By Juliana Pearson and Liz Twentyman (January 14, 2002)

Graphic Design by Kevin Dorsey
Lasso Online’s survey of 214 George Mason High School students and 24 faculty members about issues related to cheating and honor in the school revealed a large discrepancy between teachers and students in several areas.

The most dramatic of these differences occurred when students and teachers were asked whether or not they supported the implementation of an honor code. Members of the student council first considered the idea of an honor code at the 2001 SCA spring picnic last year. This fall, the issue has been widely discussed by George Mason’s faculty. In early November 47 members of the faculty voted on whether or not the school should "explore the implementation of an honor code." Forty indicated that they either agreed or strongly agreed with the idea. 

Not surprisingly, in the Lasso Online survey, the high school’s faculty again overwhelming supported the implementation of an honor code. Over 83% responded positively when asked if they supported the consideration of an honor code. On the other hand, when the students were asked a similar question only 26.6% supported the consideration of an honor code, 38.8% opposed it and 34.6% were undecided.

What Factors Lead to such a Discrepancy? 

The surveys revealed that the students and the faculty have very different expectations for an honor code. Many students dismissed the idea of an honor code, citing that it would not make much of a difference. "I doubt people will take it seriously, and it won’t change anything" wrote one student. Several students pointed out that they weren’t sure how consequences for cheating would change under the honor code. Other students thought it was unrealistic to expect students to turn in other students for cheating. "I would not want to be responsible for turning people in," wrote another. 

The faculty, however, was more optimistic about the effects of the honor code. "The students will know we’ve considered the problem and it’s up to them to hold to the honor code," wrote one teacher.

"Will it wipe out cheating? Of course not. I don’t think anyone’s that naïve. Will it make them stop and think before misconduct? If it changes some student’s behavior, it has done some good" said Principal Bob Snee in a recent interview with Lasso Online editors Juliana Pearson and Liz Twentyman.

Students Reveal their Perspectives on Cheating

Another issue at the root of this rift between students and staff are their differing views on cheating. For example, students were split as to whether it would be cheating to copy minor assignments that might be considered busy work. Fifty-eight percent believed that it would not be cheating, while 42% thought that it was. Some students agreed with the view of several faculty members that "cheating is cheating." "It is cheating because you are presenting someone else’s work as your own," wrote one student.

Many students, however, disagreed. "Even IB courses are plagued with ‘busy work’ assignments. What’s the point of devoting time to minor assignments? To get a check on the grading sheet? There is something fundamentally wrong with education," responded one student. While some students believed that copying minor assignments is not cheating because of the negligible effect it has on students’ grades, others believe that it is not cheating for other reasons. "‘Busy work’ does not usually pertain to thinking analytically and critically," wrote one student. Another student agreed that because of its nature, it does not help students to learn. "Busy work doesn’t require thinking; therefore no learning is done" the student wrote.

Also, 52.8% of students felt that, if a test were given over two days, it would not be cheating to discuss it with other students outside of class. Students had varying reasons for their opinions. Some believed that talking to other students about the test was a form of studying. Others felt that "humans are social animals" and that they shouldn’t be expected not to reveal anything about the test. Some students went even further. "If a teacher gives a test over two days, they have to realize students will talk after class," stated one student. Not all students agreed. One student felt that it’s "as bad as having the answers under the desk." Others pointed out that it gives the students an unfair advantage –"the person will have a better idea of what would be on the test so he/she wouldn’t have to study that hard," wrote one student.

Some students felt that cheating is a more serious problem at George Mason than others did. Of the students surveyed, 4.2% felt that the cheating problem is "very serious," 16.8% claimed that it is "serious," 43.9% believed that it is "moderately serious," and 35.1% thought that it is "not serious." One student went even further. "The cheating at George Mason is one of the reasons I hated it so much when I first got here. I was horrified," the student stated.

