Is Cheating Accceptable?

 

As final exams approach, the ugly word `cheating`seems to be on many people`s lips.    According to a recent Globe and Mail article `the disproportionate number of international students accused of plagiarism or cheating on exams is raising red flags in university administrations and legal aid offices. It also raises questions as to whether schools should be doing more for stressed-out foreign students who are grappling with new educational standards, often while coping with a language barrier.

All over Canada, the U.S., Britain and other countries educators and institutions are raising the question about what is causing international students to cheat.  I would like to expand that question to what makes any student, including immigrant ESL students  cheat in high school, academic ESL programs and colleges.  

Globe and Mail Education/universitynews/why-many-international-students-get-a-failing-grade-in-academic-integrity

As a long time ESL instructor, I would love to say that none of my students have ever cheated,  but I would be lying. Over the past 20 years I have caught students cheating on exams, in-class essays, hand-in assignments and research papers.  Some methods have been creative, involving entire sets of signals with different coloured pens, or nose scratching, hair pulling, and ear tweaking.

Throughout the years students have openly whispered the answers to each other, looked at each other`s papers, or allowed others to look at theirs, written on their arms, used `crib sheets, or hidden electronic dictionaries in their arm sleeve.  I`ve had students memorize a complete essays out of well known composition textbooks for in class essays, or use previous essays they or someone else has written in previous classes that I have taught myself.  In these cases, students have blatantly denied having done any such thing until I produced the original essay they copied from.  

I`ve often wondered if the students think we`re too stupid to notice or care, or if they assume that nothing will happen to them if they`re caught. Every time I have caught a student cheating we've had a discussed the issue of academic dishonesty and told them the penalty for their first time offence, as well as what it will be for further offences. Some students who plagiarize directly off the Internet for research essays, or memorizing compositions plead that they didn`t know that this was not allowed, or wrong.  Others have said they were sorry and would never do it again, fully expecting that an apology would be sufficient and that they would not be penalized in any other way.  Still others have open admitted they cheated, and laughed saying that everyone does it in their country,k so why should Canada and my school be different. 

Now, I want to stress that cheaters have been in the minority in my classes. The majority of my students have been as honest as the day is long when taking my exams, or department exams. It is the cheaters who are the exception. However, they are the reason I now set up my class with all desks facing the walls , and large dividers between students dividers during exams. Why take chances, or allow the students to "accidentally help each other if I can avoid it?

Plagiarism is a much different and far more complex issue and deserves a complete post of its own. Some plagiarism actions involve genuine dishonesty. Others involve a variety of factors including students`lack of ability to paraphrase, lack of vocabulary, cultural expectations among others. If you want to know more read the following report.

"Overcoming the cultural issues associated with plagiarism for International students"
Authors: Dr. Charles Juwah, Centre for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching, The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen; Dr David Lal, Dept. of Business and Management, Aberdeen Business School, The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen; Ahmed Beloucif, Dept. of Marketing, Aberdeen Business School, The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen 

Getting back to cheating on exams, Topics Online Magazine for Learners of English. a publication, has devoted an entire issue to the topic of cheating.  Since this is a magazine  in which  English learners express their ideas to an online audience, it offers a student perspective as well as a photo essay on cheating. Some articles were written by students who go caught cheating. Others focus on the consequences of cheating. All of the articles are interesting.Topics Online Magazine Cheating

 1   What do YOU  think about cheating ?

 2. What do you think should be done about cheating?   

 Let me know what you think. Post your answer in the comment box.