Kara Streppa April 7, 2011 Technologys Effect on Plagiarism and Cheating Plagiarism and cheating have undoubtedly been

an issue in schools for years prior to computers and cell phones. However, many wonder whether the advancement of technology has had a profound effect on the frequency of plagiarism and cheating in schools and if this is an issue. Are students cheating their way through school with the help of computers and cell phones? Although cheating has always been a concern among teachers, technology enables multiple ways for students to cheat other than simply copying from a neighbor. With the increased pressure to attend and graduate from college, some students will utilize every resource available in an attempt to succeed in school. Is there anything wrong with this? Some believe that students should take advantage of the resources available as a learning tool while others believe that the increase of academic dishonesty through technological means is preventing students from gaining crucial critical thinking skills through completing work on their own. It has been proven that the amount of plagiarism and cheating has increased since the Internet has become more accessible. The Josephson Institute of Ethics found that from 1992 to 2002, the number of high school students who cheated had increased from 61% to 74% (Ma, Wan & Lu 2008). In 2006, the same institution surveyed 36,000 high school students and found that 33% admitted to copying an Internet document in the past 12 months (Ma, Wan & Lu 2008). According to Common Sense Media and the Streppa 1

Benenson Strategy Group, technology has changed education and its availability has left students with a major moral dilemma. Don McCabe, the president and director of the Center for Academic Integrity surveyed students in more than 60 high schools across the nation and found that about 50% of high school students admitted to having plagiarized from the Internet (Mitchell 2007). The Benenson Strategy Group interviewed a total of 2,015 students aged 13-18 and their parents in 2009 to learn about cheating trends among students (Benenson Strategy Group & Common Sense Media 2009). They found that 35% of teens with cell phones have cheated with them at least once and 52% of teens have cheated using the Internet (Benenson Strategy Group & Common Sense Media 2009). However, they also found that many students do not consider certain activities to be cheating offenses. Because of the convenience of the Internet and the resources available to download free papers and reports, students tend to have a lax attitude about plagiarizing and cheating (Ma, wan & Lu 2008). For instance, 23% of teens did not believe using notes stored in a cell phone during a test is cheating. Furthermore, 20% of teens did not believe texting a friend about answers during an exam is cheating. Lastly, 19% did not believe turning in a paper found on the Internet was cheating (Benenson Strategy Group & Common Sense Media 2009). From this data, it is clear that technology promotes cheating; however, some students do not consider it to be academically dishonest. Such students feel empowered to make their own decisions on the importance of a

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particular course or assignment and believe that they should be able to decide whether they want cheat on it (McCabe & Katz 2009). What other motives do students have to plagiarize? According to Robert Harris, students want to complete their assignments as fast as possible because they have procrastinated or do not have adequate time management skills and plagiarizing helps them to do so (Mitchell 2007). Furthermore, with pressure to do well, students worry that their writing is not satisfactory and in an attempt to do well, they plagiarize (Mitchell 2007). Lastly, as mentioned earlier, some students believe that they have the right to cheat if they do not feel that the particular assignment is worthwhile. Based on research, cheating is more prevalent when the students see the tests or assignments as unfair, having little learning value, or are too difficult (McCabe & Katz 2009). To reduce cheating in schools, Mitchell suggests that it is important to teach students early on that plagiarism and cheating are wrong. Furthermore, Mitchell advises that teaching students how to properly cite resources in a simple manner will may help reduce the issue of plagiarism (Mitchell 2007). Because cheating is more prevalent on assignments that students view as worthless, I think purposeful instruction and assessment must be used in all classes. If students understand the importance of the particular assignment, they will be less likely to cheat on it. McCabe and Katz suggest that promoting integrity is more beneficial than strictly enforcing rules if the goal is to reduce cheating as well as promote good

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character development (McCabe & Katz 2009). If students understand that plagiarizing, stealing someone elses words, is the same as stealing from a store, they may be less likely to do it. Although the increase in technology does make it easier for students to cheat, it can be an effective learning tool if used properly and it also makes it easier for teachers to catch students who plagiarize. Many schools aim to reduce plagiarism and cheating and implement several methods to do so. There are online resources in which teachers can upload papers to find if any of it has been plagiarized. Some people argue that this plagiarism-detection tool violates the copyrights of students, as the program stores copies of their papers. However, according to Jeffrey Young, it was ruled that this tool does not violate students rights because the company does not use the stored papers for any purpose other than to compare it to other papers to detect plagiarism (Young 2008). It is evident that cheating and plagiarism are major issues in schools with the advancement of technology. Students have many resources such as computers and cell phones, in which they can find and share information. Students can find thousands of papers online that they can turn in as their own or use their cell phone during an exam to share answers with their classmates. They can use their smart phones to look up answers during an exam. Students can record answers on their iPods or store formulas in their calculators. With technology, the possibilities are endless and I think it is necessary for schools to have guidelines in place that students are expected

