Technology as a means of instruction for grades kindergarten through high school has become a powerful tool. In many classrooms the use of technology to educate has enabled students to become more engaged in lessons, allowed for more opportunities involving higher-level thinking and as research shows is consistent with positive attitudes in the classroom. It is inevitable that technology will be a part of our future no matter the career path you chose. With all the information technology allows us access to, what effects does it have involving academic integrity? What can educators do to prevent academic dishonesty? In this short paper I will attempt to touch on these questions regarding technology as a means of instruction and locate possible answers with the available research and information.

Using technology to facilitate instruction allows students access to large amounts of information. What effects does this wealth of information have regarding academic integrity? The most obvious effect is the increased opportunity for academic dishonesty. Loreal Lynch writes, “The consequences of cheating used to instill fear into many a student. But it seems these days, kids just don’t care about academic honesty anymore. Many students can’t even distinguish between what constitutes plagiarism and what doesn’t. According to recent research, 71% do NOT believe copying from the Web is ‘serious cheating’.” The web has affected what students consider to even be cheating all together. There is now so much information readily available inside and outside of the classroom it can be difficult to grasp the concept of and practice academic integrity.

Academic dishonesty may be nothing new to the school system. However, with increasing technology being used in the classroom it is increasingly easier to take short cuts or cheat. How can educators keep up all the information on the Internet and the work students are turning in? What is the best way to preserve academic integrity in this day and age? In the article, Is the Digital Age to Blame for Academic Dishonesty, Bruce Friend says,” As educators, we’re responsible for teaching students how to conduct themselves when referring to the ideas of others. Technology poses new challenges: students have access to far more material than they have in the past. But that’s a positive, not a negative. Surely the answer is not to deprive students of the material, but to teach them how to use it.” I believe that he is correct in that teachers, now more than ever, need to discuss with their students the challenges they are going to face with the use of technology as instruction. In the question and answer portion of How Schools Can Reduce Cheating, Don McCabe tells us, “My research shows that honor codes make a difference. But a school must convince students that integrity really matters, that the code benefits all, and that they need to accept responsibility for following it and encouraging others to do so. Students must play a major role in the development, running, and maintenance of the code.” Honor codes can serve as a positive solution to academic dishonesty when dealing with technology as long as the educators are willing to uphold to conditions of the code.

I do not foresee that advancements in technology will slow down anytime soon. We can clearly see that technology as a means of instruction in the classroom has several benefits. We can also see that it has affected the classroom and poses new challenges with upholding academic integrity. Talking to students about technology, how it is facilitated in the classroom, and about how it is a fun and powerful learning tool not to be taken advantage of, can go a long way. Honor codes can also be helpful if the students and teachers are willing to work together. At the end of the day, the benefits of using technology to facilitate instruction in k-12 classrooms far outweigh any of the problems that may come with it, such as increased opportunities for academic dishonesty. Working together and educating students about technology before it is used to facilitate instruction are the best solution to preserve academic integrity in a digital world.

References

Friend, B. (n.d.). Is the digital age to blame for academic dishonesty?. Retrieved from http://www.homeeddirectory.com/blog/digital-age-blame-academic-dishonesty

Lynch, L. (2011, Sept. 16). Cheating in school: How the digital age affects cheating and plagiarism. Retrieved from http://www.schools.com/visuals/academic-dishonesty.html

McCabe, D. (2011). How schools can reduce cheating. Retrieved from http://www2.cortland.edu/dotAsset/317302.pdf



Check out this video discussing hacking, plagiarism and academic dishonesty!

Check out this PowerPoint on ways to help prevent academic dishonesty!