I am hearing that there has been an epidemic of cheating at Universities and Colleges

[malaise]

across the planet as students sat examinations at home.

https://www.npr.org/2021/08/27/1031255390/reports-of-cheating-at-colleges-soar-during-the-pandemic

Mariam Aly, an assistant professor at Columbia University, has tried everything to keep her students from cheating. In her cognitive neuroscience class, she gives her students a week to complete an open-book exam. And, as part of that exam, the nearly 180 students in the class have to sign an honor code.

But they're still cheating. And dealing with student misconduct, she says, is the worst part of her job. "It's just awkward and painful for everybody involved," Aly says. "And it's really hard to blame them for it. You do feel disappointed and frustrated."

Her students are facing unprecedented levels of stress and uncertainty, she says, and she gets that. "I didn't go to school during a pandemic."

As college moved online in the COVID-19 crisis, many universities are reporting increases, sometimes dramatic ones, in academic misconduct. At Virginia Commonwealth University, reports of academic misconduct soared during the 2020-21 school year, to 1,077 — more than three times the previous year's number. At the University of Georgia, cases more than doubled; from 228 in the fall of 2019 to more than 600 last fall. And, at The Ohio State University, reported incidents of cheating were up more than 50% over the year before.
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Just heard a report about massive cheating with essays and at home tests at our UWI.
Apparently groups of students all over our planet had groups with their cell phones providing answers for Tom, Dick, Harry and his sisters. other groups offered essays for a cost.
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These are crazy times. I am glad to be a retiree. I could not handle this stress.

[marybourg]

1. The rot came from the top.

[malaise]

3. Well Mary Trump did tell us that her uncle did not sit his

SATs

[jimfields33]

14. Regardless these students should be kicked out of school.

Cheating is the worst you can do in school.

[malaise]

15. +1,000

They are the worst of the worst

[Hassler]

2. Me too. Retired 5 years ago. Glad I didn't have to deal with this

With students raised by cell phones, and with supporters of America's Biggest Loser.

[Submariner]

4. Those cheaters will be the republican U.S. house reps and senators

of the new dictatorial America blowing in the wind.

[Farmer-Rick]

5. Interesting, thanks for posting

There's got to be a better way to educate our kids. Why not eliminate the pressure and stress we place on our children to succeed at all cost.

[Celerity]

6. 'across the planet'

That article only talks about the US.

[malaise]

9. I mentioned the report I was listening to locally

and they cited other countries
There are lots of links

https://www.google.com/search?q=univresity+cheating+during+pandemic+across+the+globe&oq=univresity+cheating+during+pandemic+across+the+globe&aqs=chrome..69i57.8160j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[Celerity]

18. Thanks.

[tulipsandroses]

7. Wait, she gave them a week to finish an OPEN BOOK exam and they still cheated?

How lazy or dumb do you have to be to not complete an exam in a week that you can look up the answers yourself?

[malaise]

16. Cheaters will cheat

[Walleye]

8. Civilization is breaking down. The virus is defeating us

[OldBaldy1701E]

10. It isn't the virus. (n/t)

[Walleye]

11. Of course. The virus is just a catalyst

[malaise]

12. THIS

There are always students who cheat but it's harder to catch them with home exams

[Demovictory9]

17. the internet provides infinite ways to cheat

[ThoughtCriminal]

19. A growing emphasis on testing

over the joy of learning and accomplishment.

And I think that the mandates for testing have generally been imposed from above.

I have not been in the progression so I will not pretend to know more than professionals on methods for education, but as a former student, I know that where I really excelled was in classes that got me excited about what I was learning.

Secondly, we have to get away from the complete contempt for science, education, and all fact-based professions show by the insane conservative factions of this country. It is national suicide.

[BootinUp]

20. I just want to blame TFG. Is that ok?

[leighbythesea2]

21. I have mixed feelings about this

Just finished my masters. Started in 2016, and did half. Took a 2 year work break in the middle, finished it in 2020 and 2021.

The first portion was by far better, face to face. I was a better student. I felt more confident in my work. I took one online marketing class during then, and did terrible on the open book exams. Why? I was perplexed, as test taking was never an issue. It created some anxiety around it for sure.

Fast forward to 2020. The exculsive online courses/instruction I found more challenging and less fulfilling. Testing anxiety got worse. They never stopped being open book, and I never got much better. I studied for hours. I did pre-tests. I just resigned myself to excelling in assignments and projects and letting tests be the weak point.

One class the professor never wrote me back no matter what question I emailed him.

Open book can still encompass 8 chapters and 500 pages, and finding the obscure answers. If they are there.
A friend who went back to school at a non-trad age posited this. When we were young they wanted to test what you knew, now they want the "best" or "most appropriate" answer (with several choice/scenarios given--seriously its degrees of "correct" ). Its like they are trying to trick students now.

My two cents. I can't imagine what it's like to navigate this at 18 or 19.

[Xolodno]

22. I think the term "cheating" can be a bit relative.

One Econ professor was known to be a bit "strict" on his tests. I avoided him much as I could, but in the end, had to sign up. First day, he says, all my previous exams can be found and checked out at the library. So, I went to the library and checked them out, there were a grand total of five exams for the subject and the questions were very similar to the ones before. When I got to the mid term exam, there were thee questions, just had to answer two (yes, it took three hours to answer two questions). They were verbatim on his previous tests. On the final, one question I noticed simply changed out a name, again, verbatim.

With that said, I did witness cheating during a final. We were all nose deep into our exams (senior year econ class). Wasn't uncommon for someone to turn their test upside down on the desk, walk out of the classroom and pace the hall a bit to think. Hell I did it myself a number of times. Nor was it uncommon for the professor to walk out of the room for a bit either, he's only there to answer questions on clarification.

Well, this time when he walked out, two students started "collaborating"....and soon, several others with them. One even walked out to see if the professor was on his way back. It was pretty shameful. The rest of us just shook our heads and went back to the grind.

Someone did bring it to his attention afterwards as the next class he addressed it. Said it was dishonorable but he wasn't worried, if they couldn't trust themselves to get it right, they will fail later. I'll just say this, some I believe were forced out during the Arab Spring. A few others are probably still in Saudi Arabia, even with them offering me a "place" there, that's a time bomb waiting to happen.

And of course, there are Prof's who are just assholes. My brother was in a class where only 10% would actually pass with a C or better. He wanted everyone to be some sort genius. He passed with a C, but said it was worthless, he wasn't grading to see if you got the concept, but committing to memory of something out of the text book. Thought a lot of students got "cheated" out of a grade because they couldn't memorize a book. A year later, he told me the Prof was given the boot, which is good, but not for the students that had to endure him. I sadly had to tell him I had a similar experience in the 90's, yeah it sucks, but, you move on.