Cheating in the Classrooms

Monitoring cheating in classrooms has become much harder for teachers today. Most cell phones have standard features of video recording, voice recording, camera, text-messaging, email, calculator, games, and Internet access. A student using their cell phone as a calculator for a math test can easily use these other functions without the teacher noticing. In a classroom of 20 students or more it is easy for a student to use a device that is usually smaller than their hand to cheat. School officials initially reacted by banning such technical devices like cell phones in the classroom. “Mobile phones continue to be regarded as a nuisance in the classroom, evidenced by the research discussed a study by the National Education Association showing that 85% of a sample of higher education instructors in the U.S. agreed that professors should ban mobile phones from being used in university classrooms (Gilroy, 2004).” Many schools have not reinforced banning laws regarding technical devices. “Indeed, many educational institutions in the U.S. have formal policies banning mobile phone use in classrooms Mobile Phones in College Classrooms 281 and on school grounds, especially in K-12 schools, although state laws against the technology in schools have loosened because of safety concerns in the aftermath of the school shootings in Columbine, Colorado in 1999 and the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 (Katz, 1999, 2005).” School violence is a factor why many parents want students to have access to communication devices in the classroom. Yet, a proper monitoring structure has not been reinforced in the majority of schools to reduce cheating and distractions from these devices. Despite the facts some argue that technology is good for students to use in the classroom. For example, Katz (2005) reported on uses of the technology for tutoring, accessing Internet resources, and connecting students, instructors, and parents in efforts to coordinate school-related activities. Other researchers state, “New communication technologies that make cheating easier can also be used to combat the problem. For example, while the Internet opens a world of opportunity for students to plagiarize, it also can be used to detect and hinder the practice with programs such as turnitin.com.” Although, some solutions have been found for inappropriate use of technical devices there is still a lack of structure to uniform these solutions. Society as a whole is dealing with this problem of unsuitable behavior.