Uni’s release details on cheaters

In this high-tech age some oldschool forms of university cheating still hold their secretive sway.

While cellphones featured highly in Official Information Act responses from New Zealand universities about exam and test cheats, classic techniques such as hiding notes in toilets or getting an impersonator to sit a test also got students nabbed in the past year.

Both of those incidents happened at Victoria University in Wellington, though universities around New Zealand were all affected by cheats.

The country’s eight universities supplied vastly different levels of data to the OIA request.

They ranged from broad, nonspecific figures through to Victoria University, which itemised – as requested – the full details of what faculty it happened in, the date, the course, the description, and the outcome.

Victoria’s 46 breaches between July 2016 and October 2017 were less than half of the 111 at Auckland University of Technology, which gave a notably less-specific response, but did say 63 were for plagiarism, 23 for copying, 17 for unauthorised material, six for resubmitting work, and two for using ‘‘unfair means’’.

Waikato had 59 cheats but 146 outcomes for those - a discrepancy it explained because there may more than be one finding of misconduct per complaint. Canterbury had 43 incidents. Auckland University could only supply details of exam – not test – cheats.

There were 16 of these, ranging from notes to mobile phones in exams.

Otago had 50 cheats following roughly the same trends, but also including a medical student who fabricated statements in a log book.

The handful of Lincoln University’s students caught for cheating were for cellphones in exams.

Victoria University academic and equity vice-provost Linda Trenberth outlined the processes the university took to combat cheats including training for supervisors who moved around the room during tests and exams, through to students bringing photo identification.

Electronic devices must be turned off and left either in a bag in the front of a room or in a clear plastic bag with other personal items under the chair.

Bathrooms and other areas near exam rooms were checked and a sweep of nearby bathrooms was made once the exam began.

Security camera footage could be checked if cheating was discovered.

Union of Students’ Associations national president Jonathan Gee said there were more than 100,000 students across New Zealand’s eight universities taking multiple tests and exams per year.

‘‘The vast majority of students do have good conduct when it comes to exams,’’ he said.

Many of the cellphone-related incidents were down to cellphones ringing in exams and students got away with warnings.

Given how much cellphones were now a part of daily life, it was easy to see how people would forget to turn them off, Gee said.