Apart from plagiarism, the
two most common forms of academic dishonesty are cheating on exams and
furnishing false information. Both are easy to detect, but they should
be handled tactfully since they often occur in a public setting.
Cheating on Exams:
Detecting cheating on an exam
is mostly a matter of vigilance. Watch for wandering eyes, cell phones
or other electronic devices on desks, open books or book bags at the student's
feet or on a nearby chair, or students who stop writing when you walk
near them. Pay particular attention to students who sit in a part of the
room that is difficult to see, such as the very back row or a dark corner.
Read names on blue books as they are handed in. Watch for a student you
do not know handing in an exam for a student you do know, or for a male
student submitting an exam with a female student's name on it (or vice
versa).
If blue books are used, one
preventative measure is to ask students to create specific marks in the
book, such as putting a large 'X' through page 5, or signing their names
across the entire first page. This will prevent students from bringing
in blue books which have been written in prior to the exam, or from doing
an exam for someone else.
In order to avoid falsely accusing
students, make your expectations clear about what additional materials
will be allowed during the exam. Then before the exam begins, remind students
to put everything else away and out of sight.
Furnishing False Information:
Students may furnish false
information about their identity in the course of an exam or other academic
obligation, or fabricate information or data and present it legitimate.
It is easy to catch students who furnish false information during an exam
or other academic assignment by checking the identification cards of students
who you do not know personally. False data can be detected by making it
a policy to follow up on bibliographical references from time to time.
What to do if you suspect
that a student:
…is cheating on an exam
Some strategies for detecting
academic dishonesty are discussed in the section on Academic
Dishonesty: Additional Solutions, Exams. However, what do you do if
you suspect that a student is cheating or catch them in the act of doing
so? First, DO NOT ACCUSE THEM OF CHEATING. Expressions such as "cheating"
are not only inflammatory, they may put your department or the university
in a difficult legal position at a later date. Be tactful. For instance,
if you suspect that a student is attempting to copy from others or may
be communicating answers to another person during an exam, quietly ask
them to move to another seat. If you suspect that a student has preprogrammed
a calculator with unauthorized information or is using some other electronic
device in a similar way, ask them to let you examine the device in question.
If it does contain unauthorized information, consider confiscating it
or asking the student to put it away. Take the student's name and SID
number, and ask the instructor in charge of the course how to proceed.
…has furnished false infomation
Students who are doing poorly
in a course have been known to ask another student, who is more familiar
with the subject in question, to take the final exam, complete a project,
or write a paper for them. Thus, it is helpful to have students bring
an identification card with them to an exam, and should be reminded to
do so. Bring a class list with you to the exam as well. If you do not
recognize a student, or suspect that a student may have falsely identified
themselves, check their identification card and the class list. You are
justified in asking students who falsely identify themselves to leave
the exam, but, again, tactfully. Avoid making a scene in the exam hall,
which will cause other students additional stress during the exam. Instead,
ask the student to step outside, take his or her name and SID and request
that he or she leave the exam.
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