Job Discussion Forums

[DosEquisX]

Most of my students are smart enough not to cheat in my class (or they are REALLY good that avoiding detection). Plus, the tests are pretty easy. They aren't mind-blowing experiences.

Today was different. While some students were handing in their exam, I saw one student peer over at another's exam while the other let the student do so. They were also talking to each other. I swooped in, confiscated their papers and asked them to leave. A few minutes later, the students came over to complain to me.

Their claim was that they thought the test was over (a lot of the students were handing in papers at the same time). So, that talking was okay because they were done with their tests. Plus, they were not copying answers because their test sheet was not open.

Now, I make the rules/consequences perfectly clear and they include no talking/whispering and no copying. Violating the rules means that you receive a zero on the exam. I believe them on the latter as I did not see their sheets exposed. When I collected the sheets, they were already completed.

However, they were talking. I'm not sure about what, but they were talking during the test. They said that they were talking about "one word" without a desire to cheat. Were they telling the truth? I'm not sure. They were talking about the test, but definitely were not going forward with cheating on it. But would they have cheated if I didn't catch them talking about it?

So the question is: Do you follow the letter of the law or spirit of the law when it comes to cheating? I would feel bad giving a zero to a student for innocent chatter about a completed exam, but rules are rules right?

[7969]

I usually go by the letter of the law. rules are rules and once you start making exceptions the whole thing falls apart.

1. if possible eliminate any opportunity for cheating. space the students far enough apart. not always possible though. no talking. no books and no papers on the desk.

2. if it's a final, they can and should be instructed to leave the room once they're done and handed in their paper. if it's a mid term done in class, have the exam in the latter portion of class so those who are done can leave. This would eliminate your talking problem.

3. Anytime i suspect cheating, I usually make it clear I'm watching and if it continues I make a note of who the suspects are and when i grade the papers I compare them. Depending on the type of exam its usually clear if someone cheated/copied.

4. if you have the respect of the students most of them wont try to cheat, at least this is what I believe and have experienced. I still catch one or two now and then though. They may not get 0 (as with some schools we have a "no failure on the exam" policy here) but they'll be downgraded to the minimum pass score.

Some teachers don't care how the students complete the exam, cheating or otherwise, and just grade them all the same. Maybe I'm old fashioned but I like to reward those who put in the effort and punish those who think they can slide by on other peoples work. The students are generally in agreement.

[DosEquisX]

[7969]

[flyingscotsman]

Cheating. Doesn't happen in China. They believe in GROUP WORK so ease up on then will you?

[choudoufu]

[quote="DosEquisX"]

[slareth]

Stick with the letter of the law you set down. If you do not, you may as well forget any rules you ever had. Sometimes this means making decisions you'd rather not make. Sometimes this means you have to hold people accountable for their actions without taking context into consideration. So be it.

At the beginning of every test I give I say the same thing. I tell my students what will result in them getting an immediate zero. I tell them that if they look at a phone or I think they are looking at a phone, they get a zero. If they look at a translator or I think they do...zero. If they talk or look at another students paper...zero. I ask each individual student if they understand before handing out my tests.

I make no exceptions. I have had to give people zeros when I know they were only checking who called them on the phone. Tough shit. If I make one exception, I'll have to make more..or worse..I'll have to hear.."but you let soandso look at their phone, why not me, ITS SO UNFAIR!!!"

So I am fair. I treat them all equally. I make no exceptions.

After 2 tests, my students can usually recite for me what will get them a zero. I begin telling them and they complete it verbatim.

All my tests are fairly easy provided the students actually attend class and listen instead of doing whatever else it is they do while sitting in my class taking up space.

[DosEquisX]

choudofu: Not sure if you're being facetious here.

My students are capable of understanding things like "No talking" and "No cell phones".

Are your students borderline retarded or something?

[choudoufu]

nope. not being facetious.

i have all post-grads. most have no desire to learn
english. most have no real ability. many from poor
provinces with no foreign teachers, or chinese
teachers unable to speak english. my classes are
arranged by major, not by speaking ability.

and they have the attention span of kittens.
(oooh! a butterfly!)

couple weeks ago had covered some important grammar
points. mentioned in class 15 times there would be a
quiz next week. picked 3 students at random, ask them
if we'll have a quiz next week.

"maybe?" "i dunno." and "huh?"

[shenyanggerry]

7969 I once had A, B and C versions of a test. Most answers were either one word or multiple choice. Fun seeing students who'd sat next to each other come up with identical wrong answers to different questions.