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Tips for Preventing Academic Dishonesty

Tips for Reducing Academic DishonestyStudents report cheating in many ways. And technology is making it easier and easier to do so. The Open Education Data Base ( cited a survey that included 30,000 students; 60% reported cheating while in college. It was also reported that cheaters have higher grade point averages than peers who do not cheat. Popular paper mill websites report receiving about 8,000 hits per day. Roughly 75-98% of students who are cheating in college were also cheating in high school. 85% of students reported that cheating is essential to their academic success.

This information as well as some experiences we had in our classes last year, lead to a discussion with colleagues about academic dishonesty. We questioned ways in which we could work to reduce this problem. Additionally, what more could and should we be doing if students are reporting cheating is essential to academic success?

What are we talking about?

When we are talking about academic dishonesty, we are focusing mainly on plagiarism and cheating on assessments, exams and quizzes, in the traditional classroom setting as well as in the online learning environment.

Do students know they are cheating?

As part of the discussion, we questioned, “do student always know they are cheating?”. This specifically applies to plagiarism. For example, when they are writing papers, do they know that they have plagiarized when they present a summary of an article, and they do not cite the source in-text. It is not simply just copying and pasting something that someone else wrote, which is what many students believe. Perhaps, being more intentional about not only teaching students what plagiarism is, but also exactly what they can do to avoid it is necessary.

How do we know?

So…how would we know if a student is cheating? For example, how do we know if a student bought a paper from an online site, especially if they are in an online setting. How can we be sure that they are buying a paper and not receiving help from the tutoring center at the school? Building relationships is one way to help to identify cheating. The more interactions we have with students in the discussion forums and through face to face conversations or conversations by phone, the better equip we are to determine if the work being submitted is similar to other interactions we are having with the student.

Technology and Cheating

Wearables have become more popular and prevalent in recent years. They are another tool that students are using to cheating. This came to our attention at the end of the semester when a student was caught using a wearable to access study material during an exam. It appeared that a resource that was given in class was on a student’s wearable and that it was being used during an assessment. After addressing the student regarding the situation, it was clear that bans on wearables would now also need to be addressed in course policies. Prior to this incident, things like cell phones, other technology, and resources were banned, but we had not specifically included wearables.

PoliciesReducing Academic Dishonesty

In some academic institutions, academic policies have not been updated in a decade or more. Therefore, there are not bans put into place or consequences written to address academic dishonesty that can occur using technology, such as wearables. As academics, we are responsible to ensure that documents that are relevant to our classes are updated regularly. If new technological advances have not been considered and included in Course Policies, we would like to encourage you to meet wth your colleagues as you prepare for the semester and revise the policies used.


Academics also report that they do not feel the consequences for academic dishonesty always fit the offense. Academics need to ensure that they are involved in writing policies that are put into place to reduce academic dishonesty and address it when it occurs. If students know that they will only receiving a warning, they are not as worried about cheating than if they hear they will receive a 0, get kicked out of class, or get kicked out of school. While we are not saying that kicking students out of school is the best answer, it is important that students understand the severity of cheating and that consequences deter students from participating.

Additionally, students do not feel the consequences for academic dishonesty are harsh enough. Students get really upset when they are aware that a classmate is cheating without consequence. Students, who are working hard to earn their grades, find this to be unfair, unethical, and want the peer who is cheating to be punished. They look to the professor to address the behavior and report it.


Is the process for reporting academic dishonesty at your institution easy to access and use? Faculty may feel that reporting cheating is too tedious and too time consuming. In addition speculation is often not enough to report a situation. If they instructor does not have “hard evidence”, they may be unable to report the situation that took place. Therefore, the incident goes unreported and the student may be cheating in multiple classes without consequence.

Students are becoming more creative in the methods they use to cheat in classes. Therefore, we must also become more creative in the ways in which we work to maintain the integrity of the course content and materials used to assess students. They must learn the material in our courses as they will be our colleagues in the field one day.



Check out our Facebook live session as we discuss Academic Dishonesty.

Tips for Preparing to Teach a New Class

How do you keep you head above water when you are teaching a class for the first time?

