On Fri, 25 Feb 2000, Donald Carter Davis wrote:
> The cheating students were all from a particular ethnic group, and every time
> I have had 2 or more students from this ethnic group in a class, I've had
> a problem with them cheating. (In one cases, they passed their test papers
> back and forth; in another they both needed to go to the bathroom at about
> the same time, being gone for about 10 minutes.... grrrrrrrrrr)
Practical advice: don't let them sit together. You are the professor.
Tell them you don't care if they were actually cheating but they appear to
be cheating and you don't want to give anyone the idea that cheating is
OK. Make a rule that only one person can leave an exam at any given time
-- announce it to the whole class.
> Are their particular cultures which view the American educational system's
> emphasis on individual learning and acheivement just so wrong that they
> don't mind cheating to make it thru? Are there particular cultures where
> the ethos is to "win at all costs"? Has anyone else noticed a correlation
> between cheating and culture?
We've had problems with certain asian cultures, and some latin. One must
realize that in these cultures, corruption is rampant to the point where
it is considered a normal part of everyday life. It's also probably not a
coincidence that many of these cultures are collectivist in nature, so
helping one's group members isn't really considered any different from
helping oneself.
------------------
Ann Muir Thomas, Ph.D. http://erebus.bentley.edu/empl/t/athomas
"The Accidental Jewess"
Bentley College, Waltham, MA
"You aren't belittled by being little. Only by acting small." --- Red
