Cheating In The Electronic Age

Cheating In the Electronic Age

The subject of cheating in school is not new. Cheating by students has always existed; however, with the advancements made in electronic technology, it has been brought to a new level. Students used to cheat by simple methods, such as writing answers on their bodies or shoes, or even on small slips of paper. Cheating in the electronic age has given students many new tools of deception.

One of the most common devices used for cheating is the cell phone. These handy little devices, once just telephones, can now be used to cheat by students who use them to text answers to their friends during tests. The newer and more advanced of these, which can connect to the internet or have digital cameras built into them, can be used to beam images or even to photograph tests. They can also be used to send the test questions out to friends, who then find the answers and send them back to the student taking the exam.

Another electronic device commonly used for cheating by students is the MP3 player. These were originally designed for the recording and playing of music files. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before enterprising students discovered their cheating capabilities. Most MP3 players are very compact and come with ear buds, both of which are very easily concealed. The student loads or records the answers prior to an exam, and the listens to them during the test. The ear buds are small and the wires can be run under the students clothing and are virtually unnoticeable.

Finally, there are Personal Data Assistants, or PDA's. How are these used to cheat? Information such as formulas and notes can be entered and stored and then accessed during an exam. Information may also be shared with other students taking the exam in the same classroom by beaming the data via wireless internet. Even without local wireless access, so many palmtop computers these days