Planning to teach a new class can be extremely time consuming, a bit overwhelming, stressful…..need we go on? But does it have to be? Are there ways to create lessons that are effective, in a timely manner, with reduced stress?

YES! Let us share some ideas that may reduce stress and make preparing to teach a new class a bit easier.

The syllabus is your roadmap!

rawpixel-com-211022As instructors, we harp on students to read the syllabus. This is their guide to the elements and expectations of the course. If a syllabus is provided as part of a centralized curriculum, then just as we instruct students to do, start your preparation by reading the syllabus! Before you begin planning a lecture and putting together powerpoints, it is important to review the syllabus. Many colleges and universities are moving toward a centralized curriculum for accreditation purposes, which means you will not be expected to write your own syllabus. The syllabus will detail course objectives, the required readings, and assignment guidelines. Reviewing the syllabus will help you to prepare your lectures and powerpoints. So, this should be your starting point.

Course Objectives, Readings and Assignments

Course objectives are statements that clearly detail what students will learn by the end of the course. Review the course objectives and focus on creating lectures that include and expand on the course objectives. As you create your lectures, it is also important to cover required readings as this will help you to prepare for class and answer questions that student might ask. Review assignment requirements. Determine if there is information that you will need to present in class to ensure students are prepared to complete assignments.tom-hermans-264015

Active Learning

Consider if the topics can be covered by participating in activities.  When students can apply the information they are learning, rather than passively listening to it being presented in a lecture format, this will increase the chances they they learn and remember the information. For example, have students come up with examples to illustrate definitions rather than simply just writing definitions to terms. They can share their examples in class. This activity breaks up lecturing, gets students involved, and helps them to apply the terms/definitions they are learning. This is also a great way to complement powerpoint slides, if terms are included and they are a bit dry (like they may be the first time you teach a class).

Students Prepare and Teach Lessons

You may also consider how students can contribute to the planning of the class. You are the instructor. You are paid to be the content expert, but that doesn’t mean that students can’t prepare and present information on topics. Are there topics that students would benefit from researching and presenting to their peers? This should not replace you planning, but rather should complement it. You will be responsible to add or clarify information as students share their presentations.

Students are creative and can come up with some very interesting presentations, activities, etc. when they are challenged with this task. As long as they are learning the material, and you are guiding the process, you have done your job. Have them help with the planning!

For example, I teach a capstone class for senior students. While I could stand and talk to them about preparation for job interviews, I find it more effective to break students into pairs and have them research small topics that are related to interviewing (ex. interview questions and answers, phone interviewing tips, how to dress professionally, business casual versus business attire, how to write an post-interview thank you note or email). Each pair is asked to put together a 3-5 minute presentation on the topic. They also have to include one deliverable – a sheet with some tips, a power point presentation, a resource that their peers can refer back to.

This activity is one that students enjoy – they like to hear from their peers. And….they are gaining the necessary information on their topic as well. This also generates some really good discussions. Finally, they are practicing their public speaking and presenting skills. Being an effective communicator is important regardless of your major.

5 Tips for Accepting and Planning to Teach A Class for the First TimeIMG_1389

  1. Do not accept contracts for classes that you are not qualified to teach. You are the content expert paid to present the material. If your educational training and experience have not prepared you to teach the content, then do not accept the contract.
  2. Review the textbook and assigned readings before you begin planning. Being familiar with what the students are reading will assist you preparing class lecture and experiences for students. It will also help to prepare you to answer questions that students ask.
  3. Use the publisher resources. Most publishers will provide resources through a website. You may have to request access to the publisher resources. You can send an email request to the publisher and ask for access to be granted. Publisher resources often include powerpoints, test banks, and activities.
    Please note: you may need to adjust and adapt these resources. For example, you may need to revise powerpoints to make them a bit more interesting or interactive. 
  4. Locate and incorporate videos, such as TED talks.
  5. Implement activities! Activities help to reinforce information that they have reviewed in their weekly reading or that you have presented in class during lecture. When they are engaged and actively participating, they are learning!

Would students benefit from a technology ban in class?

