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High-tech devices used by students for cheating in exams

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CIOL Writers
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Right from Smartwatches to spy cams, the world of cheating, during exams has come a long way. The digital world has transformed the way we use to function traditionally. It has very easily shaken the moral code of conduct and integrity of a student on the hunt for options to cheat.

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In Thailand, students at a medical college have been caught cheating during exams by using spy cameras linked to smartwatches. Wireless spycams were linked to eyeglasses to capture exam questions, transmit them to associates elsewhere and receive responses through linked smartwatches.

This plot was uncovered and Arthit Ourairat, the rector of Rangsit University cancelled the entrance exam. He then posted pictures on facebook of the high-tech cheating equipment on his Facebook page.

This cheating attempt is no less than Hollywood’s classic spy dramas, but what is worrisome is how easily such high-tech devices are available to those who seek to gain an unfair advantage in educational pursuits.

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With the advent of technology and changing world of digital access this problem is here to stay. Especially with devices such as smart-glasses become cheaper and more readily available. For example, gadgets like Google Glass have the capability to take photos, send information, and also display information on the lens itself, eliminating the need to connect to a smartwatch.

Here are a few other gadgets used by students to cheat during exams :

Special Glasses

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Have you seen these special glasses with a built-in transmitter and a separate wireless earpiece. It is aimed at establishing a two-way secretive audio communication between people during exams.

Cheating Watch

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This one is designed especially for this purpose. It claims to be a Cheating Watch that can store PDF, Word, and other documents. The USP of the watch is that it comes with a super-fast emergency button that locks other buttons and displays only the time when approached by any suspecting exam invigilator.

Invisible Watch

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Invisible Watch is a piece of cake, it appears to display nothing when the watch is switched on. You can view something on only with the special glasses sold with the watch, the screen becomes visible and you can see any uploaded content, such as your exam cheat notes.

Wristwatch ban in Universities

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It is very difficult to differentiate between smart watches and watches hence, steps need to be taken on how to conduct free and fair exams. In order to eliminate the problem of differentiating between watches in an exam environment, some Australian universities have already implemented bans on all wristwatches. Others across Australia and the world should follow suit.

The trend started last year when universities globally started banning, or at least exploring a ban on, smartwatches in exams. Smartwatches can be easily considered an aid to cheating in exams because they come with internet access.

and can store text and images, language translation, mathematical calculations.

With newer technologies invigilation has to also go a notch above. The educational institutions will have to come up with better plans to combat these new ways of cheating, and devise solutions. So, anything from banning devices or scanning for radio signals as was done using drones in an exam in China!

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