Today our school newspaper printed their annual story about cheating. In my four years at Dulaney each year the newspaper prints a story about how cheating is increasing at Dulaney. Each year this edition makes me so mad, for so many different reasons. However, it has just occurred to me that cheating probably will not increase next year and if so not by much, as 99% of the seniors said they have cheated.
In full disclosure to the entire senior class, the questions probably need to be asked differently. It would probably be better if they asked students if they have cheated this year? Today a couple of students told me that they had stopped cheating this year but had to answer "yes" to the question that they had cheated once in their lifetime.
It bothers me that students cheat. As a teacher I understand the pressure, the amount of other things that students do besides my class. With this understanding I realize that sometimes students perform poorly on a test, do not have an assignment done on time etc. Those things happen, but that is no reason for the student to cheat. If you are unprepared you need to take the consequence, and no one paper, quiz or test is really going to make a huge difference in your year.
As a school, this needs to be an issue that we discuss more often and openly with our students and faculty. I hope (please respond honestly) that all students know that cheating is something that would really make me mad. As stated above I can understand why you perform poorly, I have had one of my best students tell me that they just did not have the time to prepare properly. However, cheating when you are asked not to is a violation of trust. As we try to move to valued partners we need to trust each other.
When discussing just for a brief time today, I was also amazed at how many students believe that cheating is okay. That some of the work is busy work, which makes it okay to cheat. Or that some of the timelines are unfair or the teacher is bad. What does any of this have to do with your own integrity? With knowing what is right or wrong?
I hope that I am not a person who thinks that everything was better in the past. A matter of fact I know that the students I teach are brighter than the students I went to school with. However, it seems to me that back in the day (yes post Civil War) we at least felt bad when we did things that were wrong.
Okay, students turn now to explain your side of the story. I hope you trust me enough to put your name to the response. If not, just do not sign. Most importantly, I would like to hear your views. AS A VALUED PARTNER YOUR VIEWS ARE IMPORTANT. I promise to read them with an open mind.
This is just my cursory opinion, but perhaps we should be talking more about the moral reasons not to cheat, like you said. Is it ethically acceptable in some circumstances? Teachers sometimes go to great, great lengths to prevent cheating, but cheating is a symptom, not the syndrome, and if we run around plugging leaks all day, the core issue isn't addressed.
ReplyDeleteThe reason I think cheating is widely prevalent in Dulaney and public schools especially is its social acceptance. It's rare to meet someone who hasn't cheated in some form or another. For example: the most common occurrences of cheating are copying homework and busywork. I think students have been conditioned to accept cheating when it's necessary, especially for minor assignments. Cheating on tests is not so common. However, it definitely has happened, especially in classes where the teacher is not doing his/her share. One example of this was in Mr. Hester's class, when he would give us tests that he never prepared us for. To be honest, I think that cheating was not the student's fault but rather, Mr. Hester's fault. In other words, the teacher should be responsible for preparing the student for the material. I also think that teachers should communicate with their students about workload. It's inappropriate or even unnecessary to give a lot of homework when the teacher is aware that students have tests/quizzes in other classes the day afterwards.
ReplyDeleteHowever, cheating can definitely be avoided. The honor code should be instilled early on in life, perhaps elementary school. Students need to appreciate the value of an honest individual effort and be able to reap the benefits from it.
If there was not so much pressure for the grade, cheating would not happen. Retesting should be available sometimes but not abused. If a student is struggling with the material, the teacher should approach him/her and talk about it. A concept may be difficult but it is never impossible.
Yes, cheating is wrong. But it's not cheating that is the evil here; it's the loss of knowledge that could be learned. Learning is paramount, but cheating sometimes inhibits students from reaching their full potential.
I remember when I was in middle school and sometimes in high school, there were people that would always ask me if they could copy my homework. I would be the person that would try to say no which made me become the villain in the students' eyes. They would tell me how I'm being mean or keep saying everyone does it so I would give in. Later in high school I learned to ignore that label and stopped giving them the answers, but from the perspective on the people who did help people cheat, it was hard not to say no. People just expect me and other students I know to just smile, say of course and hand them the paper. While I learned how to say no and not feel bad, other students just gave in and always gave students their homework. I know some students that always give their friends their homework because "they're my friend" or "it's the nice thing to do." This is just one perspective for the people who helped students cheat.
