Don't Get Caught: How Universities Track Down Cheaters

<p><table border="0"> <tr><td><img src="/cimages/multimages/2/cheater.jpg" alt="Cheater" /></td></tr> </table> </p> <p>There are so many studies out there offering estimates of how many college students cheat that it is almost impossible to pinpoint an exact number. The findings in most studies indicate the average is between 50% and 75%.* </p> <h2 id="section---Plagiarism">Plagiarism</h2> <p>The Internet has made it easier than ever for students to plagiarize essays and other academic papers. To address what is becoming a critical issue, professors and universities have stepped up their efforts to track down students who plagiarize. The three most common methods they use include: </p> <h3 id="section---SearchEngineChecks">Search Engine Checks</h3> <p>Professors often use Google or another search engine to determine whether or not a student has plagiarized content from the Internet. Students who copy and paste entire blocks of text from online encyclopedias and other types of websites often get caught this way. </p> <h3 id="section---PlagiarismWebsites">Plagiarism Websites</h3> <p>Websites like Copyscape.com, Turnitin.com and PlagiarismChecker.com are favorites of professors who want to check sentences, phrases and whole documents. These sites compare what the professor enters with papers that are online and in the sites' databases. Students who copy and paste or download entire papers from free or low-cost essay generation sites typically get caught with this popular method. </p> <h3 id="section---PlagiarismDetectionSoftware">Plagiarism Detection Software</h3> <p>Universities have also begun to purchase or subscribe to plagiarism detection software services. This software can check to see if a student plagiarized content from course to course or semester to semester. Students who 'borrow' papers from themselves or other students are most vulnerable to this method of tracking down cheaters. </p> <h2 id="section---SharingAnswers">Sharing Answers</h2> <p>Universities are becoming savvy to the different ways students share homework and test answers with themselves and other people. Things that professors now monitor include: </p> <h3 id="section---FacebookAndOtherSocialNetworkingSites">Facebook and Other Social Networking Sites</h3> <p>Facebook, MySpace and similar sites were started for college students who want to network online. Some students use the sites to begin virtual study groups. Although this sounds perfectly innocent, it may be against some schools' policies. A student in Canada was recently accused of cheating because he began a Facebook study group for his chemistry class. The student's chemistry professor found the study group online and changed the student's grade from a B to an F. </p> <h3 id="section---TechDevices">Tech Devices</h3> <p>Students frequently use technology to their advantage when taking tests. Storing information on an iPod or a calculator is not uncommon. Students also use cell phones and text messaging to seek out answers from friends who are outside the classroom. Professors have a good handle on all of the trends and watch for students who pull out devices or take too many bathroom breaks during a test. </p> <h2 id="section---OtherCounterCheatingMethods">Other Counter Cheating Methods</h2> <p>There are lots of different ways to cheat and just as many measures put in place to discourage and catch cheaters. Some of these measures include: </p> <h3 id="section---TheHonorCode">The Honor Code</h3> <p>Most universities have a strict honor code that prohibits cheating. Honor codes vary by universities. Some call for immediate expulsion of the student caught cheating. Others are meant to be nothing more than an extra tool meant to make students feel guilty. Students who attend a school with an honor code should be aware that most professors live by their school's code and will most likely report any student who violates it. </p> <h3 id="section---PassFail">Pass/Fail</h3> <p>It is hard to catch students cheating in a distance learning course, which is why a lot of universities with online programs have adopted a pass/fail policy when it comes to quizzes and tests. The idea is that if students are not graded, they will be less likely to cheat. Some online schools also track the amount of time it takes students to complete test questions so that students can't look up answers or get help from outside sources. </p> <hr /> <p><i>*Nonis and Swift (1998), Park (2003), Kidwell et al. (2003), Chapman et al. (2004), CollegeHumor.com (2007)</i></p>