Cheaters seem to be everywhere these days in sports, in corporate boardrooms, and in the highest levels of government.Cheating is common also among students that's no big secret.Computer technology has made cheating so easy that it serves as a temptation for students who might otherwise toil honestly.Surveys finds that more than 50 percent of students have cheated in their college career.High-tech cheating creates a vicious circle. As technology advances and students get better at using the latest devices, teachers and school officials find it harder to keep up with cheaters. The more that cheating goes uncaught, the freer students feel to do it. With so much new technology emerging every day, it was only a matter of time before schools began to accept it into their classrooms. After all, technology is a big part of a student's life.

Why do so many students cheat ?

This can be a hard question, because every student cheat for a reason.Here I've gathered some of the most common reasons that make students cheat.

1.Because they are lazy or the subject matter is hard to grasp. - This is maybe the most common reason why students cheat.
2.Lack of interest. - People have different interests, and in school you might have to learn things that you don't like, things that are borring or things that you consider useless.For example a student who is interested in math may not care much about history.In conclusion they may view cheating as a harmless way to save time and avoid a headache while getting a better grade.
3.Lack of time. Getting up early to get to school, staying late with teams and clubs, having a job, and doing homework at night means a full schedule for many teens.As a result, they may be tempted to cheat to give themselves more time for a social life or to sleep.

Now that you know the reasons that make students cheat, let's see how to use technology to make your life easier in college/school.

The old ways of cheating using crib notes, whispering answers, and copying from courses are alive and well.But today's complex tests require more data than can fit in the palm of your hand, or on a little crib note.Technology can help this one, though and replace the tiny papers with some tiny gadgets with huge memory.Now let's see some gadgets that can "help" you at exams.

Text Messages - This was the begining of Hi-Tech cheating, since students realised that they can contact people outside the exam room, and receive answers very easily.This method is a little risky because you have to avoid professors seeing you writing on your cell phone, and you must have a good typing speed.

Cell phones with built-in digital cameras - These cell phones are not a luxury anymore.Anybody can have a cell phone with a digital camera.This gadget is not so risky as text messages, and is more quickly.Students just photograph test questions with their cellphone cameras, sent them to friends outside via MMS, and get back the answers in text or image format.

Tiny MP3 players are another possibility.Record notes to yourself, transfer the audio files to your tiny Mp3 player and have them play quietly during the exam.A very popular audio gadget used by students is the well known iPod.iPods are used to hide lists disguised as song titles.If listening is not allowed you can put an earphone up your sleeve, or wear a hood to hide the wires.iPods can also display images and videos, very useful for exams that need graphs.In this category of audio gadgets we can also include walkman's but they are pretty old.

SoundBug - Soundbug turns any surface into a speaker, and can attach itself to basically anything it can suction to.Once attached to a flat surface, Soundbug will transmit electronic signals into mechanical energy, causing the flat surface to vibrate and broadcast the sound. http://www.soundbug.biz

Calculators - Programmable calculators can hold text, formulas, even pictures.Texas Instruments says its TI-83 Plus is the "top choice among U.S. high school students," and I can see why. Add-on memory lets you store software, turning your calculator into a pocket notebook. (And the company is happy to point out that the TI-83 Plus is "allowed for use on the PSAT, SAT I, SAT II Math IC and IIC, AP Chemistry exam, AP Physics exam, and AP Calculus exam.")

Wireless Earphones + Microphones - These are tiny earphones that students stick in their ears, and professors can't see them because these earphones are to little, and to well hidden inside the ear.For communication students also have a tiny microphone hidden in their sleeve or other places, to whisper the questions.With this gadget students can conveniently call up when the teacher's not looking carefully.

PocketPC, Palm - and other personal digital assistants (and some calculators, too) allow information to be beamed across a distance via infrared, bluetooth or wireless Internet access ( if your school has ).Even without local wireless access, so many palmtop computers these days have cell-based Web browsers you can dial up from anywhere.Once you are connected you have access to everything you ever wanted.

Invisible Ink Pens - These are perfect for writing down things you need in exam.Ink is invisible to the naked eye, but magically illuminate when exposed to a blacklight.A blacklight is conveniently located on the opposite end of the pen.


These are just some of the gadgets that students use to take better grades.I'm sure that in every campus if we ask students they can tell us more gadgets, because for a good grade, or to pass an exam students can become very, very creative.

Labels: Cheat, Students