ReplyDeleteAs far as those who do cheat, the same principle could be applied. They have the excuse that everyone does it so it's acceptable in their eyes. With all the excuses like being very busy or the homework being busy work, not many would cheat if their peers didn't encourage it. Students do want an easy way out in everything. If there is a faster way to do something, students immediately do it. Students have a higher priority on getting the grade rather than the knowledge because parents, scholarships, colleges, even our school (the honor roll/dean's list) give a higher priority to them. If you get an A in school, that automatically correlates to being smart to other people. This priority makes it less consequential for students to cheat because they want to go to a great college or get the scholarship no matter what. I personally do not find cheating acceptable in any form, but considering that I have asked to see homework before and have gave my homework to other students, I would be hypocritical if I said how people should never cheat. This is merely my perspective on why students believe it is okay to cheat.
As I read these comments I understand but do not condone cheating. So I would ask as you continue to respond to why students cheat, I would be very interested if you were in charge of fixing the cheating problem at our school what would you do. The people in this class are some of the smartest people I have every taught so if anyone could come up with a solution you guys are the people
ReplyDeleteThe best way to get rid of cheating is simply better watchfulness for it. For quizzes and tests, different test forms should be distributed so answers are not communicated between classes.
ReplyDeleteThis year, I noticed that many people did not read their books for the Senior Project in AP English. Though I'm not a huge fan of the Senior Project, I thought it was a bit of a shock. There definitely should be more thorough check-ups on students in this case.
Pop quizzes would definitely help with cheating. especially homework checks. If a student knows the information, then it will show in these surprise quizzes. If a student copied down information from a classmate, they won't do as well.
In AP history classes, students often show notes that aren't the ones due that date. In other words, they use repeat notes and present them as the ones due that date. Notes should be collected not glanced at.
A lot of homework answers are searched up on the internet. I know for a fact that this happens all the time. If teachers created their own problem sets that couldn't be google'd this would be eliminated.
Another way is to make homework online. If homework needed to be turned in online by a certain time that night, that would prevent students from doing it last minute at school by copying. Plus, it would instill the HOME in homework. It would definitely help in homework ethic and completion.
Whilst you make some good points, there are a few shining problems with your suggestions. Collecting notes makes the notes for the teacher, not for the student. This would eliminate the point of taking notes. Additionally it would make it impossible for students who hand write notes to study with them.
DeleteWhile online homework would reduce cheating and paper consumption, many students in Baltimore County don't have internet access at home. Furthermore many students do not get home until very late and as such may be doing homework between practices, lessons or rehearsals and may not have access to the internet. I think teachers would find themselves making more exceptions to the online homework rule than not.
You're saying that the teacher should approach students who are having difficulty, but I think the opposite; a student needs to approach the teacher. Though, now that I think about it, the most often reason I've heard for that is that teachers don't have the time to check in with every student to ensure retention - which is, of course, true. However, the implication that teachers can't recognize when a student is doing poorly, or have no obligation to step in without the student first calling attention to it, is troubling.
DeleteAlso, as to teachers' practices, I agree with Amy that notes are for the students' use, not the teachers'. Collecting would defeat the purpose of the notes. I think one tactic is for a teacher to look for a specific topic that should be found in the first page of notes. While checking for that topic is more time consuming than just checking for completion, I think it's practical.
I agree that teachers should use their own problem sets, but teachers need to reuse SOME of their curriculum, and I know some teachers with original problem sets in which the answers show up after a year or two on Yahoo or Google.
As for essays...well, you can copy an essay. I think it's much less common in high school than in college, but there are hundreds of free essays on websites. I've never heard if students doing that regularly here. The problem with assigning more essays, I think, is that they take much longer to grade.
OK, not a student, but Mr B asked for a response and here is mine.
ReplyDeleteCheating, why bother? I am appalled by the number of students who cheat. The fear of failure, the fear of not measuring up to one’s peers, parents, and self. What sense of self has to be present in order for cheating to occur? Why does Mr B get upset? Why does it bother me? Is it correct to ask an instructor to devise multiple ways to thwart cheating? Why should it become a game to try to find newer and newer ways to stop cheating? This is one reason why governments are continually making laws with the intention of stopping harmful actions citizens do to themselves or others. Imagine a society in which persons were honest and truly wanted to find out who they are as a person, strengths and weaknesses. Does cheating even get close to achieving that goal? An Paleeease, do not tell me every else is doing it. SO WHAT!!! Look if anyone wishes to be successful, then learn how to learn. Learn how to love learning. Learn that learning is what makes life special and I am not talking just school. My gosh, how many times do you meet someone and want to know about them, but are afraid to ask so you ask your friend for answers. Why not go to the source? Answers are great, but so are the questions. If something is not working, then learn how to approach the problem from a different angle. Not just unquestioningly taking answers from someone else. It is not someone else’s fault that you may have chosen to cheat; you made that choice and then rationalized that decision.
