Curious about how students cheat? Apparently, it’s all about how much money they’re willing to dish out. As reported by Brad Wolverton in The New Economy of Cheating, some students are now buying entire classes instead of just one paper or assignment.
Intrigued? Check out the slick ads on “certain” websites and you’ll get an idea of the many cheating options available to students. And as investigative journalist Chris Havergal found out, even postgraduate students aren’t immune to the allure of so-called “essay mills”. A report by Turnitin revealed that three out of six papers purchased from essay mills contained copied content.
Did you know that most students who cheat actually decide to do it at the last minute? That’s what academic integrity expert Tricia Bertram Gallant revealed at a 2019 SXSW panel session. But wait, it gets more frustrating – apparently, the wealthy few who can afford to spend more on cheating are the ones who usually get away with it. Don’t lose hope though, because according to Gallant, prevention and intervention can work for the majority of cheaters. Her advice? Get to know your students and their writing styles inside out, and you’ll be better equipped to stop them from straying down the path of deceit.
Gallant’s advice on curtailing the cheating temptation is to “know your students, know their writing style … their tone”.
Gallant, 2019
Gallant, Binkin, and Donohue’s 2015 study found that male students in high-risk majors are most likely to cheat based on six risk criteria, including fear of punishment and major. To prevent cheating, Gallant recommends a strong academic integrity policy like the Aggie Code of Conduct, which sets clear expectations and consequences for behavior. By instilling the code in new students, we can create a culture of integrity within our college community.
male students in high-risk majors are most likely to cheat based on six risk criteria – maturity level, gender, grade point average, major, international student status, and fear of punishment
Gallant, Binkin, and Donohue, 2015
Drawing from my experience as an Instructional Designer, I provided faculty with guidance on effective ways to reduce cheating risk, including the use of Turnitin, adoption of creative assignments (voice over presentation slides) in place of essays, and online proctoring for high stakes exams. Additionally, I recommended the use of digital rubrics to ensure transparency in grading and fair evaluation of student work. By taking these proactive steps, we were able to effectively reduce the allure of “essay mills” and promote academic integrity within the learning community.
References
Gallant, T. B. (2008). Academic Integrity in the Twenty-First Century: A Teaching and Learning Imperative. ASHEHigher Education Report, Volume 33, Number 5. ASHE Higher Education Report, 33(5), 1-143.
Havergal, C. (2016) https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/essay-mills-turning-out-high-quality-essays-undetected-study. Times Higher Education. Retrieved from https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/essay-mills-turning-out-high-q uality-essays-undetected-study
Rigby, D., Burton, M., Balcombe, K., Bateman, I., and Mulatu, A (2015) Contract cheating & the market in essays. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 111, 23-37. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/So167268114oo3321
Wolverton, B., Bauman, D., and Myers, B. (2016) The New Economy of Cheating. Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from https:/ /fclt2015.org/2016 / 08/29/the-new-cheating-economy-the-chronicle-of-higher-education/