High-Tech Cheating
Here is the link to a video by ABC news on High-Tech cheating, these students have taken their 21st Century technology skills to new levels...
http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=6002101
Some interesting facts from the video:
-There are 3,000 videos on cheating posted to You Tube.
-Over 72% of students admit to cheating
-One of the kids featured in the video stated "It's not like I promote cheating, its the users fault if they follow my advice." Later she adds that "she hopes her teachers don't see the video."
In the end this is up to parents and educators to be on top of and to dislodge cheating. Like the reporter states at the end that this could be a teachable moment in ethics for parents, by sitting down with their children to view these videos - stating that when you cheat you're cheating yourself in the long run because you won't learn the information.
Wow...thats all I can say!
This is really interesting. Looks like still another message for us about how we are failing to teach ethics to our students. They seem to be learning something, just not the lessons we had planned! I think the scariest part is how widespread it apparently is. We aren't talking about just a few students cheating. The cheating culture appears to be ubiquitous! Technology didn't create cheating, but it certainly appears to have made it easier. And I would think before they sit down with their children to watch the videos and explain why cheating is wrong, parents should examine their own lives and see what actions their children might observe that lead them to believe that cheating is OK as long as you don't get caught!
Posted by Rhonda on October 11, 2008 at 07:04 PM EDT #
Wow! What an important topic and this truly enforces the importance of teaching ethics or at least discussing them with students. I believe there have been several big instances in the last few years relating to cheating. Just as we have enjoyed using technology as a tool, many students have been using it too.
Gives one something to think about.
Posted by Emily Jessee on October 13, 2008 at 07:39 PM EDT #
Rhonda,
You are right about parents taking a look at themselves to see what ideas children may be picking up about cheating. This points to the fact that we absolutely cannot say we are educators but not "character" builders. We have an obligation to students, parents, and other faculty to report cheating and not just let it slide. This idea of instant gratification was a big theme in our discussion the other night, and I have been thinking about it a lot since then. It amazes me that Kiki said she hopes her teacher will not see this! We must teach students about the dangers of web publishing; this includes social networking sites like myspace and facebook as well! I will be checking my students' wrists for rubber bands from now on!
Posted by Jennifer Tingen on October 18, 2008 at 12:16 AM EDT #
The video is really interesting. It is true, the ethical issues must be talked to students; but it also shows as the person at the end mentioned how students are skillful using technology?
Unfortunately, I think they are not aware of that they are not sending these videos to only their target audiences, but to everyone who has the internet access putting them on the web?
Posted by Zeynep on October 23, 2008 at 11:17 PM EDT #
Wow. This was really an interesting video. I know how hard it is to keep students from cheating. At times I think that it is natural for students. Eyes are always roaming looking at others work. I test my students on Quia which allows me to randomize the questions and the answers so each student gets the questions in different order with the answers scrambled. I think this has help with the cheating in my classroom. But at times, I feel I am fighting a losing battle trying to keep students from cheating.
Posted by Jennifer Cable on October 27, 2008 at 01:34 PM EDT #