Digital Cheating and Plagiarism in Schools

Cheating is not a new phenomenon, yet the ways that students cheat and their attitudes toward cheating have changed. The Internet age has brought tremendous opportunities for students and teachers in teaching and learning, and yet it has also brought challenges to academic integrity. This article discusses various reasons why young people cheat and points out that young people are developing a more lax attitude toward cheating online, thus making it important for teachers to address this issue and to develop strategies to combat digital plagiarism in the classroom. The article provides teachers with specific ideas to deal with digital plagiarism in schools, such as building a social community on- and offline to help students understand the concept of plagiarism, using antiplagiarism software packages in combination with punishment, and cultivating an atmosphere that encourages ethical behavior on the Internet.