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to follow. I agree that promoting integrity with an honor code can be an effective way to prevent plagiarism and cheating; however, I also think consequences are necessary in plagiarism and cheating situations. I think some students do not cheat simply because they are afraid of the consequences while others cheat because they enjoy the thrill of it. Therefore, I think promoting integrity and pre determined consequences for instances of cheating and plagiarism are necessary. With that being said, it is also crucial for students to understand what exactly constitutes as plagiarism and cheating as well as why it is wrong to do. Some students do not believe there is anything wrong with cheating or do not even know what is considered to be cheating. I think that both need to be made clear to all students. Students must know what is expected of them at the beginning of the school year and must know the repercussions associated with not following the rules and guidelines. Some students claim that they cheat only on assignments that they do not feel are worth their time. Because of this, I think teachers need to ensure that all instruction and assessments are purposeful and the students understand the importance and meaning of each assignment. As technology continues to advance and become an even more staple part of every individuals life, it is likely that cases of cheating will continue to increase as it becomes even easier. Schools and teachers must work hard to prevent this because if students continue to cheat, they will not acquire necessary critical thinking skills that will help them in the future and will not learn much at all. While the Internet

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is a wonderful resource that students and teachers should use, it should be used as an additional resource to supplement what is being taught, not replace it. Plagiarism and cheating is clearly a problem that is increasing with technology and teachers must be aware of this and do everything in their power to prevent it, as plagiarism and cheating can prevent a student from learning.

Bibliography Common Sense Media Poll on Digital Cheating (2009): http://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/Hi-Tech%20Cheating%20%20Summary%20NO%20EMBARGO%20TAGS.pdf Josephson Institute. (2011). The Ethics of American Youth 2010: Honesty and Integrity (survey includes questions on cheating in school). http://charactercounts.org/programs/reportcard/2010/installment02_report-card_honestyintegrity.html Lehman, K. (2009). Plagiarism in the Digital Age: What High School Students Say. http://www.plagiarism.org/resources/documentation/plagiarism/learning/Plagiarism_Digita l_Age.pdf Ma, H., et. al. (2008). Digital Cheating and Plagiarism in Schools. Theory Into Practice, v47 n3 p197-203. (Get this online via the UI Library) McCabe, D. & Katz, D. (2009) Curbing Cheating, Tech Directions, v69 n3 p32-34 Oct 2009 and Education Digest: Essential Readings Condensed for Quick Review, v75 n1 p16-19 Sep 2009. http://writing.markfullmer.com/curbing-cheating Mitchell, Sara. Penguins and Plagiarism: Stemming the Tide of Plagiarism in Elementary School. Library Media Connection, v25 n7 p47 Apr-May 2007 Young, Jeffrey R. Judge Rules Plagiarism-Detection Tool Falls under "Fair Use". Chronicle of Higher Education, v54 n30 pA13 Apr 2008. (Involved high school students) http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/200804/msg00026.html

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Artifact: Paper on Technologys Effect on Plagiarism and Cheating Kara Streppa Technology Standard 4. Social, Ethical, and Human Issues: The competent teacher will apply concepts and skills in making decisions concerning the social, ethical, and human issues related to computing and technology. The competent teacher will understand the changes in information technologies, their effects on workplace and society,

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their potential to address life-long learning and workplace needs, and the consequences of misuse.

This standard ensures that teachers understand the issues that come along with using technology in the classroom. Although technology can be incredibly useful for teachers, it is possible that technology can pose problems for the teacher and students. As a teacher, I may be responsible for making decisions regarding aspects of technology and it is important that I understand technology and its implications. With all of the benefits of technology come some problems including health issues associated with using technology, cyber-bullying, students viewing inappropriate content on the Internet, students using the Internet for reasons other than school related purposes, students using technology as a means of plagiarism and cheating and more. Furthermore, not all teachers use technology effectively and this too is an issue. I think that this standard also ensures that teachers know the issues associated with technology, which may help prevent them from misusing it in the classroom. Teachers must also be aware of new technology and always be ready to learn new aspects of technology, as this will help teachers keep up with the latest technology, which may improve their teaching skills. This standard is important so teachers understand the issues associated with technology and can work to avoid encountering such problems. The artifact I chose for this standard is a paper that outlines how technology contributes to plagiarism and cheating in schools. In this paper, I examine the research on plagiarism and cheating in schools and how it has increased as technology has become more advanced. Plagiarism and

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cheating is a major issue in schools and after researching this topic and writing this paper, I believe that I have a much better understanding of this major implication of technological advancements. I believe that I now have the ability to make better decisions when I encounter an issue of plagiarism or cheating in my classroom, as well as ways to prevent it from happening. I now know how changes in technology can have a monumental effect on my students and their ability to plagiarize or cheat rather than actually learn the information I teach them. If my students misuse technology by using it as a means of cheating, I understand that they will not be gaining essential critical thinking skills and therefore can have a negative effect on the rest of their lives. This artifact I chose demonstrates my thorough understanding of the major implications of encouraging students to use technology and my knowledge of how to prevent the misuse. As a result of meeting this standard, I am now prepared to teach in an environment full of diverse learners because I understand many different ways that students use technology and the issues that can come from the different uses of technology. My students will all have different beliefs about what plagiarism is and whether it is an issue or not. Furthermore, my students will all have different capabilities in terms of using technology and some may be more advanced than others. By meeting this standard, I understand the many different ways technology can be misused and believe I can anticipate the issues and prevent them from interrupting my goals as a teacher.

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