Cheat

Three of my students cheated on a take-home mid-term exam. I caught them. It was disappointing. Don’t get me wrong--I fully expected students to talk amongst themselves and to refer to their notes, the book, etc. Afterall, I am not completely stupid. This group, however, split the test up and then copied and pasted their answers -literally. At the very least, they plagiarized each other. I may not have noticed had the test been objective, but it was not. I requested students consider theories discussed in class, form opinions about each, and then apply them to their own lives. It seemed odd to me that the students would not only reach the same conclusions but would also present them in the same manner—word-for-word.

Probably against my better judgment, I brought the topic of cheating up in class. I indicated that several students cheated and presented my options for addressing this situation as I saw them:

1. The entire class could re-take the exam in class.
2. The students whom cheated could fail the test.
3. The students whom cheated could fail the test and the class.
4. I could turn the students in to the Department.
5. I could turn the students in to the University.

I brought the topic up to my entire class for a few reasons: First, I wanted them to know that I am intelligent enough to catch on to dishonesty and plagiarism. Second, I wanted them to know that I will not tolerate such behavior. Third, I wanted their input regarding what I should do, as my students are in a cohort. It seemed to me that this issue really affects everyone in my class.

In general, my students were angry. Many of them put a lot of time and effort into the test and felt that their peers should have as well. I have to admit, I was angry (on some level) too. Interestingly enough, it turns out that this is the second time that this type of activity occurred within this group of students this quarter.

After class, two of the girls were still there. I dismissed class early with the hope that the students that participated in the cheating would reveal themselves. As I suspected they might, they did. One of the students was hysterical. She was crying uncontrollably and seemed (sorry for my language here) scared shitless. The other was angry. The third of the trio skipped class and was not present.

The angry girl demanded proof of my suspicions. She also expressed frustrations regarding me brining the topic up to the whole class. Although she may be correct about the way I presented the situation (although I am not sure), I was not incorrect about her activities. I provided her with examples of paragraphs that were verbatim of one another amongst the three tests. She indicated that the three women had consulted (as they were allowed) and came up with the same answer and for me to expect any different was unreasonable. I indicated that since all of the students in the class learned the same things in the course, many people had similar answers. The difference was, however, that other students provided the information in their own words and through their own perspectives.

The other girl admitted that three shared e-mails with the answers. She thought that each of them would do a better job re-wording their answers, but agreed (after she reviewed the tests) that they were the same. She accepted responsibility for her actions and recognized her poor judgment. Her goal while speaking with me was not to argue with me, but to determine how she could rectify the situation.

The third girl who was not present for class e-mailed me later in the evening and justified her behavior as acceptable since the program she is in is based on a “constructivist” approach. I resisted my urge to e-mail her back to inform her that 1.) that does not even make sense and 2.) that is a load of doo.

Of course, the situation was much more complicated than the situation described above. There was a lot said, dirty looks and an extreme amount of patience involved. As I reflect on the class, I am a bit fascinated by the behaviors of each of the students involved. It is in interesting to me that they each had such different reactions (anger, taking responsibility and making excuses). I clearly respect one approach over the others.

How I handle this particular situation may have a great impact on these women’s lives. Yet, at the same time, I cannot help but think that it will not make much of a difference either. The women make poor choices. Their values are a bit different than my own. I know that I cannot change them—only influence their behaviors. I will say, however, that I am proud of myself for standing up to my students. I am proud of myself for pointing out the difference between right and wrong. I am proud of myself for not “just letting it go” (as one of them suggested I do). Most of all, I am proud of myself for demanding that my students do better — that they put in a little effort and show themselves, me and their peers that they have a little respect. I am proud that I care...