Take risks. Learn how to push yourself, because in the quiet still of the night you only have you.
Cheating is offensive to me because it violates trust. Relationships are what we have and what we will remember most in life. If I start every year off, every test, every quiz, every assignment assuming that students will cheat, then the message is sent that I do not trust students. Well if I do not trust them, how can I ask them to trust me and that I have their best interests in mind and why should they believe me? So, am I naive? I do not believe so. I know students cheat, but I have to make a choice on how I want to live. Do I want to go through life not thinking the best of someone, or cautiously creep through life? I choose the former and will confront cheating on a case by case basis, but I will make my position clear. I choose to trust first.
I definitely think cheating can be avoided by teaching students the value of honesty. However, it's impossible to have a perfect world of honest students who value honest work. If I can make a comparison, it's a bit like the rape issue; it's impossible to stop all perpetrators from attacking innocent victims. It just isn't realistic. As a result, an app was made that actually helps prevent attacks from victims by sending out an emergency call to close contacts. It ensures safety, and it's practical.
ReplyDeleteCheating is the same way. We can't stop it from happening so why not create measures to do so? Work should be more individualized so answers can't be easily found on the internet. I think more essays should be given out. This improves writing ability and definitely reinforces information. It's difficult to write an essay last minute in school the day it's due, and you can't copy it from other students. I know a lot of private schools who really emphasize essay-writing, and the rates of cheating there are small if nonexistent.
This Aaron G, if the ID isnt working...
ReplyDeleteSeveral things just popped into my head about this.
Firstly, in my current view of school, education, and learning, copying an assignment that is being checked for completion or basically completion (I.e. rather than just seeing words on a page, the teacher confirms the words are the right subject but not necessarily relevant/accurate) is not cheating. Unfortunately I do not have a coherent thought as to why I differentiate this from cheating, which to me means using "illicit" knowledge on a test or essay or valid examination. In this discussion the labeling of the copying I previously described as "cheating" innately casts a negative shadow over an action that is fundamentally different than me copying my neighbors scantron. Again, I don't have a good sentence to describe the fundamental difference...
Secondly, over spring break, I was visiting my uncle who is a doctor but moonlights (pretends to be) a philosopher/ethicist. During the dinner the morality of cheating came up (I forget why) and I told the story about the time when the answer key was printed on one of the forms of the quiz. Faced with this situation, we came to the conclusion that the student is morally obligated to inform the teacher of the answer key. But if Mr. Bressler remembers, his response was "just don't look at it." At this point in time, my uncle argued (and my father and I agreed) that this response sets off two chain of events. 1) the student should immediately say "I have not given informed consent to take part in a psychological study and therefore refuse to take the exam." 2) the presence of the answer key on a test with the accompaniment of this response of seeming indifference renders the test invalid, and since cheating can only occur on a valid assignment, the student should have no ethical problem with copying the answer key. Interestingly, my uncle said that he might not have copied the key, but he did not feel bound by ethics.
Thirdly, today in class you challenged us to come up with a response to the "have you cheated?" if it was asked during a college interview. This, of course, is a bad question because it sets up the interviewee for failure (either he is a cheater or a liar) so therefore, I would hopefully have the guts to look the interviewer straight in the eye and respond:
"All of my relationships have been strictly monogamous, and frankly I'm slightly insulted that you would suspect me of betraying someone like that. You, for one, do not strike me as the kind of person that would betray your spouse like that and the question did not even cross my mind."
I think that your answer to the college question would be one that if I was interviewing you would be a home run. That is quick thinking on your feet and that is the type of students that I would want in my school. Now if you stated the first paragraph answer that their is a difference to you in what is cheating and what is not I would like to explore that more with you. I also do not agree with you that it sets you up for failure, none of us are perfect people and college admissions people know that more than anyone. There are people on this blog who admitted to cheating and the truth is that I do not think differently about them.
ReplyDeleteI do not remember did students tell me about the answer key, but I am sure that they did. Your family is correct at that point I should have collected the answer keys but truthfully I did not want to waste the time collecting them.
What has been written by everyone gets me to believe that we need to discuss this issue both as student teacher, student/student, and teacher/teacher. The fact that it has received more responses than normal on the blog shows that it is a hot bottom topic.
