Nexus’ Earl Foote Talks Tech-Based Cheating On Dave & Dujanovic 

Nexus’ Earl Foote Talks Tech-Based Cheating On Dave & Dujanovic

Do you know how easy it has become to cheat with the help of modern technology? Earl Foote recently appeared on the Dave & Dujanovic podcast to talk about how kids are using smartphones, apps, and other technology to cheat on their school work.

In light of the recent cheating scandal at West Point Military Academy, the latest episode of Dave & Dujanovic is all about cheating in the modern world. As students gain access to more and more advanced technology at the consumer level, it becomes easier for them to circumvent conventional barriers to cheating.

Nexus CEO Earl Foote joined the hosts on this episode to give them a tech expert’s perspective:

4 Ways Technology Makes It Easy To Cheat

“We as parents have probably suspected or even seen some of it,” says Earl. “Texting and social media and Snapchat make it very easy for kids to send homework answers back and forth to each other.”

Modern technology has made it easier than ever for students to cheat today:

• Simple Sharing: Countless basic consumer programs and tools make sharing answers, files, and other information simpler than ever before. Email, photo sharing, social media — the list goes on.
• Pay-For-An-A: There is a thriving online economy for school work today. Students that want to outsource their schoolwork can easily purchase complete essays, or even post requests and hire “ghost-writers” for more specific tasks.
• Easy Access: Students can make photo files or PDFs out of cheat sheets and save them to their smartwatches for access during a test.
• Automatic Answers: While technically intended as study aids, numerous apps that can scan and provide an answer to a mathematical or scientific formula are automating the homework process for today’s students.

How Are Schools Keeping Their Students Honest?

Schools are doing their best to address the effects of modern consumer technology in the classroom:

• Proctoring: Supervising test-takers has become especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic. In “distance-learning” settings, schools will often have proctors watch test-takers through their webcam, noting any instance where the student looks away from their screen or accesses other files or windows on their computer.
• Cell Signal Jammers: Some schools have opted to simply prohibit any cell signals from getting in and out of their classrooms. A simple signal jammer means their students can’t use their phones to access the Internet.
• Access Control: An older, but still effective method is to implement a firewall on school computers that prevents students from accessing sites that could help them cheat.
• Plagiarism Checkers: It’s the standard operating procedure to run essays and other work through online plagiarism checkers, ensuring that students aren’t copying from any indexed online sources.

What can parents do to keep their kids honest? Earl recommends keeping kids accountable, and maintaining a presence in their homework setting.

“I would monitor them as they do homework, particularly younger kids, “ says Earl. “Put them in a common area of the home and keep an eye on what’s going on. Check their phones and look for any concerning activity.”