In the long run, cheating limits students in terms of academic growth and has little benefit to the student save a good letter grade. Cheating also erodes trust in the educational system and the value of a degree, potentially impacting future career prospects. Now, normally one would think this would scare students off and discourage them from using someone else’s answers. However, that’s where most people go wrong.

Modern-day technology has made cheating on homework and tests easier and more efficient for students as technology like artificial intelligence (AI) grow more advanced. With new websites like ChatGTP, students are able to access quick and fast answers with just the click of a button. This particular website allows students to ask complex questions for which the website will provide full-length answers.

Most students will say they are just using the answers for extra help understanding the content when in reality, they are simply using it to take the easy way out. 

“Math has an advantage because of the steps that you need to show along the way,” CHS math teacher Chris Orlandi said. “The typical kid that is looking for a shortcut usually skips out on those steps. Either the steps don’t align, or the steps don’t make sense with the answer.”

Many students will claim they aren’t copying, but their answers and work say different things when under the watchful eye of a teacher. 

“I usually catch one dozen to two dozen cheating each year,” Orlandi said. “When I confront them, I usually try to make it silly, because most kids don’t think it’s a serious offense. So I start with it being either written on paper, or a scoring penalty of some sort and say hey, look you need to knock this off.”

Using online resources for help isn’t exactly a punishable offense. Many students will use online resources for help when they are stuck on a hard problem, or even when they don’t know how to start the process and need a little extra help. 

“My son will look at a problem, if he knows how to do it or if it’s easy he does it,” Orlandi said. “If he doesn’t know how to do it, he’s going to use Homework Help, just not copy the answers.”

Despite the good intentions behind resources like Homework Help, most students will press the Homework Help button on CPM simply because it’s a big blue button that will cut down on homework time. 

“Usually, Algebra One students are not quite as motivated,” Orlandi said. “So, that’s why I think a lot of times the Homework Help is used inappropriately.”

However, do teachers realize that cheating is an actual problem? It may seem easy to brush it off because it’s the student’s choice and teachers can’t do much to control that but where do they put their foot down and fail a kid for submitting stolen answers?

“It’s become to the point where teachers simply know that it’s happening,” Orlandi said. “They [just] don’t choose to minimize the points. They just make it so it’s easier for students to cheat their way to an A.”