions. This will be effective not only for the individual but for everyone involved in the learning process because it can dispel misunderstood aspects and provide clarity.

Academic integrity becomes an area of responsibility in the classroom itself. Therefore, it implies a respectful and serious attitude toward all participants in the transmission and acquisition of knowledge. This includes not only following the rules regarding attendance and attendance. It is especially valuable for gaining awareness of areas that are difficult for students and motivation to limit data gaps in knowledge. Thus, reflecting on personal experience, we can conclude that academic integrity fosters people’s honesty and responsibility to themselves. It is worth adding that the above is reflected directly in the grades students receive. It makes it possible to have doubts about the validity of a given aspect and to challenge it with substantial evidence of a better result.

Critical to achieving the most productive results is adherence to academic accuracy during exams and writing assignments. Henceforth, the main problem is that students prefer to form themselves to cheating and use outside sources to find easy answers or those people who will do their tasks for them. This poses a threat to future development and functioning. This is due to the fact that individuals are immediately deprived of the ability to think and make decisions for themselves. Moreover, it will affect the ability to make decisions and take responsibility for their own actions.

Conducting a reflection provided a clear awareness that academic integrity involves a collaborative learning process in which individuals’ outcomes depend on the work of the whole team. This is supported by the fact that learning is a shared process in which everyone involved has value. In addition, it also means that the knowledge that students gain is the result of the work of multiple researchers and is based on evidence-based work. Therefore, academic credit is based on giving credit to previous researchers by examining their work and extracting the most value from it.

In conclusion, the concept of academic authenticity has a special value in the learning process. It is reinforced by the fact that it provides an opportunity to acquire characteristics such as responsibility, honesty, and an understanding of the importance of acquiring knowledge on one’s own. Acts such as cheating and breaking the rules of the learning process can be the result of an individual’s inferiority and unpreparedness for future experiences. This aspect applies not only to academic success but also to everyday life, in which integrity occupies one of the leading places. Thus, academic integrity applies to all phases of learning, such as preparation and direct participation in classes, exams, and writing assignments. Doing these things yourself develops responsibility for your own actions and the importance of living up to these responsibilities later on. Academic integrity also means recognizing the importance of previous contributions to science and education and giving back to them by using and learning from them to achieve personal and educational goals.

Works Cited

Morris, Erica J. “Academic Integrity Matters: Five Considerations for Addressing Contract Cheating.” International Journal for Educational Integrity, vol. 14, no. 1, 2018, pp. 1-12.

Poitras Pratt, Yvonne, and Keeta Gladue. ‘Re-Defining Academic Integrity: Embracing Indigenous Truths.” Academic Integrity in Canada. Springer, 2022.

Taylor, Bill. “Academic Integrity: A Letter to my Students.” OaktonCommunity College, 2004.