Academic Dishonesty - Day 1: Technology helps stop academic dishonesty
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 11/16/2009
Photo Illustration by Kevin Daly | Senior Photographer
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Editor’s note: This is the first in a four-part series examining academic dishonesty at Purdue.
With 180 cases of alleged academic dishonesty in the past year, professors are using new technology to monitor students.
Of the 180 Purdue students accused of academic dishonesty for the 2008-2009 academic year, 69 were put on disciplinary probation and 62 were given oral or written warnings. The remaining students were suspended or their cases were dismissed.
Technology allows students to become more creative with their cheating, said Trae Mitten, assistant dean of students. But it also allows instructors to detect and report more cases of academic dishonesty.
“Students have always cheated,” Mitten said. “True, students can use technology to cheat more effectively nowadays, but technology also aids in detection. I do think some students have a more cavalier attitude toward cheating and do not really regard it as wrong.”
On average, there are about 190 cases of academic dishonesty per year.
There were 133 academic dishonesty cases in the 2007-2008 school year, 187 in 2006-2007, 261 in 2005-2006, and 195 in 2004-2005. Many of the cases took place in computer science or English classes, which are classes with large numbers of students from all colleges and schools.
In these respective academic years, zero, three, two and four cases resulted in expulsion.
“In the event the student is found guilty under the procedures set forth in the University Regulations of subsequent charges of misconduct committed during the period of disciplinary probation, records of such disciplinary probation shall be taken into the consideration in determining the disciplinary penalty, if any, to be imposed or the administrative action, if any, to be taken because of such subsequent misconduct,” Mitten said.
Plagiarism is one of the most difficult academic dishonesty cases. Linda Haynes, assistant director of the introductory composition at Purdue, said plagiarism is common in composition classes, although students don’t often understand it.
“First of all, students can have a genuine misunderstanding of what plagiarism is, or they might simply be careless or sloppy in their documentation efforts,” she said. “These are ‘teachable moments’ when an instructor makes sure that students know how to correctly document and cite sources.”
All disciplinary actions are confidential. Even though none of the sanctions are noted on transcripts, Mitten warns that students harm themselves most by cheating.
“It could affect their competency as a professional,” Mitten said. “Would you want to be onboard a plane piloted by someone who cheated on their pilot test?”