As tech-savvy teens head back to school, they might be tempted to use their cellphone to cheat on exams.
More than 20 percent of teens admitted to using tech devices to cheat, while nearly half have seen or heard of a classmate doing the same, according to a new survey of high school students conducted by cybersecurity firm McAfee.
Cheating is nothing new, but with more schools providing students with tech devices or encouraging students to bring their own to use as a learning tool, teens may have more opportunities to deceive their teachers.
Plus , teens today have grown up with the internet and may not even realize what they are doing could be considered cheating or plagiarism, says Joe Fuertsch, assistant principal at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Eastvale, California. “They share information because it’s just available to them.”
In some cases, technology has made it easier for high schoolers to cheat, but it can also make it harder, depending on how tech savvy a teacher is, says David Balmer, a high school instructional technology facilitator at Wake County Public School System in North Carolina.
High school teachers and parents can help prevent teens from cheating this year by following the following tips.
1. Discuss cheating: Teachers can be proactive by having conversations with students about cheating and plagiarism and how to use technology appropriately, says Fuertsch. They should also use relevant examples during these conversations.
For instance, many students are interested in music. Discuss with students whether using someone’s music within their own musical piece is stealing or sampling — then relate that back to cheating and plagiarism in school, Fuertsch says.
But teachers should approach these conversations from a positive viewpoint, Balmer says. He tells teachers to encourage students not to cheat because they have integrity — not because it’s a bad thing to do.
Parents can help prevent cheating by being aware of how their students are using technology, setting a good example and reinforcing these discussions at home, Balmer says. If parents don’t want their students to text friends during class, for instance, they shouldn’t text their student while at school, he says.
[How parents can teach teens to take academic responsibility.]
2. Collaborate with other educators: Teachers can work with their coworkers to learn of the latest methods teens are using to cheat, Fuertsch says.
For example, teens with iPhones can use the service AirDrop to share photos of content to an entire classroom instantly, he says. He’s also heard of students using smart watches, Snapchat and other social media platforms to share information.
One Twitter user offered other methods teachers can use to stay ahead of their students.
I regularly Google “how to cheat on _____” to stay on top of tactics students are finding. That, plus knowing if they do awesome on homework
— Karlee Cysewski (@MissusCys) August 24, 2017
But then horribly on tests, it may not be test anxiety, it is likely they had “extra help” on the homework.
— Karlee Cysewski (@MissusCys) August 24, 2017
Also just being aware of your student’s abilities. If they suddenly make a huge jump in their writing skills, it’s probably plagiarized.
— Karlee Cysewski (@MissusCys) August 24, 2017
Educators can help each other come up with plans to address cheating, Balmer says. Teachers could consult their school librarians or media specialists, for example, who may be able to help teachers facilitate lessons on these topics.
3. Make more sophisticated tests: Teachers can help prevent cheating by designing tests with better questions that students can’t easily find the answer to on Google, says Balmer. Focus on creating assessments that force students to think critically.
Twitter users offered more advice on assessments.
We are BYOD for 9-12 & expect teachers to make assessments AUTHENTIC and RELEVANT Ex: https://t.co/MrKI4r6xje @HSESchools @MetiriGroup
— HSE21 (@HSE_21) August 25, 2017
Take away the pressure. When I moved all AP tests to merely practice, desire to cheat went down, scores went up.
— William Dobbie (@wadobbie) August 25, 2017
Teachers can create digital assessments using Google Forms and through that tool they can easily switch up questions so all students aren’t seeing the same question at the same time, Balmer says. Quia is another tool that allows teachers to easily create different tests, he says. Small SEO Tools and Noplag offer online plagiarism checkers.
[Learn what steps parents should take when teens cheat. ]
Balmer isn’t a fan of multiple-choice tests because they aren’t a good way to assess knowledge.
“They are not going to go on a manufacturing job to face a multiple-choice quiz when they graduate,” he says.
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3 Ways for High School Teachers, Parents to Stop Cheating Before It Starts originally appeared on usnews.com