Faculty Perspective on Cheating

One reason why some George Mason students feel that cheating is not a serious problem may be that teachers claim to monitor their classrooms carefully. In the faculty survey, the teachers were asked how carefully they monitored students taking a test. They were provided three possible answers: "very carefully," "somewhat carefully" and "not carefully." Of the teachers polled, 75% said they monitored cheating "very carefully."

Most teachers who had previously taught at other schools before coming to George Mason (62.5%) agreed that the cheating problem at George Mason is about the same as at other schools that they have taught at. Twenty point eight percent believed that the cheating problem is more serious here than at other schools, while 8.3% felt that it is less serious here.

To Cheat or not to Cheat . . .

In the survey, students were asked how often they observe and engage in various types of cheating. Here, another discrepancy arises. According to survey results, students responded that they observed more cheating than they admitted to doing. According to the survey, the most common type of cheating is copying minor assignments. This corresponds well with the statistic that 58% of the students polled agreed that copying such assignments is not cheating. Because a majority did not feel the activity constituted dishonesty, they might be more prone to do it. When asked if they observed "students copying homework or in-class work" 51.9% stated that they notice it often. Thirty seven point eight percent claimed to notice it sometimes, 9.3 percent rarely and only 0.9% had never observed the activity.

On the other hand, when the same students were asked whether or not they copied homework or in-class work themselves, only 8% responded that they did so often. Thirty three point six percent claimed that they copied sometimes, 7.5 % rarely and 9.5% never. These statistics demonstrated that many students do copy minor assignments for their classes but may be less inclined to admit that they do so.

The survey cites several possible reasons why students copy minor assignments. Again, the majority of students feel that copying minor assignments is not cheating. Also, when asked, "Is it more serious to copy from a test or major project than to copy homework or in-class work?" over 90% of the students responded that copying from a test or major project was more serious. Most respondents with this opinion cited the fact that a test is more heavily weighted in one’s final grade report. Those who considered both activities to be equally serious again often commented that "cheating is cheating."

The faculty was much more spilt when asked a question along the same lines, "Should a student be punished more severely for cheating on a major assignment than for cheating on a minor one?" A quarter of the teachers surveyed felt that they should, while a third felt that students should be punished equally for both assignments. The rest were undecided. Many teachers felt that all cheating was created equal. "Its not a matter of major or minor [assignments] but the frequency of the infractions," stated one teacher. "[The] cheating itself is a moral offense and it bothers me that a student would do this. It reflects poorly on his/her character. As for the differing consequences, I would compare it to stealing a newspaper versus stealing a car," stated another, suggesting that one type of cheating might lead to another. Some teachers felt strongly that a more severe punishment was appropriate for cheating on a major assignment. "A zero should be assigned in both cases, but additional punishment is appropriate for a major assignment," stated another.

An Important Message

In the faculty survey, teachers were also asked, "do you have any methods that you use to deter cheating?" The teachers cited some innovative ideas and strategies, including multiple test copies, essay tests and desk rearrangement. "I write out clearly in the objectives for my class that cheating will not be permitted and I state the consequences if they are caught," wrote one teacher. Another teacher pointed to the benefits of "showing how cheaters could use the same amount of time to actually study." Several teachers cited creativity as an effective way to combat cheating. " I try to give at least one assignment that involves students being creative and/or writing original sentences," stated one teacher. Still other teachers felt that student-teacher interaction played a big role in preventing cheating. "Trusting students ironically deters cheating. But a degree of vigilance is necessary," wrote one.

No matter which methods they used, many of George Mason’s teachers agreed that honor and trust were important issues on campus. Whether or not the school further considers an honor code, it was clear that the faculty will continue to stress this importance. "The most important characteristic a human being can possess is an honorable character. You don’t have to be smart, or good looking, or be able to dunk a basketball to be honorable. It’s so easy to be honorable. As educators, we need to send this message," stated government teacher Chris Pikrallidas.