The answer to this question isn’t as simple as one would like to believe. A lot depends on the circumstances. But research shows us that when given a chance, almost all of us would cheat at some point in time. This is especially true when the opportunity to do so is easily available. Here are some reasons why students cheat in an online course:
Not many universities are interested in actually helping students learn- they’re more concerned about making profit than anything else. Spending on using effective strategies that combat cheating is missing. In most cases, there is a serious disconnect between the technology used to catch cheaters and the actual methods used by students to cheat.
A majority of students taking up online courses are juggling work and study, or have taken up multiple courses at the same time. Online course designers should take into account the fact that these students cannot afford to spend as much time as conventional students. Yet, most online courses follow the same 14-20 week-long structure of semester based classroom learning. Students are expected to complete assignments, lectures, homework problems, essays, and quiz every week. This puts undue pressure on them, forcing students to cheat their way into an A. No wonder why, a large number of our clients are working students who don’t mind paying someone to take online class. Some students stop at ‘could you take my online class’ and some pay us to take the entire course. Universities often set unreal expectations upon their students expecting them to complete every little assignment on their own, knowing well that they have to balance academic life and work commitments.
