Brilliant or Insane?: cheating

3 simple strategies to prevent cheating in school

By Reed Gillespie

We recently wrote about cheating in school and our responsibilities as teachers to create assignments that don't lend themselves to cheating.

But even then, students can cheat or plagiarize. As teachers we can instill in our students a sense of personal responsibility, of ethos, and it's pretty easy to do.

Avoid loss-framed statements, such as "If you cheat, you will get a zero." Research shows that these statements may temporarily prevent cheating but do little in the long-run. Instead frame your statements in a positive manner.
Teach character. Remind students that even minor cheating infractions, speak to their character and trustworthiness.
Reinforce positive behaviors, such as being honest and have students reflect on their own principles and values.

So instead of threatening students with zeroes and office referrals, a more effective anti-cheating policy is to remind students of who they are, how they want to be seen and who they want to be.

For more research on this subject.

Reed Gillespie writes about education for Brilliant or Insane. Learn more about Reed on our Team page. Follow Reed on Twitter here.

Ever wonder if you're encouraging your students to cheat?

Cheating in school has been around a long time, and it doesn't look like it's slowing down. In fact, studies indicate that cheating is on the rise, especially in high achievers.

When I was teaching, I monitored a study hall. On any given day, I'd find students copying homework or a worksheet. When I'd inquire about this "borrowing" of another student's work, offenders would often say, "Oh Mrs. so-and-so doesn't mind; it's just for review." I wasn't in the habit of investigating the validity of that statement, but it made me wonder about cheating.

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What do students value?

Once, a student was copying a vocabulary work book activity from a peer. I asked him why he didn't want to complete it himself. "I just need the points," he said. "It's stupid, anyway. It's just fill in the blank."

When activities are so ill-conceived that students have no idea of their value, what incentive is there to complete the work, other than points for a grade?

If cheating is a problem, and research says that it is, rather than simply blaming students for being unethical (I used to be a classic blamer), perhaps it's time for teachers to consider the activities and the arbitrary point values assigned to them.

Then, maybe we'll see cheating decline.

Mark Barnes is an education author and consultant and the publisher of Brilliant or Insane. Learn more about Mark on our Team page. Follow him on Twitter here.