Tips for Dealing with Student Academic Dishonesty in the Classroom - - PDF document

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Tips for Dealing with Student Academic Dishonesty in the Classroom

Created by the Academic Honesty Subcommittee of Academic Standards, Fall 2007

1) Take a proactive stance. Make students aware of the College’s Academic Honesty Policy (AHP) and of consequences for cheating in your class. The policy is available in the Catalog/Student Handbook and on the myharper portal. (Under “Divisions” click on “Student Affairs”; then click on “Policies and Procedures”.) Ideas include:

• Distribute a copy of the Academic Honesty Policy at the start of the semester
• Include or reference Academic Honesty Policy in syllabus
• Reference AHP before assignments or tests
• Be clear and thorough when communicating class expectations and

assignment requirements

• Provide students with DO and DON’T examples
• Encourage students to ask questions and seek clarification
• COMMUNICATE with students and encourage students to COMMUNICATE

with faculty

• Talk to your department chair and/or dean regarding divisional practices to

help promote consistency

• See Appendix A for other proactive suggestions from Harper faculty

2) Ask yourself how you know the student cheated. What evidence do you have that a violation occurred?

• Utilize resources such as Turnitin.com and Googling a sentence
• Identify the specific nature of the breach (EX: copied off of paper during

written test)

• Identify HOW cheating occurred
• Identify specific student behavior (EX: A student’s eyes wandered.

EX: Two students text messaged each other during class.)

• Identify how breach was brought to your attention
• You witnessed
• You saw evidence of
• You suspected, suspicions were confirmed
• Student(s) reported
• Other
• Determine who was involved in the cheating
• One student
• More than one student or individual
• From one class or from multiple sections
• Other
• Determine exactly on WHAT academic honesty was breached. Be as

specific as possible.

• Homework
• Paper
• Test, Quiz
• In class or Out of class
• Individual or group assignment
• Other
• Combination of the above

2 3) Consider options when determining sanctions / consequences to the cheater.

• What does my syllabus say about consequences?
• Is this the first occurrence in the class?
• What was the student’s intent?
• Is the student remorseful?
• Is there an opportunity to make this an educational experience for the

student?

• How have I handled similar situations in the past?
• How have similar situations been handled by my department?
• Consider impact of consequences
• What is the short term impact of consequences to the cheater? To
• thers?
• What is the long term impact of consequences to the cheater? To
• thers?
• What are the consequences to the instructor?

To the department? To other faculty? Possible Consequences

(examples only; not intended to be all-inclusive)

Less Severe ________________________________________________More Severe

Verbal Warning Lower grade on assignment Lower grade in course* Redo assignment/test Fail assignment Fail course* Give an additional assignment/test Suggest student-initiated withdrawal from course * Note that per the Academic Honesty policy, “In cases of academic dishonesty, the faculty assigned grade supersedes a student- initiated withdrawal.”

4) Complete the Academic Honesty Form (on the myharper portal under “Divisions” click on “Student Affairs”; then click on “Policies and Procedures”) and communicate with the student.

• Let the student know the outcome of your investigation and the

consequences you are imposing

• Give the student an opportunity to explain his or her behavior if you have not

already done so

• Provide the student with a copy of the Academic Honesty Form
• Retain a copy of the Academic Honesty Form for your files
• Send the original of the Academic Honesty Form to the Dean of Affairs
• Office. Benefits of this are:
• Centralized file created
• Can catch repeat offenders
• Ensures a consistent follow-up communication that informs parties of

rights/procedures such as the appeals process

• May request that additional Student Code of Conduct charges be filed

3 APPENDIX A The ideas below were adapted from Harper College Faculty responses to a 1999-2000 survey on academic honesty. PHYSICAL/ENVIRONMENTAL

• 1. SEATING
• Seat students every other seat or be sure seats are as far as possible apart.
• Change seating during tests. Have students sit in different seats than they sit in during

class.

• Prearrange seating – random each time.
• Use divider panels (helpful with circular and rectangular tables – often an issue in labs).
• Seat suspect students in front.
• 2. COPIES OF TESTS
• Use various copies for each administering, scramble questions or solutions for multiple

choice questions.

• When space is very tight have 3 versions.
• Change tests and assignments every semester.
• Shred old exams or dispose of them properly.
• Use only 1 copy of test but run it on multiple colors, implying they are different versions.
• 3. SYLLABUS
• Clearly define plagiarism/cheating.
• Put the Academic Honesty Policy in your syllabus and discuss.
• Be clear about the implications and consequences of cheating and that you have zero

tolerance.

• Explain the difference between sharing ideas vs. taking someone else’s work and

submitting it as your own.

• Print warnings of the consequences ON the tests and assignments.
• Review the Academic Honesty Policy before each test.
• 4. VISIBILITY OF PROFESSOR
• Patrol the room during tests, preferably have 2 people.
• Do not allow books, hats, bathroom breaks, phone breaks, smoking breaks, etc.
• Eye contact is very important. Let them know you are watching.
• 5. STRICT FOLLOWING OF PROCEDURES FOR TEST EXCEPTIONS
• Only allow make-ups in a secure location.
• Do not allow any make-ups. Instead allow students to drop their lowest test grade.
• No one allowed to take a test early.
• Use a different exam for make-ups.

ATTITUDINAL

• 6. CLASS DISCUSSIONS
• On the first day of class have verbal discussions and clear descriptions of cheating and

the consequences. Have students sign a contract that they understand the College policy.

4

• As an in class exercise have the students share reasons why cheating is not ethical and

why it hinders the learning process.

• Test students on the content of the Academic Honesty Policy.
• Discuss cultural attitudes/definitions of cheating.
• Be firm about expectations and consequences of cheating.
• When there are infractions, announce them anonymously to the entire class.
• 7. SET A BASELINE OF YOUR STUDENTS’ STARTING ABILITIES
• Evaluate the skills that students bring into the class.
• Get to know your students.
• Use in-class assignments to familiarize yourself with students’ abilities.
• Get to know the friendships between students so you can compare work later.
• 8. MAKE ASSIGNMENTS DIFFICULT
• Assign individual projects that can’t allow cheating, such as something not easily found
• n the internet.
• Use essay only tests.
• Employ a grading process that helps neutralize cheating effect – mix papers, quizzes,

classroom participation, etc.

• Do a lot of in class work.
• Measure by using ways that show students can apply skills to problems, rather than rote

learning.

• Make students show work and how they got to the answer or show preliminary work with

the final project.

• Arrange for take-home or collaborative assignments to have zero or minimal impact on

the overall/semester grade.

• Make students submit two copies of their paper so one can be kept on file for future

reference if you get similar papers.

• 9. ATTITUDE
• Respect for teacher and peers is encouraged.
• Let them know, “I’m here to teach. You’re here to learn.”
• Be available to help students and steer them toward other resources so they can feel

they have a way out of temptation.

• Let them know you believe they are honest, trust-worthy, conscientious and that they
• nly deny themselves the learning experience when they neglect or cheat on

assignments.

• Encourage students to ask for assistance when confused.
• Have zero tolerance on breaches of honesty.
• 10. OTHER
• Allow all students to bring notes to exam. Now the cheater is on same level field with

non-cheaters.

• Form research paper assignments so that they are weighted more heavily toward

analysis and not so much to rote research.

• Do not store exams in an accessible computer system.