![\"carefree.jpg\"](\"http:\/\/www.trustyetc.com\/trustyblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/02\/carefree.jpg\")
<\/p>\nLast week we had two speakers on campus that both addressed academic dishonesty and technology’s role in cheating. Most of the examples were what I would consider low-tech because they involved nothing more than a scanner, Photoshop and a color printer.<\/p>\n
Take a look at this picture.<\/p>\n
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Now compare the original with the one below\u00a0that has been altered to clear the nutrition facts.<\/p>\n
![\"carefreealtered.jpg\"](\"http:\/\/www.trustyetc.com\/trustyblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/02\/carefreealtered.jpg\")
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Using any photo editor a “cheat sheet” can be easily created on a pack of gum.\u00a0 All the student has to do is sneak the gum into the test.\u00a0 Most teachers would not think to check something as innocent as a pack of gum.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I found both of the above images on the web by search for “carefree gum cheating” on Google.\u00a0 The page I found had all the instructions.\u00a0 If you prefer to learn you cheating via multimedia, here is a YouTube video that does something similar using a Coke bottle.<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NRgM9-n7K5E<\/a><\/p>\n If you are giving an exam, you can avoid problems created by these cheating techniques if you ask your questions in the right way.\u00a0 Questions that are more conceptual in nature aren’t as easily answered by a short list of definitions, but having a list of formulas can give someone a real advantage on most math or physics tests.<\/p>\n I do not a big concern for cheats like these.\u00a0 All my exams are open book with a time limit.\u00a0 I am looking out for more sophisticated chicanery.\u00a0 All my students have USB drives.\u00a0 One student could easily copy a\u00a0file onto one of these devices and pass it to another student who could copy it into a new project.<\/p>\n One\u00a0or\u00a0two times each\u00a0year I have a student turn in the wrong file during a test.\u00a0 Normally the file is the “starting document” with the instructions for the final project.\u00a0 The student\u00a0saves the initial file to a USB drive, works on the test and then saves a new file to the USB drive.\u00a0 When it comes time to submit the completed work, the initial file is uploaded.\u00a0 Of course I don’t know it’s the wrong file until I grade the projects.\u00a0 By that time, the student has had time to tweak the final project, if the intent was to cheat.<\/p>\n My solution to this problem is simple.\u00a0 If I give a student a test and the student gives that test back to me without making any modifications, it is the same as turning in\u00a0test\u00a0a without adding any answers.\u00a0 It’s a zero.<\/p>\n I am waiting for a student to take cheating to the highest level.\u00a0 This would involve some sort of remote control of the lab computer.\u00a0 During the test, the student could permit an outside “paid expert” to take control of the lab computer and complete the test.\u00a0 All the student would have to do is “look” like he is typing and moving the mouse.<\/p>\n Fortunately the jump from Coke bottles to expert remote control isn’t easy, but some day it will be.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Last week we had two speakers on campus that both addressed academic dishonesty and technology’s role in cheating. Most of the examples were what I would consider low-tech because they involved nothing more than a scanner, Photoshop and a color … Continue reading