Korean Job Discussion Forums

[steroidmaximus]

this thread is for uni profs to share their experiences of catching students cheat on exams or assignments. I have to run at the moment, but I'll be back in a few hours to share my experiences

[dutchman]

I had one class of dance majors that was really bad. The cheating on the midterm was so bad I couldn't keep up with it. And they all thought they could smile and flirt their way out of any repercussions. Boy were some of them pissed when I actually penalized them.
For the final exam I brought my video camera. I made a big deal of setting it up so that most of the class was in the picture. Told the class to cheat if they wanted to and that I will watch the tape and deduct 5 points for every case of cheating I saw. It worked! No one cheated. The funny thing is, I never even turned the camera on.

[rudyflyer]

this semester there was very little cheating on the midterm but I when I get to the classroom I kick all the students out into the hallway then windex all the desks and re-configured the classroom. I let the students in but check their hands/arms etc, then make them put everything including their handphones at the front of the classroom. I did catch an older guy trying to write crib notes before a test right in front of me. Just made him give it to me. We also have 3 versions of the test and we give our exams all the same days

Last year I had huge problems with students trying to write stuff on their desks and even on the floor near where they sat. I'd bring in windex and they thought it was funny.

My funniest cheating incident was last year in a practical writing class I taught. The students were to write in class a letter from one of 3 styles we went over that I'd chose at the final. Well this kid had all 3 models written on his desk. I moved him, windexed his desk and took 10 points off his exam grade (out of 30-30% of the final course grade). Well he obviously bombs and winds up flunking the course. He then swamps me with emails begging me not only pass him but to give him an A or B because he was transferring univs and needed a high grade to transfer!

what morons

[weatherman]

I give an oral test, but I give them the questions to study before hand, and this cuts out the cheating a lot. But still some try to cheat, and this I can't understand, is how the students can fail the test also, which about 50% would if I could grade honestly. But my university wants everybody to pass, so all but the missing don't pass. I know I have sold myself out to the university in this regard, but Korea has made me so jaded, it doesn't bother me.

[crazylemongirl]

This was back in New Zealand, but since I spent over 2 years on the uni's discipline committee I know a llittle bit student cheating (well the ones stupid enough to get caught) as all bar 2 of the cases were cheating.

The usual crib notes, one girl had crib notes written into the inside of her legs

Notes in the bathoroom hidden in the toilet in a waterproof bag.

People swapping identies etc.

One guy even took the trouble of writing his notes on tissue paper which must have been a mission and a half as that stuff isn't exactly for writing on.

But the best one I ever had for sheer stupidity on the part of the prof and the student and infact the uni, was a case at master level where on guy at masters level plagarised an enitre report from his company and then just wrote a brief introduction. The prof gave it a B+, the guy bought in a big lawyer and because the uni knows that it's regualtions would have a hard time standing up in court (plus the prof in question was a distingished uni professor) they made the student do the assignment again... when students have been fined and thrown out of the uni for lesser things.

CLG

[steroidmaximus]

ah yes, crib notes:

Where:
-On the backs of chairs: this one was pretty funny, with the student in question swearing she didn't write the notes on the back of the chair in front of her, nor did she use them. So why do you have the same spelling mistakes on your test as what's written on the chair? I ask. She's dumbfounded. Ok, I lied, I don't know if there were spelling mistakes on the back of the chair, but she confesses and begs to let her write the test again instead of getting an F.

-on the floor: nothing a little water won't fix

-on the walls: erase please

-on the desks: it amazes me that they think they can get away with this obvious one, but when checking out a class before my exam I always find crib notes for other profs exams. Cheating is tolerated, even when you have the entire desk top covered with the term's material

-on arms, legs etc my favorite was catching a student who had sewn crib notes into the underside of his shirt. He was wearing a long sweat shirt, and I was wondering why he kept looking into his crotch. I walk by a few times, actually checked under the desk the chair etc, nothing. Then when he thinks I'm not looking, he flips the bottom of his shirt up. Funny. Even funnier the expression on his face when I boot him out of class.

