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There were over 100 cases of cheating at the University of British Columbia (UBC) during an online math exam. The UBC director announced that the consequences for the students involved might vary from a warning to a zero on the test, a zero in the course, or even suspension or expulsion. The University has taken the necessary measures to ensure the integrity and security of all online courses.

In the three months before March 15, the company ProctorU, which monitors tests remotely, confirmed cheating in 2,547 cases. In the three months after, when the pandemic triggered campuses across the US to move online, ProctorU verified 57,597 cheating incidents. Ethicists say that students Googling answers on tests have an unfair advantage over students who do not. This same behaviour by medical students or apprentice pilots has consequences that are even more serious, as it places others in jeopardy.

According to a recent poll of Mercer Country Community College students, 64% said they felt more inclined to cheat since moving online. Even though the MCCC uses the Honorlock software that can detect nearby device searches, recognize verbal keywords, and track the students’ movement, the college’s Academic Integrity Committee (AIC) found 45 cases of cheating.

The assistant dean of students reported 292 cases of academic dishonesty on the Atlanta campus for the academic year 2019/20. For the current year, from July 1 through, 268 more cases through November 5. With the increased use of technology and apps like GroupMe, universities all over the country had to integrate cheating via GroupMe into their academic honesty policies.

UC Berkeley’s Center for Student Conduct has received over 300 reports of alleged academic misconduct during the fall semester and as a result, professors have updated their misconduct policies. The chair of UC Berkeley’s Academic Senate recommended that faculty members use online programs to catch cases of misconduct, register on sites to observe collaboration during exams and use frequent, lower-stakes assessments.

A study conducted by Visual Objects revealed that 52% of students anticipate widespread cheating and breaches of academic integrity while experiencing distance learning. Upholding academic standards have been replaced with an unethical pursuit of higher grades at the cost of true education and personal character. At Staples High School, for example, teachers may give the same test to students – with half of the class in person, and the other half participating via Zoom. When assessments are announced, many online students use various tools to cheat on tests. Photomath, a popular mobile app that completes math problems by scanning photos, has experienced heightened usage during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With many students forced to trade in-person lectures for online learning during the pandemic and the rising cases of academic misconduct, students, as well as professors, are concerned about the software being used to assess them. The vice-president of the University of Alberta Students’ Union (UMSU) says black students have had problems where the application doesn't recognize their faces. Other students with disabilities reported that they rely on specific screen-reader software that is incompatible with remote proctoring software. Although professors recognize that some courses may require e-proctored exams, they want them to be implemented correctly.

While the Academic Integrity Policy has not changed since the transition to remote learning at Rutgers faculty, departments have implemented new measures in an effort to prevent cheating. The Office of Student Conduct has created tutorial videos on completing work honestly, and on exams and major assignments, students should write and sign an honour pledge. The policy includes seven types of violations: plagiarism, cheating, and fabrication, facilitation of dishonesty, academic sabotage, violation of research or professional ethics and violations involving potentially criminal activity.

Cheating at universities has increased since the coronavirus forced classes to go online. In the North Carolina State, more than 200 of the 800 students in a single Statistics 311 have been disciplined for cheating. The University of Missouri discovered three separate cases of cheating, and each incident involved about 50 students who used the GroupMe app to share answers to exam questions. Also, 330 students were charged for breaking safety rules and would face penalties such as one-semester suspension.

There has been an increase in academic misconduct at Mount Royal University from 62 cases between March and August in 2019 to 130 cases this year. They include cheating, sharing answers or work, plagiarism, and misrepresenting facts or information that gives a person an unfair academic advantage over other students. The university is also looking at programs for e-proctoring and student integrity that would lend to preventing misconduct.