Thursday, April 24, 2008
After completing a test, I was sitting on a bench at the bus stop in front of Snow Hall. The test was just 20 multiple choice questions, some of which were identical to the ones from the practice test my professor put on blackboard, and went over in class. The girls sitting two benches away from mine apparently thought that I was reading a book, which rendered me temporarily deaf, because one of them proceeded to retell in detail the ways in which she cheated on the test we had just taken.
In her candid description she used her own name, and said she felt like her TA was “asking her to cheat.” She also felt she trusted the guy in front of her more than she did herself, so she just went ahead and copied down all of his answers.
The way she talked about cheating was nonchalant, and she must have felt pretty secure about it because she’s talking freely in front of all the other students at the bus stop.
But what about the guy sitting in front of her she cheated off of? He obviously had no idea what was going on, and yet if she had been caught the consequences for him could have been just as severe.
Hearing this one girl talk about cheating isn’t an isolated incident. Cheating has become an epidemic, and it made me start to wonder if anyone thinks cheating is wrong anymore. When I actually started talking to people about it, what I believed to be a strictly right-or -wrong issue turned out to be more complex than I thought.
“I don’t feel the need to learn in classes that don’t directly affect me or my major because I’m being forced to take them in order to get my degree,” Fletcher Farley, South Dakota junior, said. “I’m never going to use the information in my actual life. There’s so much pressure to get good grades you don’t worry about learning the information.”
Farley’s opinion raises several questions. Is it OK to cheat in classes that have nothing to do with what you’re majoring in?
George Tsoflias, assistant professor of geophysics gives a teacher’s standpoint. “Consider those questions: Is the prospect of a slightly higher grade worth the risk of ruining your academic career and any future opportunities that depend on it? Do you come to college to get a grade or gain knowledge? Is it a good investment of your time and money if you cheat yourself from learning? I think the answer is obvious, and students that cheat simply have not contemplated those questions.”
Tsoflias is teaching a class this semester with more than 500 students in it. During this class’s exams he has a minimum of 10 proctors and hands out different versions of the test.
I haven’t had a teacher make me put up folder tents like we did in grade school, but I did have a professor require us leave our jackets, hoodies, hats, bags, purses and backpacks at the front of the classroom to avoid cheating, yet it still happened (and people’s jackets were stolen). I’ve even had teachers become paranoid about any form of the ‘Live Strong’ bracelets, because answers could be written on the underside.
There needs to be a balance between harsh paranoia and complete disregard for academic standards. Our primary goal should be to learn, and the primary goal of the University and the professors teaching here should be to create an environment conducive to learning, not memorization — no matter the subject or size of the class.
Thornbrugh is a Lenexa sophomore in women’s studies and creative writing.
Teacher's Pe(s)t
Teachers don’t always play favorites.
The Anxious Mind
How social anxiety affects us and how we can make it go ...
Thornbrugh: What book Western Civ should have ...
Thornbrugh: Textbooks ignore women’s triumphs
History should not favor one sex over the other.
Beyond the Syllabus
Just like Mr. Belding, teachers can struggle with the thin line between ...
Myers: Dealing with Tough Teachers
Getting the wrong impression of a teacher can destroy your class experience. ...
New evaluations will benefit teachers and students
To stop complaints from both students and teachers of current evaluations, a ...
Forget the apple
Give your teacher a chili pepper: the Rate My Professor phenomenon.
Editorial: Going to class important to finish ...
There’s still time to motivate yourself and prepare for finals. It sounds ...
Malicious Intimacy
Four students' experiences with domestic violence.
Thornbrugh: Where I found models of grassroots ...
In My World
I feel torn. I have to choose between the Deaf-World and the ...
Hudson: Class size not solo factor in ...
Active professors are most important in leading class of five or 500
Nichols: If nothing else, learn how to ...
Avoid those uncomfortable interruptions and pretend to pay attention in class.
Editorial: Cheating not worth consequences
34 students were kicked out of Duke University’s business school for cheating ...
Don't be that guy
Does a sense of entitlement blind students to their poor behavior?
A matter of interpretation: Advocate
For deaf students at KU, Kim is the greatest support to ensure ...
Students face religious dilemmas
At the college level, some students find growth in challenging spiritual beliefs.
The Truth About Cheating
Jayplay explores the tricky world of relationships and fidelity.
To hell and back
A fight outside Naismith Hall began Thor Nystrom's year-long journey into the ...
Samp: Treat people decently no matter who ...
Often times, when you have problems with someone, communication is the key.
Professor brings fun to classroom
Craig Martin’s methods may seen unconventional to his 1,000 students in Budig ...
Finding My Way
Two majors later, I'm finally happy.
First generation Jayhawks adjust to campus
Students with no background knowledge learn about University life as they go.
Putting words into sustainable action
Associate Professor Simran Sethi is working on creating an eco-friendly home and ...
Freshman to discuss reading habits of students ...
Hannah Roark will also recite two poems from a competition where she ...
Letter to the Editor: Instructors must respect ...
I don’t know whether the student actually plagiarized the assignment. I don’t ...
All teacher wants is a little peace ...
Students and teachers find recent on-campus construction disruptive, yet no formal complaints ...
Minster: Kids growing up faster and faster
Third graders in Georgia took the reaction of frustrated students into the ...
Texting in class a growing problem
A new study found that 91 percent of college students texted in ...
Achieving two dreams
How student athletes juggle games and GPAs
Kiss and (my friend will) tell
What to say when your friend dates a cheater
All hail the queen
A day in the life of a ...
Living vicariously through others is OK with us.
1 ... 2 ... 3 ... OCD
Trying to break free from obsessing about obsessing
A matter of interpretation: Mimic and freelancer
Kim Bates, KU's interpreter coordinator, spends a significant amount of her time ...
Ho: Expressions of love hit cultural barrier
For Chinese, actions speak louder than words
Task force to restructure teacher evaluation methods
Panel will determine which type of evaluation is most effective in assessing ...
Tablets given away to engineering students
VP of Google Maps and Google Earth and a Kansas electrical engineering ...
From left: Kimberlee Hinkle, Libby Johnson and Hannah ...
1 comment
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID