CH3@T1NG 4.0

These are all familiar toys to college students. Yesterday's technological innovations have become the desktop staples of dorm rooms all over the country. But such advancements have also become the newest tools for cheaters looking to find an easy way to get ahead of the curve.\nCheating is a problem that college administrations grapple with all the time, said Richard McKaig, dean of students. \n"I do think it's a major issue in the sense that it strikes at the core of the academic integrity of the institution," McKaig said. \nMcKaig said the general rules regarding cheating are applied everywhere in the IU system. That policy is spelled out in the IU Student Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct.\nThe Code, updated in January 2005, also explicitly mentions new technologies like laptops and handheld devices. In part two, section G-1, the code states that "calculators, computers and wireless information devices" may not be used during exams.\nMcKaig said the use of new technology was addressed in the revision of the code of conduct. University administration felt the use of such technology needed to be dealt with, even if only in a general manner. \nOne of the concerns of many faculty is the use of text messaging and wireless Internet technology to access test information.\n"Those were issues that did get addressed in broad ways," McKaig said. \nIU freshman Andrew Ferry said he knew of times students cheated using text or picture messaging on cell phones but said it didn't bother him that much because he thought it happened so often. He also said that he thought cheating wasn't a major issue here, and said it was unlikely he would turn in a student he saw cheating.\n"It's kind of a common thing," Ferry said. "I don't really personally care very much."\nSophomore Clayton Johnson, who is familiar with iPods, said it would be easy for someone to cheat using such a device. He said students could upload text files into the iPod and then call them up and read them whenever they are needed. However, Johnson said teachers usually keep a close eye on such methods of cheating and that he is rarely allowed to even have access to his cell phone or iPod during tests.\n"I assume it could (help someone cheat), but it would be the same thing as having a piece of paper beside you unless the teacher was oblivious to that fact that you could do that with an iPod," Johnson said. "It may make it easier but only if the teacher was oblivious."\nMcKaig agreed that teachers play the biggest role in stopping any kind of cheating.\n"Realistically, it goes down to the faculty in the classroom and the supervision of the classroom during test-taking," he said.\nDespite continuing innovation in technology and increased student use of such equipment, McKaig said he didn't think cheating was on the rise. He did suggest that cheating was perhaps made easier by such technology but said he did not believe it was necessarily more frequent. \n"I would tend to believe, same story, different chapter," McKaig said. "This is a new way to go about it." \nFerry agrees with McKaig that cheating is not a major problem at IU. He admits that it can hurt any institution but said he doesn't see it as a major or growing problem at IU.\n"I don't think (it's a problem) any more so than other universities," Ferry said. "Obviously, if someone cheats their way through all of college that's a problem, but in terms of whether IU has more (cheating) than other universities, I think it's probably about the same"