'Students should face pre-exam security tests to stamp out fraud': Knowledge Driven Revolution

Pupils taking exams should be forced to take biometric security tests to cut down on cheating, the exam watchdog said.

A Government-backed report is recommending tougher measures such as fingerprint or retina scanning to prevent students drafting in friends to take exams in their place.

Exam boards are forced to disqualify candidates every year for passing off others as themselves in GCSE and A-level exams.

The report, commissioned by Government exams watchdogs, also called for widespread trials of 007-style detectors to trap pupils using mobile phones to cheat in exam halls.

The devices, more often used by private detectives and surveillance firms, pick up the waves emitted by mobile handsets when a student tries to use them.

The measures should be considered to stamp out the "significant and growing" problem of cheating in exams and coursework, according to the report produced by academics at Nottingham Trent University.

The digital revolution and advent of mobile phones and MP3 players has extended opportunities for cheating from "the knowing few" to the "majority", author Professor Jean Underwood concluded.

Youngsters are able to send text messages or use the WAP facility on their phones during exams themselves to retrieve helpful information. Some are texting friends the answers even if they are sitting in the same exam room.

Professor Underwood said schools could buy mobile signal detection devices for just Ł100.

She called on the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, which requested the report amid evidence of a growing cheating epidemic, to test the effectiveness of the gadgetry in clamping down on exam fraud.

There are fears youngsters could evade the devices by using phones as "electronic crib sheets" and bringing up stored text messages rather than triggering the detectors by making active connections.

The exams watchdog should also investigate whether schools could legally cover the walls of exam rooms with mobile phone shields or "blocking paint" or use signal "jammers" to thwart cheating pupils.

But the report's backing for biometric identification is among its most controversial recommendations.

It suggests exam boards require "some form of status identity" for all examinations, adding that the "use of biometrics to prevent impersonation might be of particular value for test centres where students are unknown to the invigilating staff".

However teachers won new contracts in September last year stating they should not "routinely" invigilate public exams.

It means schools will find it harder to stop pupils using impersonators since they will be forced to rely on teaching assistants or bring in teams of seasonal invigilators drawn from the ranks of supply teachers.

Companies already offering the biometric technology for guaranteeing the identity of test candidates suggest using two or three screening techniques out of a list of fingerprint scanning, retina scanning, voice scanning, passcode prompts, photographs using webcams and ID cards.

Other recommended measures to stamp out cheating include using different versions of tests to prevent pupils copying over their shoulder and insisting students stick to seating plans.

"Students seated next to strangers are less likely to cheat" the report said.

According to the report, levels of cheating in Britain are likely to be comparable to the U.S. where studies have shown 74 per cent of school pupils admit to "serious test cheating".

Boys are more likely than girls to cheat, or at least admit to it. Teachers who are uncaring or indifferent to their students' success are thought to foster a culture of cheating.

QCA's own figures show how soaring numbers of students are using mobiles to cheat in exams.

Phones were linked to 1,100 malpractice cases last year - around a quarter of total.

Exam boards deal with a small number of cases every year of students substituting others to sit exams for them.

Read Today's Knowledge Driven News
HOME From Germany to American - Party Police, Party Courts and Concentration Camps P3s, Nazis and Polite Canadian Fascism The Ghost in the Machine - The Forced Chemical Evolution of Man Rouge States and the 9/11 Truth Terrorists Canadians Should Pay NOT to be Poisoned: NDP V for Vendetta - R for Reality Canadian Bird Flu Pandemic Looming ? Shill of the Week: Stephan Harper Aspartame: The Sweetest Killer Chicken Little Terrorist of the Week: Creating Fake Terrorists Shill of the Week: Paul Martin The Number 1 Reason YOU became a Slave	'Students should face pre-exam security tests to stamp out fraud' The London Evening Standard December 08, 2006 Pupils taking exams should be forced to take biometric security tests to cut down on cheating, the exam watchdog said. A Government-backed report is recommending tougher measures such as fingerprint or retina scanning to prevent students drafting in friends to take exams in their place. Exam boards are forced to disqualify candidates every year for passing off others as themselves in GCSE and A-level exams. The report, commissioned by Government exams watchdogs, also called for widespread trials of 007-style detectors to trap pupils using mobile phones to cheat in exam halls. The devices, more often used by private detectives and surveillance firms, pick up the waves emitted by mobile handsets when a student tries to use them. The measures should be considered to stamp out the "significant and growing" problem of cheating in exams and coursework, according to the report produced by academics at Nottingham Trent University. The digital revolution and advent of mobile phones and MP3 players has extended opportunities for cheating from "the knowing few" to the "majority", author Professor Jean Underwood concluded. Youngsters are able to send text messages or use the WAP facility on their phones during exams themselves to retrieve helpful information. Some are texting friends the answers even if they are sitting in the same exam room. Professor Underwood said schools could buy mobile signal detection devices for just Ł100. She called on the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, which requested the report amid evidence of a growing cheating epidemic, to test the effectiveness of the gadgetry in clamping down on exam fraud. There are fears youngsters could evade the devices by using phones as "electronic crib sheets" and bringing up stored text messages rather than triggering the detectors by making active connections. The exams watchdog should also investigate whether schools could legally cover the walls of exam rooms with mobile phone shields or "blocking paint" or use signal "jammers" to thwart cheating pupils. But the report's backing for biometric identification is among its most controversial recommendations. It suggests exam boards require "some form of status identity" for all examinations, adding that the "use of biometrics to prevent impersonation might be of particular value for test centres where students are unknown to the invigilating staff". However teachers won new contracts in September last year stating they should not "routinely" invigilate public exams. It means schools will find it harder to stop pupils using impersonators since they will be forced to rely on teaching assistants or bring in teams of seasonal invigilators drawn from the ranks of supply teachers. Companies already offering the biometric technology for guaranteeing the identity of test candidates suggest using two or three screening techniques out of a list of fingerprint scanning, retina scanning, voice scanning, passcode prompts, photographs using webcams and ID cards. Other recommended measures to stamp out cheating include using different versions of tests to prevent pupils copying over their shoulder and insisting students stick to seating plans. "Students seated next to strangers are less likely to cheat" the report said. According to the report, levels of cheating in Britain are likely to be comparable to the U.S. where studies have shown 74 per cent of school pupils admit to "serious test cheating". Boys are more likely than girls to cheat, or at least admit to it. Teachers who are uncaring or indifferent to their students' success are thought to foster a culture of cheating. QCA's own figures show how soaring numbers of students are using mobiles to cheat in exams. Phones were linked to 1,100 malpractice cases last year - around a quarter of total. Exam boards deal with a small number of cases every year of students substituting others to sit exams for them. Read the full article here Broken Link? If the link to the original article is broken or has been altered you can view the article by clicking here. About KDR \| \| Home \| \| Weekly Features Archive	Weekly Features Archive
		What Is Wrong With Canada ? Recent 9-11 News Suppressed by the Media Aspartame: The Sweetest Killer The Number 1 Reason YOU became a Slave Knowledge Driven Look at Your Favourite Canadian Political Parties
		October November December 2006 26 27 28 29 30 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Weekly Features 2006 2005 Read Today's Knowledge Driven News
		Counter
Copyright © 2005-6 KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com