Screen Shot 2017-05-31 at 2.40.04 PMShould I implement a technology ban in my classroom? Would students benefit from this? Would it impede their learning? Can this be done? These are questions we have been considering for several months. We have discussed the idea of a “tech free” with colleagues and have received mixed opinions. We even share our thoughts about this on a recent Facebook Live session. Check it out:

 What’s in the research?

While technology definitely has a place in the classroom, it may not be appropriate for taking notes during lecture. The research on this topic is undeniable; students who take notes by hand rather than typing notes retain more information that is presented in class. They learn to listen to what is being presented and summarize the information into their own words, because they do not have time to write everything word for word. They are digesting what is said rather than simply mindless typing what the instructor is saying. They do not take as many notes, because they are not copying word for word, but the notes they take are more meaningful because of the attention given to what was being written down.

Students Weigh In


In addition to the research on the use of technology for note taking, students honestly report that they use technology for academic and non-academic purposes in the classroom. They report laptops are used for note taking, conducing research, accessing academic resources that are related to the course, for participating in activities and completing assignments. However, they also note that they access email, social media, and i-chat using their computers. They also can access Internet sites and review information that is not related to courts content. They also report that technological devices, mainly their cell phones, are used in class for non-academic purposes. They candidly share that cell phones are accessed for personal use, so perhaps, just banning cell phones in the classroom would help to reduce distractions.

More Questions…

The more research we did, the more questions that surfaced. Should we prohibit the use of technology during instruction? Will students stop attending class if technology is limited? How will students react?

Banning Technology

I have banned cell phone use in my classroom every semester since I started teaching. I do not use my cell phone in class, and therefore, I do not permit my students to use their cell phones. However, this has not curbed the problem of inappropriate use of technology or helped to reduce the distraction that some devices are leading to in the classroom. Even when I have classroom assistants monitor the use, students are sneaky and learn to flip from screen to screen so that it appears that they are paying attention. They effort that they expend hiding their inappropriate use of technology is a distraction to the student and also to students around them who have reported in recent semesters that their peers in appropriate use of technology is a distraction to them. For this reason, it was time that I addressed it more forcefully in my classes. But how?

We have some colleagues that have implemented a technology free classroom. They force students to put cell phones, computers, and tablets away at the beginning of class. Students are forced to use pencil and paper to take notes. We also have some colleagues who do not have polices regarding the use of technology and students are free to use devices as they please in class. There are different reasons given for both, such as students are more engage in discussions when they are not distracted by technology to they are adults who pay for the class and therefore technology use is not limited or prohibited in the classroom.

How does technology impact the classroom environment?

But, this begs the question, how does the use of technology impact the classroom environment? Does it have a negative impact on discussion, participation, and retention of information? Is it distracting to other learners? Is there experience in the classroom being impacted by those who are using their devices excessively and for reasons that are not related to the educational experience in the classroom?


Cyberslacking is defined as “employees’ use of their employers’ web access during work hours for non-work-related purposes.” However, this can also be applied to the field of education. Students who are using university resources, such as WiFi access, for non-school related purposes during classroom instruction, could be deemed cyberslacking. And while the students is not an employee of the university when attending class, their actions may interfere with others in the classroom.

In order to raise awareness, instructors who decide to implement technology free classes or restrictions on technology in the classroom should explain cyberslacking, the myths about multitasking, and how the use of technology also infringes upon the rights of other students in the class. Due to this being a distraction to others, it is unfair. Instructors are to create and maintain an environment conducive to learning. Everyone must work together to create a productive learning environment.

Classroom Polices

crew-22248As an instructor, there have been numerous times that I have asked a question in class only to be met with blank stares. The student who is eventually called upon, at random, asks for the question to be repeated, due to not being aware of what was asked. While this is not always caused by technology distraction, it is happening more often as the use of different types of technology enter the classroom. Computers, tablets, phones, and wearables provide students with constant connection to the world wide web and the world taking place outside of the four classroom walls. So, this semester, we will be putting more restrictions on the use of technology in class. For example, technology will be limited during instruction but permitted during in class activities and group work. We hope that this will help to increase participation and reduce redundant questions. We also hope that students will recognize the benefits, because they will become better note takers and retain more information/content that is presented in class, thus they will spend more time studying and will earn higher grades.