Once upon a time, teachers only had to be on the lookout for students glancing surreptitiously at other’s exams or writing notes on their hands for easy access during a test. Then came CliffsNotes, and decades later, SparkNotes with easy Internet access. Now, high schools and colleges across the country are fighting to stay up to date with the most current methods of cheating: those involving cell phones, iPods and graphing calculators.

As technology advances, so do students’ approaches to cheating. Professors are often unaware of what to look out for in the classroom, so Elletta Callahan, a professor in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, held a seminar titled ‘Technology and Cheating: ne1 could TM in ur test,’ introducing them to the newest trends on Thursday afternoon.

‘Everyone always thinks about plagiarism outside the classroom,’ Callahan said. ‘Use of the Internet is ubiquitous among students, and other technologies are becoming just as easy to cheat with.’

As part of her presentation, Callahan showed a segment from ABC’s ‘Primetime,’ in which an interviewer talked to college students about cheating. These students not only shared their techniques, but also said they are virtually a necessity for any student.

‘You wanna get in the game,’ one student on the show insisted, saying everyone cheats, so she feels cheated if she doesn’t.

One of the easiest ways to cheat is by employing the various capabilities cell phones offer. Camera phones allow students to photograph notes and pages of text prior to exams, and with the press of a few buttons, they can text message each other for answers.

Graphing calculators are also problematic, especially in the School of Management, where they are frequently needed for classes. Last year, a calculator was confiscated from a student who had downloaded formulas and an entire exam taken the previous week, Callahan said. To combat these problems, the School of Management has begun purchasing basic calculators for students to use during exams, Callahan said.

Callahan chairs the Vice Chancellor amd Provost’s Committee on Academic Integrity, and said surveys from 2004 indicate low percentages of students cheating on tests. However, of the eight SU community members in attendance, several said they had experienced some form of cheating in the classroom.

‘I have had to fail students because they cheated,’ said Susan Havranek, an accounting professor, fighting back tears. ‘It’s so upsetting to have to do that. It’s difficult to feel that you need to treat all students with skepticism just because of a few who make bad choices.’

Havranek said she has a set of rules students must follow during tests, including putting all bags at the front of the room, using calculators from the School of Management, not wearing baseball caps and not being able to go to the bathroom.

‘They think it’s harsh; they say I’m wrapped up in rules and regulations,’ Havranek said. ‘But you have to send the message that you’re serious about cheating.’

Ultimately, it is not going to be possible for professors to stay one step ahead of students and the technology they use to cheat, Callahan said.

‘Building a culture of respect is the most important thing we can do,’ Callahan said. ‘Building trust with students will let them know we care about them and indicate that we are serious about the academic climate of this university.’

Published on November 16, 2005 at 12:00 pm