The scripts are available for printing and for sound bite identification.
Go to http://www.wichita.edu/newsline to get the current Wichita State University Newsline. If you cannot access the Newsline at the Web address above, contact Joe Kleinsasser at (316) 978-3013 or joe.kleinsasser@wichita.edu. Newsline cuts may be edited to suit your needs. If you have additional questions for William Vanderburgh after listening to the WSU Newsline, please call him at (316) 978-7882 or william.vanderburgh@wichita.edu.
Background:
According to one study, nearly 80 percent of college and high school students will cheat in 2010 if the cheating rate in the United States continues to steadily increase. William Vanderburgh, director of the faculty development office at Wichita State University, explains why cheating is so prevalent today and what can be done to combat it.
Voice wrap:
Announcer: Cheating in school is not a new problem, but it appears to be a growing one. According to a study by Duke University's Center for Academic Integrity, if the cheating rate in the United States continues to increase, nearly 80 percent of college and high school students will cheat in 2010. William Vanderburgh, director of the faculty development office at Wichita State University, agrees that technology is making it easier for students to cheat.
Vanderburgh: "I think cheating is probably a little bit more prevalent than it used to be, just because technology makes it so much easier for students to cheat. They can go to the Internet, find information that they want."
Announcer: Of course, technology alone isn't to blame. Vanderburgh notes that some professors ban cell phones and baseball caps when they give a test. And while most teachers agree the Internet didn't invent cheating, it sure has made it much easier. This is Joe Kleinsasser at Wichita State University.
Sound bite #1
Vanderburgh says one reason students cheat is because they are underprepared. The sound bite is 7 seconds and the outcue is "haven't done the work."
Vanderburgh: "I think one of the main reasons that students cheat is that they are underprepared. They don't have prerequisites or they haven't done the work.
Sound bite #2
Vanderburgh says another reason students cheat is because they care more about getting a degree than knowledge. The sound bite is 8 seconds and the outcue is "getting a degree."
Vanderburgh: "Another reason that students cheat is an overemphasis on credentialing, which is to say students don’t often care so much about getting knowledge as getting a degree."
Sound bite #3
Vanderburgh explains how technology aids in cheating. The sound bite is 14 seconds and the outcue is "surreptitious way."
Vanderburgh: "Students often use the Internet as their main or only source of research, and that makes it easy for them to cut and paste information into essays. They also can use cell phones and graphing calculators to bring notes into class in a surreptitious way."
Sound bite #4
Vanderburgh says students often cheat when the stakes are high. The sound bite is 22 seconds and the outcue is "in the material."
Vanderburgh: "Students often cheat when they're in a high-stakes situation, where the test is half of their grade, or the essay's a third of their grade. Professors can mitigate cheating in those kinds of situations by offering smaller assignments and more of them over the period of the semester. That way, students can succeed and gain confidence in the material."
Sound bite #5
Vanderburgh explains what some professors do to combat cheating during tests. The sound bite is 10 seconds and the outcue is "not the only way."
Vanderburgh: "I know a lot of professors who just simply ban cell phones during tests, similarly baseball hats. So, technology helps students to cheat sometimes, but it's not the only way."
Sound bite #6
Vanderburgh explains some options for professors when a student is caught cheating. The sound bite is 16 seconds and the outcue is "can be tracked."
Vanderburgh: "Professors and departments normally set their standards before the semester begins, but a very typical response would be to fail a student for the assignment or to fail them in the course. Professors also report students who cheat to the department chair and to the dean of students so that those students can be tracked."