What do most students accept as punishment for cheating and why?

Question

A recent study showed that a majority of students disagree that a student caught cheating should be left unpunished, but they also disagreed with certain punishments like a teacher tearing up their exam in class or giving them a failing grade for the entire semester.

In your opinion, what do you think most students accept as fair punishments for being caught cheating on an exam?

I'm looking for some really good, in-depth, intelligent, and well-educated opinions.

Thanks!

Rob

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Answer 1

Cheaters don't get to "accept" punishment. Punishments are levied against them. Of course students are going to disagree with getting a failing grade - just like a first time crack dealer will disagree with getting 15 years in prison. But they don't get to choose what is a fair punishment.

Just like the law, university policy is clear. Students are lucky if all they get is a failure in the course - in most top universities, they are expelled, period. That's the whole point of the honor pledge.

The only people who would disagree with expulsion are the cheaters themselves, and no one is listening to them.

Answer 2

For the cheaters themselves, for the most part, they accept the notion or risk of failing the the test/exam/assignment they cheated on. Ok they got caught so the score there is nullified. What they do not realize is the concept and principle of the matter. That is why most universities have harsh punishment for cheaters.
As the old saying goes, once a cheater, always a cheater. What is to stop the cheater from cheating again if the punishment is not severe? If the risk is not high enough they will continue to take the chance as most of the time, especially in large universities, it might be easier to cheat without being caught.

Many cheaters are not doing well in the class anyways and many fail to read or recall class policy and syllabus that outlines punishment for cheating. In their own mind they have already realized what the consequence for cheating is and have accepted that risk. So when they do actually get caught and the punishment is not what they imagined, many claim unfairness and bias.

If the punishment is what the student will accept, that is already a non punishment as the student has accepted this risk already. A heavier punishment is the only way to let the student understand what the brevity of their actions are.

So, from my experience as a TA at a 4 year university and at the community college level, most students seem to accept failing that exam/homework/assignment that they got caught on. Other forms of punishment that are considered harsher (ie. failing course, expulsion, etc) are usually met with surprise, crying, sob stories, excuses etc. Then if they want to fight it.. well that's a whole new story.

What I do at the beginning of my courses when I was a community college professor is to go over all the academic dishonesty details in the beginning of the course. I outline the ramifications of cheating/plagiarism etc. They sign a form that they have read the rules/policies and that I have gone over it with them. This way, students cannot claim ignorance or that I enforced a last minute policy to deal with the student when they are caught cheating. This also makes the dean, board of trustees etc have a easier time to side with the instructor when the student brings their parents, attorneys etc into play to contest the punishment levied against them.

Answer 3

Look at the answerer 2 above me(Psychlogy Major.) She finds difficulty even in spelling a word as simple as "you". I'm not sure that people of her caliber should be deemed worthless to society, but I do think she should be allowed the opportunity to be properly educated. However, if people like that don't cheat they will be discarded from school and therefore life in many ways. So I feel the pressure of having to succeed is really the key to why people cheat. And yet at the same time cheating doesn't allow the excellence of an outstanding student to shine through. I recognize that cheating is a decision the student makes and therefore he should be subjected to some punishment, but I think fairness would be appropriate considering the implications of failure on the students life. All in all, its a very complicated matter and in my opinion should not be handled with such a harsh penalty as throwing away a test(or the person's future, if you will.)

Answer 4

In my opinion, most students' answers would vary widely if you asked them two questions: What would you accept as fair punishment if someone were caught cheating on an exam? and What would you accept as fair punishment if YOU were caught cheating on an exam? Most students would have no problem with a stranger being expelled for cheating, but if they were caught cheating, they would think that they should just be given another chance.

Answer 5

If it is some one else's work he is not entitled to the mark. I do not agree with public humilitiation.

He should not be failed for the whole term because the teacher has no evidence that he has learned nothing. I believe he should be asked to sit for a new exam of comparable difficulty. He could also judged on class participation and homework.

I also think that the new results should be "Pass" or "Fail" without a chance of "Distinction".

The final comment. He should be required to seek councelling so that he can learn study skills or time management or honesty or whatever it is that pushes him into cheating. It may even be parental pressure. Most of all, he needs to learn to deal with his own inadequaties.

Answer 6

Retake the test under surveillance, and a warning that if caught again would result as a failing grade. Cheating must not be rewarded.

Answer 7

I see no problem in cheaters receiving a failing grade. It's better than what they do to you if you cheat in Vegas.

Answer 8

I would say, disqualify them from the test they have taken in which they have cheated and arrange for them to sit for the test again either on the same day or the following day.

This would give them fair chance to show their ability and at the same a fair punishment for them!!

Answer 9

if they seen some students who is copying from their seatmates the teacher give the student a warning and if they didnt comply they will go to the faculty room to talk about re take and sometimes it may end up for suspension for a week from school...

Answer 10

mmm... I suppose a not-so-agressive punishment would be just giving a failing grade for that exam, not for the entire semester... another good option would be to make him repeat the exam, but with totally different questions about the same topic