Online Classes and Cheating PRESENTED BY JEFF BARBEE

Common Thoughts  Online courses are much easier to cheat in  Cheating happens much more often in online courses  They have little interaction with the instructor  Students often do not value online courses as much

Learning Outcomes  Understand the rate of cheating in an online course compared to a face-to-face course  Categorize the type of cheating that occurs in on-line courses  Assess if cheating is occurring in your class  Formulate a plan to reduce, if not eliminate cheating from happening

Who Takes Online Courses?  In 2011 the University of Phoenix Enrolled More Than 380,000 Students in Degree Programs  Programs From Associate Through Doctorate; Online, Traditional, or Combination  2.2% Non-Resident Aliens, 18.4% Black, 36.3% White; 68.9% Female  NCES Reported from an Increase From 8% to 20% of Students Who Enrolled in an Online Course

The Future Outlook A 2011 Survey of Chief Academic Officers Found that 65% View Online Learning as a Critical Part of Long Term Strategy

Student Attitudes  Small Difference in Views When Comparing Face-to-Face with Asynchronous Online Courses  Face-to-Face Usually preferred  Large Drop off Compared to Synchronous Online Courses  Higher Drop Out Rate in Synchronous Courses

Why Do Students Cheat?  King, Guyette, and Piotrowski State the “Fraud Triangle” In Their Research (Pressure, Opportunity, Attitude)  Incentive/Pressure- To Earn A Good Grade  Opportunity- No One Is Watching  Rationalization/Attitude- Gives In To The “Everyone Is Doing It”  Lack of Class Support; I.E. Saturday Night, Finishing the Work

Your Cheating Ways  Laziness  Stress  Poor Organizational and Time Management Skills  Cheating Being Viewed As “Easy”  The Course Being Difficult  Cheating is Happening in the Class

Types of Cheating  Collusion  Deception  Plagiarism  Technology Manipulation  Misrepresentation

Collusion  Organized Cheating  Knowingly Exchanging Information  Using Past Exams, Tests, or Quizzes

Deception  A student Acts Alone  Uses Work From Another Student Without Permission  Receiving Help When Not Allowed

Plagiarism  Claiming Credit For Work That Is Not Theirs  Copy and Pasting  Making Up A Reference List  Found More Often in Upper-Classmen

Technology Manipulation  “Having A Computer Crash”  Unauthorized Internet Usage/Sources; Most Often Found with Under-Classmen  Technology Failure  Intense Tech Savvy Student

Misrepresentation  Students Claim Work That Is Not Theirs  Students Use Someone Else To Complete The Course Work  Outsourcing

Where do we hear most about these cases? Recent Chronicle Article Western Carolina University Implemented a Fake Course Invited Students to Cheat Student Hired a Company to Complete Course

MOOCs  Harvard Studies Found Students Register Two Different Accounts  Purposely Fail Assignments to Find The Answers for Other Account  Data of 2 million Students from 115 Courses Used  1% of Students Used This Method  Students Who Had Earned 20 or More Certificates Through These Programs: 25% Cheated This Way

Athletics  According to the Chronicle, Last Year, the NCAA Was Investigating 20 cases of Academic Misconduct  18 Cases Were Division I  1 was Division II, 1 was Division III  One Example, Math Professor Logged On Students Account and Helped Students Complete Assignments

The Misconceptions  It is Easier to Cheat in Online Courses  Cheating Happens Much More Often in Online Courses  Online Courses Are Not Personable

The Truths about Online Courses  No Support of showing that cheating happens in on-line classes more than traditional courses  Studies did not show a clear evidence that it is easier to cheat in an on-line class  Instructors can have a presence in the course  Age Difference and Views On Cheating  Majority of Online Students also Attend Traditional Classes

Preventing Cheating  Explain Expectations, Be Clear Of What Is Expected  Avoid Simple Answer Assessments (Yes/No Questions)  Timed Exams  Honesty Statements After Assessment  Open Ended/Higher Level Thinking Questions  Allow/Encourage The Use Of Course Materials  Allow Multiple Attempts  Change Tests Every Few Semesters

Make The Course Personable  Be Active in the Course  Have an Online Presence  Allowing Students to Communicate in by Written Communication  Promote High Ethical Values

The Syllabus  The value online syllabi cannot be over stated  First and most important document  Sets the tone of the course

Tools To Help Catch Cheating

References