Faculty must maintain a climate which fosters student learning while dissuading academic dishonesty. In that vein, there is a lot that faculty can do to deter cheating.
- Explicitly state academic integrity policy on syllabi and assignments, especially assignments such as take home exams on which violations may be more likely.
- Review policy during the semester – perhaps right before exams.
- Be sure that all phones and PDAs are not accessible - you can ask students to turn devices off, put them in bags or leave them on the front desk.
- Reduce graded exercises where cheating is easier – such as take home, multiple choice, and fill in exams. (Even decreasing the font size and the size of the space provided for answers on exams can deter the inclination to glance at another’s test.)
- If giving multiple choice exams, create two or more versions. Make certain students are aware that more than one test version exists.
- Create individual “course” honor codes that students sign: a) at the start of the semester or b) on each test and paper.
- Use aids like “Turnitin.com” or other systems which track originality/plagiarism. Let students know this is being done.
- Monitor the classroom diligently. Walk around. Watch for accessible notes/books in bags. Look at students. Don’t do other work while proctoring. (This is especially important in the ARC where it is very easy for students to access notes on their person.)
- Don’t let students leave the room during an exam. For many, the prospect and ease of accessing notes – or phoning a life line – is too tempting. Most students, short of a medical condition, can put off a bathroom visit, especially if they are encouraged to visit the bathroom before the class.