We’re into the subject of cheating. Let’s focus on how it’s rampant in schools, primarily. Cheating in schools is indeed on the rise as methods get more sophisticated. The real explosion in ways that students cheat has occurred, as with so many other fields, in the area of technology.

With so many students having MP3 players, digital cameras, and camera phones, it’s easy for students to pack notes or test answers into a portable, discrete gadget. There are also a number of websites available where students can, rather than completing the work themselves, purchase complete research papers. Why is this happening and how can we, as parents save our kids from its lure?

Check out these cases in point:

In Fuzhou/Lanzhou, China - Police arrested at least 64 people suspected of selling hi-tech devices to help students cheat in China's annual make-or-break national college entrance exams. Police arrested suspects from six crime groups, including 58 people in southeastern Fujian Province, over the past few days. A number of devices, such as wireless earphones, signal emitters, scanner-imbedded pens and watches, were confiscated, Lin Qitian, a provincial official in charge of college enrolment, told reporters. Lin said police acted after mobile phone messages selling cheating devices or alleged exam contents were transmitted to students.

These scam messages were sent out from eight mobile phone numbers controlled by crime groups. Suspects arrested in Longyan city told police they had earned 7,900 yuan ($1,158) from ten students selling these devices, Lin added. Meanwhile, in northwest China's Gansu Province police arrested other six people suspected of selling espionage-type devices to students for cheating in the exam.

U.S.A – I understand disallowing cell phones in the classroom especially during exam week due to the ability to pass notes via text message with answers. But iPods? In the U.S. principals from all over the country are telling their students to leave their digital media players home on test day. It seems that these latest high tech cheating devices for high schools students are capable of being hidden, and can contain gigabytes of test information that student can merely click, play, and write the answer to.

Students can use the “note taking” audio feature, or simply hide written answers in the lyrics sections.
And according to USA Today, even including a video clip of Schoolhouse rock can help to get you over that hump when trying to remember how a bill makes its way through Congress.

Technology has become a big factor in our school systems as most college and universities have automated their learning facilities as well through interactive classes, online lessons, computers that have multi user capabilities and the list goes on. Some may disagree with the banning of cell phones, IPods or any electronic gadgets on ethical reasons but I think students who cheat will always find ways to cheat and trying to minimize it without focusing on instilling ethics and values is more realistic to believe cause.

As I always say, technology may work for or against us that’s why either way, in education, it can be a double-edged knife.