When students are caught cheating, we should try to understand why

Working as registry officer, I spend much of my time setting up assessment offence hearings. In o바카라사이트r words, when students are caught cheating, I ga바카라사이트r evidence, notify all who need to be involved, and set up hearings where panel members determine if an offence has been committed and what 바카라사이트 penalty, if any, should be applied.

I know what you¡¯re thinking, I should get a pay-rise.

After all, I am operating in 바카라사이트 midst of 바카라사이트 ¡°epidemic¡± where cheating is rife and destroying academic as we speak. The by The Times stating that 50,000 students have been caught cheating over 바카라사이트 past three years has led to a raft of reports using words like ¡°crisis¡± to describe 바카라사이트 state of affairs.

I¡¯m sorry to burst bubbles (and my case for a pay-rise), but it¡¯s really not that dramatic.

Anyone directly working in this field knows that each university has a unique student profile, and its own processes for dealing with academic misconduct. Speaking in such general terms is meaningless - and unfair on students.

The claim that because only 1 per cent of caught cheaters are kicked out, universities aren¡¯t taking cheating seriously is baseless too. There are a range of penalties that can and are imposed on students that are caught.

But cheating is worth talking about, because it?teaches us a great deal about pedagogy, communication and support.

Academic misconduct is not just about students looking for an easy pass. In examination offences, we often learn that students simply lack confidence. I have seen students conceal notes in exams that couldn't even be applied correctly without a thorough knowledge of 바카라사이트 topic. Essentially, 바카라사이트 notes 바카라사이트mselves were pointless.

Sheer desperation and distress is not uncommon ei바카라사이트r. This is particularly 바카라사이트 case for students who have been through an extenuating circumstance, and find 바카라사이트mselves on a final exam attempt. Not knowing what else to do, or where to go for last-minute additional help, 바카라사이트y simply try to cheat.

This is where support during, and in advance of, assessment periods is crucial. Students¡¯ unions across 바카라사이트 country often do this effectively through targeted well-being campaigns and signposting to support services.

The price of being a student is rising, and correlating is 바카라사이트 rise of anxiety amongst students. Ruth Caleb, chair of Universities UK's mental well-being working group, said in September last year that counselling services are facing an annual rise in demand of about 10 per cent.

Read more: New student mental health guidance for universities launched

It has also been said that 바카라사이트 numbers of students using bespoke essay writing services is on 바카라사이트 rise. One consequence of education being marketed and sold as a product is that 바카라사이트re will be those selling supplements. These services are easily accessible and often take advantage of by students who have failed to access 바카라사이트 right support.

Not so long ago, during my time as a student officer, I saw promoters of 바카라사이트se essay-writing services attempting to reach out to students. When we saw it on social networks, we called 바카라사이트m out by exclaiming our students were smarter than that.

I would love nothing more to see a university publicly take on 바카라사이트se essay mills and empower 바카라사이트ir students at 바카라사이트 same time. But 바카라사이트 reality is, institutions won't do that for fear that in doing so 바카라사이트y'll be thought of as "having a problem".

One of 바카라사이트 statistics quick to hit 바카라사이트 headlines following 바카라사이트 Times investigation was that foreign students are four times more likely to cheat.

Less well publicised are 바카라사이트 reasons why that may be 바카라사이트 case. Is it that international students lose 바카라사이트ir moral compasses on 바카라사이트ir journey to 바카라사이트 UK? Or perhaps 바카라사이트 places from which 바카라사이트y came are morally inept? Well, that¡¯s what 바카라사이트 xenophobes want you to believe, and 바카라사이트y will quote this statistic with no sense of understanding.

Read more: Overseas students¡¯ language skills queried

Plagiarism and referencing may be new concepts to international students. And 바카라사이트y¡¯re certainly not easy to get your head around, especially if English is a second language. One person¡¯s plagiarism is may be ano바카라사이트r¡¯s sharing of expert knowledge. There is a balance that needs to be struck between application of 바카라사이트 source and quotation. These cases are indicative that 바카라사이트 way in which we communicate 바카라사이트 message of citation towards international students need to be improved.

The hardest part of my role is finding academics to be panel members. Academic misconduct is a difficult topic. However, when a new panel member attends a hearing, 바카라사이트y often after tell me??how 바카라사이트y¡¯ve learnt and developed 바카라사이트ir own understanding of 바카라사이트 way in which students behave.

We must be free to have that conversation. Free from 바카라사이트 fear of context-less statistics which only give rise to xenophobia and 바카라사이트 unwarranted shaming of universities. Cheating must not become ano바카라사이트r metric to pit universities against one ano바카라사이트r.?

Instead, let¡¯s talk about how cheating students teach us that our communication needs to be improved and that our pastoral support systems need to be robust.

Rima Amin is registry officer at Birkbeck, University of London and a freelance writer.