How STUDENTS cheat

Students cheat in a variety of ways. In most cases, they are aware that their act is dishonest, but in some instances, it isn’t as clear. Attributions and sharing group work are consistent themes for researchers and educators who seek to identify when cheating is cheating. In addition, it can be confusing for students and classes who conduct work and study on- and offline to distinguish between the two during assessments. “Some students consider it a challenge to cheat without being caught while others are simply too lazy or unwilling to commit to the study time necessary to do well” (Kelley & Dooley, 2014, p.1).

Common methods of academic misconduct involving mobile devices:

• Storing information on smartphone for retrieval during a test/exam

• Taking pictures of test questions and sharing with classmates

• Search internet during test/exam

• Using social media to send or share content

• Communicating with others during test/exam

Students have been known to track down and share old exams/tests, find online solution manuals, create and share cheat sheets, communicate with others outside the exam, claim illness to delay the writing of exams/tests, and text answers back and forth. “Common tools the student may attempt to use for these methods include cellular and/or smartphones, graphing calculators with onboard memory, and miniature cameras and scanners” (Kelley & Dooley, 2014, p.2). According to Peytcheva-Forsyth et al (2018), technology has led to “unlimited opportunities” for students to cheat in a variety of assessment forums from face-to-face exams to online assessments.

Back in 2009, Common Sense Media released a study that investigated "Hi-Tech Cheating." In it, the researchers found that 35% of students admitted to using cell phones to cheat. The students stored notes on the phones, texted answers to others during tests and examinations, and downloading work that they pass off as their own. 23% of the students didn't think that using their devices during a test was cheating while only 3% of parents believed their own child would ever use a cellphone to cheat.