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Abstract
The latest trend in academia has been the rapid and large growth of online or distance learning courses. There are numerous benefits both for students as well as for the institutions. Despite the increasing reliance on this pedagogy, little research attention has focused on the potential for academic dishonesty. This study surveyed 1,262 students at a large, state‐funded university and examined the prevalence of cheating in traditional lecture courses and online courses. The findings indicate that cheating was much more prevalent in online classes compared to traditional lecture courses. Moreover, results showed significant differences based on a number of demographic variables. The paper concludes with a discussion of policy suggestions and research recommendations.
∗The author is grateful to Eugene Paoline for his reading and reflective comments, to Jessica Stern for assistance and data entry, and for the constructive comments of two peer reviewers.
Notes
∗The author is grateful to Eugene Paoline for his reading and reflective comments, to Jessica Stern for assistance and data entry, and for the constructive comments of two peer reviewers.
1. For the sake of brevity, the term “criminal justice” is used throughout this article; however, the data and comments apply equally to students and scholars of “criminology.”
2. One of my former students (who is now employed by a federal law enforcement agency) had her father, who was located in another state, take an entire online algebra course for her.