Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty is, unfortunately, a far too common reality. At every University and College in the world, professors and administrators have to deal with this issue. What isn’t necessary, however, is having a convoluted process to address the problem. In fact, a process which drags on is bad for all parties, requiring more work from and hurting the reputation of the professor, student, and institution involved.

Cheating on the rise

Statistics reveal that academic dishonesty is on the rise. A Hughes and McCabe study found that over half of students admit to plagiarism. There is debate over the root cause of this issue, but technology undoubtedly plays a role. Students are able to use smart devices and internet access to gain an unfair advantage over their peers. As technology advances, it seems that such problems are only going to get worse.

Software used the right way

However, the power of technology can actually be used to cut down on dishonesty. Turning paper tests and assignments into secure and easily accessible digital artifacts of student work, can make disputes easier to address and prove. Professors can also incorporate technology into the classroom with attendance recording systems that confirm student attendance and create seating maps for proctored tests. These are just a couple of ways in which technology can be employed on campuses to improve academic integrity.

While academic dishonesty may be an unfortunate reality today, the intelligent deployment of digital testing solutions can help to ensure the impact is minimized.