Cheating now acceptable in school exams.

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What do people think of this stuff? The only advantage I had over NTs at school was that I could pass exams easily. Now it seems they want to make things easier for NTs with 'phone a friend' exams. Or is it just the general dumbing down of the education system.

This is from http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/pho ... 17490.html

Phone a friend in exams

Anna Patty Education Editor
August 20, 2008
Latest related coverage
Your Say: Is using the internet during an exam cheating?
A SYDNEY girls' school is redefining the concept of cheating by allowing students to "phone a friend" and use the internet and i-Pods during exams.

Presbyterian Ladies' College at Croydon is giving the assessment method a trial run with year 9 English students and plans to expand it to all subjects by the end of the year.

An English teacher, Dierdre Coleman, who is dean of students in years 7 to 9, is co-ordinating the pilot which she believes has the potential to change the way the Higher School Certificate examinations are run.

The Board of Studies is looking at ways it could incorporate the use of computers in the exams.

Ms Coleman said her students were being encouraged to access information from the internet, their mobile phones and podcasts played on mp3s as part of a series of 40-minute tasks. But to discourage plagiarism, they are required to cite all sources they use.

"In terms of preparing them for the world, we need to redefine our attitudes towards traditional ideas of 'cheating'," Ms Coleman said. "Unless the students have a conceptual understanding of the topic or what they are working on, they can't access bits and pieces of information to support them in a task effectively.

"In their working lives they will never need to carry enormous amounts of information around in their heads. What they will need to do is access information from all their sources quickly and they will need to check the reliability of their information."

A year 9 PLC student, Emily Waight, said she was apprehensive about the new approach when it was introduced.

"I was a bit hesitant because I didn't know how it could help us," she said. "But I don't think it is cheating after having done it twice. It just helps you find information to answer the question appropriately."

A fellow student, Annie Achie, aged 15, said she loved the new method. "Phoning a friend really helped," she said. "It was good to have someone else to talk to and brainstorm some ideas with.

"I phoned my aunty who is pretty good at English. I asked her about the Olympic Games and whether it was a waste of finances. She gave me the idea that they use the money for infrastructure instead of for China's people. I expanded on that idea."

Ms Coleman said the assessment task was set after students had read Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech and Dickens' book, A Christmas Carol, as studies in persuasive language.

"They weren't marked on their information about the Olympic Games but on whether they used persuasive language effectively to make their argument."

PLC's headmaster, William McKeith, was inspired to stretch the open-book exam to new technological heights after hearing the views of an international education consultant, Marc Prensky.

Mr Prensky threw out the following challenge to educators in a British Educational Communications and Technology Agency publication: "What if we allowed the use of mobile phones and instant messaging to collect information during exams, redefining such activity from 'cheating' to 'using our tools and including the world in our knowledge base'?

"Our kids already see this on television. 'You can use a lifeline to win $1 million,' said one. 'Why not to pass a stupid test?' I have begun advocating the use of open phone tests … Being able to find and apply the right information becomes more important than having it all in your head."

Citing stuff is fine, in an assignment or an open book exam at Uni, but in school? I mean, come on, if they can't do it, then either the teachers are defective, or the students are.

I'm not sure it's cheating. Just questions that would require research. The smarter students do better on open book tests too.

I'm sure there is more to it than the teachers are letting on. I have had open book tests, open notes tests, cheat sheet allowed tests, and even take home tests. The reality is that the questions are considerably more difficult for a take home test than for a proctored test.

For example, on a proctored test, the question might be "True or False" or "Multiple Choice" whereas a take home test might require an essay. I strongly suspect that the "Phone a friend" tests are similar.

yeah. since when is having an open book test cheating? That article was ridiculous.

PHONE A FRIEND?

in jobs people work in groups and the same idea applies; people in groups helping each other and brainstorming? And looking over things/researching? Isn't it the same?

yeah I know that happens in workplaces, but aspies are strongly disadvantaged in those workplaces.

Unless you're the brainiac everyone wants to phone I don't see this as advantaging aspies either in school or work.

It's a shrinking world for 'what you know' people in favour of 'who you know' people. How does that help us?

The only way I ever got full time work was that there were a few fields where sitting for an exam was the only way in. In my day that was how you got into the public service. there was no interview required. I think even that process has changed.

Doesn't it depend on the workplace? I never had to do a "9 to 5 job" yet; me being 17 and going to community college next week so I'm not sure. Then again given how my mom has complained about some things, arguably there are issues. IIRC aren't some jobs/companies more friendly to Autistic people?



It does not provide a disad either, the aspie would still have an advantage. Or am I wrong?



you're right. It doesn't. I was thinking that it would be a mutual advantage; everyone supplies some information in collaborative work (like .torrent networks). Then again I forgot that might not happen actually, some people might not like each other, politics and social problems, rank, slackers, etc. I was thinking if they have a similar job (especially if it's a "high-paying" and job requiring degrees, similar people choose similar jobs) it would be easier. Though I seem wrong, sorry.



yes, just saw your profile; you're 51. You need an interview and have to fit in with all that social stuff, take the hat off at the right time, etc. Yeah it's worse..

homework should be tossed out too. Who really has the time in this day and age to focus on that? Realistically, people when they get jobs don't do homework everyday.

Stop teaching children that honesty is the best policy. It's not realistic in today's society.

Stop teaching about Santa Claus and presents. It's just not up to times.

Phone a friend is very up to date. Kids need to phone a friend during exams because they may one day go on Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

Kids should also have hand held buzzers in class getting ready to respond to questions. They might go on Jeopardy oneday.

There should also be this...gigantic wheel in the middle of english class. Those kids could go onto being wheel of fortune contestants someday. Realistic possibility.

Nothing illogical about this....but what about those who don't have friends and can't bother their parents at work?

^ Don't forget about the kids who also are not fortunate enough to have cell phones or mp3's with podcast.

Open "book" computer research in class is one thing...but the rest does not seem to level the playing field for a test.

The particular school this is being trialled in is a middle-class private school in a 'good' suburb of Sydney. Parents would have good incomes. Upper class twits?

This type of test would be valuable, not for testing one's knowledge of a subject, but for testing one's ability to quickly research a particular subject. I don't see how the 'phone a friend' option would be useful, because such an option would only test the subject's friend's research skills...

me thinks this is just a modern version of the open books tests. designed to test the students ability to gather the required information. it would not be effective if it just tested the friend and not the student taking the test.

Public schools keep finding semi-legitimate ways to lower their standards so more kids can graduate.

But that undermines the whole educational process and actually enables kids to be under-achievers. When you're planning to shoot up the place, studying for tests is too much work.

Pretty soon it will only be money-families bribing the schools to cough up diplomas for their sublimely ADD and sugar-addicted spawn.

I personally prefer the liberal form of education as which is provided at the Foundation for Liberal and Management Education. What they do there, is, every student can choose whatever subject that one desires, there's no limit or restriction. What's more, the lecturer decides the curriculum and method of grading the student. For example, one of my friends took psychology combined with the history of theater as two of his subjects. I think it's a wonderful concept. The only problems with the institution were - It's in Pune, and they don't allow non-vegetarian food or even garlic and onions inside (it's a Jain institution). Also, it's not recognised by the government of India.

As per this open book concept, I don't support it. I don't support the existence of the examination system at all. I believe in practicals, and experience. I think that the educational system that we have is an abomination. There are too many restrictions. Education should be liberal, and the power to choose what one wants to study and in what way must rest in the student's hands. Education must contain enjoyment, not boredom. Learning should be a fun & interesting.