What material?

-my favorite has to be the clear plastic done up with a printer. I'm like, why don't you use the time to study instead of making these expensive crib notes?


So far I've caught a total of 14 students cheating on exams in 2 terms. Then there are the homework assignments. I actually had students submit a paper for tourism class that had the HTML code printed from the website they lifted it from! How freakin retarded is that??? Never mind the ones who produce perfect homework, yet can't carry on a conversation past the first few standard openings. sigh

Rant off

[itaewonguy]

TEAAACHEEERRRR!!! he CUNNING!!!


I love that!!!

[ajuma]

Add this to the "stupid cheaters" list!

In one of my classes, one student wrote the exam both for himself and for his friend! How could I tell? The papers were written in the same pen, with the same mistakes, handed in at the same time AND both had the wrong date!!

I get one or two students a semester who cheat on their writing homework by copying something from the internet. What do I do? Make them write a one page essay on "Why cheating is bad." Make the punishment fit the crime!

[rudyflyer]

given some of the creative cheating we've seen here can you imagine if these students had put in the same time/creativity into studying and doing classwork that they do in cheating how well they could do?

[The Lemon]

Erm - Creativity? Classwork? In Korean universities?

[Ryst Helmut]

Ok, so I am now a kettle calling my students 'black.' I cheated in uni and before, for sure. In one of my lit courses we were to read something like 8 novels...bugger that, you know how much time that detracts from partying?

Professor had 3 possible final exam questions posted a week before the exam. The essay test had us compare/contrast novels (with the ability to use our books for quotes, et cetera). I didn't read any of the books, but Lordy Lordy...me loves them study groups and de internet! Had my 3 essays prepared by test day. Put essay in correct font and size...and soaked them in tea to get the right color/texture to match the book.

I is bad, I know, but an "A" is nice.

So, in order to curb cheating, I give oral exams. If not, I change classrooms so I get fresh everything. Assigned seating and rules such as those of Rudyflyer.

I figure if they can get past me, they'll do fine in life, and deserve thier 'A."

Shoosh,

Ryst

[rudyflyer]

OK I just had an entire class cheat on an oral test. They didn't follow the instructions on the information sheet I handed out last Monday and they all said the same sentences with the same mistakes in both grammar and pronunciation. If they hadn't tried to pull a fast one on me saying they were going camping when the dept said they were to be in class they may of gotten some hints last Thurs.

Heck they couldn't even get the sentences right. They were supposed to say 5 sentences about their home (1 Sentence)/fitness (1 sentence) goals/and the past tense (3 sentences). I got 3 sentences about their home, 2-5 sentences about health goals and 4 sentences using the past tense.

never thought I'd see this one.

[Canadian Teacher]

My students decided to copy each other on the mid term. Too bad they have a collective IQ of a room heater. They copied each other's mistakes.

There would be no point cheating on my test. The are so easy a drunk chimp could pass them. My students are so lazy none of them would take the time to cheat.

[dutchman]

[rudyflyer]

dutchman, I thought about what you brought up and part of the problem today was the class itself. I gave this assignment last Monday (my classes meet on M-TH or T-Fr) and in all my classes Thurs and Fri I went over it in much simpler English (my wife wrote the assignment for both of our classes) and gave examples. My 2 other classes today did fine on the test

This class though decided to get into a p*$$ing contest with me because on teachers day I wouldn't give them the day off and at the end of class last Mon they said "teacher, no class Thurs we have camping trip" I thought this was odd so I had our office manager call the dept to verify it given it was the second to last week of classes. Well the dept said they were not authorized to go on a camping trip and were to be there. So today I let them have it and made them take the oral test. If they had been there Thurs they may of gotten even simpler instructions and they may have done well. But since they decided to try and pull a fast one over me last week I made them pay the price today and I caught them cheating. Some of them wound up losing 17% of their final grade today (10% for the exam and 7% for Thurs)

maybe the next time they'll think twice.