I agree with what some people said earlier that we as a school don't focus on the moral aspect of cheating for the most part. Teachers tell us all the time we shouldn't cheat and we hear threat after that from teachers and administrators about what will happen if we do cheat, but until this year, I don't think I've ever had a teacher tell me not to cheat just because it is wrong. Not that it excuses cheating for certain classes, but I personally would be much less likely to cheat in a class with a good teacher who actually invests time in me because as Mr. Bressler said, there is an established trust. That may be why students are more likely to cheat on busy work, because it makes us feel like the teacher isn't fulfilling their side of the relationship with a meaningful lesson, so we shouldn't have to give our side of the work. Again, that isn't an excuse to cheat, just a possible explanation for it.
ReplyDeleteAs a student with grade-motivated parents I understand a lot of the motivation to cheat. In terms of preventing cheating, if the school moved away from incessant testing to actual learning I think you'd see a significant decrease in the cheating among above average students. It's easy for teachers to say that the grades aren't worth cheating for as school is supposed to be about learning. Being sixteen with your mom threatening to kick you out of the house because of a C in English is not only a true story but much more difficult to combat with the grades versus learning argument.
ReplyDeleteThat being said I resent people who cheat; they make school harder for those of us who don't cheat. If your teacher does reading checks and you diligently read the assigned passage but your classmates just sparknote it, your teacher tailors the quizzes so that you can only get a decent grade by memorizing the entirety of the book. Cheating classmates also pitch you into unwanted and frustrating moral dilemmas. My own story revolves around the GT tech final in which one portion of the class thought it was open note and as such used notes, another didn't and didn't use notes, yet still another portion thought it wasn't open note and chose to use notes anyways. Well now what. My final on which I didn't use notes was going to be curved with the finals that did use notes. Is that fair? Should I report it? If so, to whom? Nobody wants to be that kid who reports and forces a retake. What if I just ask for a retake? The point is that cheaters vault honest students into situations they really don't want to have to deal with.
I would say that students cheat because students are grade-oriented. And students are grade-oriented for many different reasons. Even without the pressure of parents that monitor every grade, most every student that sees themselves applying to a competitive four-year school is going to be faced with the fear that their GPA, or their test scores, or their number of higher-level classes, isn't going to be high enough to make the cut. So students, especially those who are already on higher-level course paths, take too many AP and GT courses than they can handle, and are surrounded by people who are doing the exact same thing, because that's what has become the norm.
ReplyDeleteWhile bad students outnumber bad teachers hundreds (if not more) to one, there are bad teachers out there. I have taken a class or two in which teacher expectations are much higher than can be accepted as practical or rational, and in that class students are faced with a few choices.
One, cheat. All I'll say is that I doubt that anyone got through my GT Chemistry class without cheating in some form. In my experience, it's a rare student that will consistently put academic integrity over their grade. Part of that grade-orientation is just the mindset that there's no reason to accept a bad grade if you can just cheat.
Choice two, avoid cheating. People won't like you for not participating in cheating, and your grade will probably suck. If it doesn't suck, congrats! You're great at chemistry! Or you spend four times as long on the subject as any of your other classes, as if you didn't have enough stress in your life.
Or three, try to change it. I would think that fewer than five percent of students ever take this route, because essentially you're going to the administration and telling them that one of their teachers can't teach. And it's not like you can really get any long-term results, other than the teacher hating you. Not everyone has had to go through a class like that, but for everyone who has (I would say the majority), it helps justify cheating for the rest of high school. You get to say to yourself, "Sometimes you HAVE to cheat." Because you HAVE to get a good grade.
On a fundamental level, we've been trained to accept a series of letter grades as the summary of our lives in regards to education. That's the only mark of effort we get; a grade. No one likes to look at the summary of the last four years and see a bunch of "standard" level classes or a series of Cs and Ds or even Bs. That's telling a student that they have performed "adequately" on the "standard" level.
The obvious answer is to stop the students from being so grade-oriented, but you can't. If an A on that assignment means getting an A for the quarter means getting an A for the year means maybe qualifying for that scholarship, then I'm going to get that A. No matter what. If I'm unprepared or make a mistake with the amount of time I spend doing that very assignment, I don't care that 'cheating is wrong.' Using students are profit centers is wrong, as Senator Warren so aptly stated. If a grade can help me avoid college debt, then I'll get the grade. That's more important, to me.
Question: I've brought this up with a few people, and I'm curious to see the response. A teacher assigns four pages of notes on a chapter. You set four pages of notes from a different subject out, and the teacher fails to notice that it's a different assignment. Is that cheating? Assuming that the teacher has put enough trust in the students to check solely on completion, but not enough trust not to check?
Follow up: You copy another student's notes, verbatim. Is that cheating? Is that better, or worse?
I think that both the cases you stated above is dishonest. I also understand the pressure of college debt. There are ways to get through college, get a good education, and not accumulate debt without cheating.
ReplyDelete