This time we offer a hypothetical instead of a case history:
It's midway through the spring semester, and you are taking a maths test. You've been struggling all semester in this class, and you know that this test will form a big part of your grade. You feel like you are doing quite well on the test until you come to the last problem. It is worth 20 points and you just can't remember how to solve it. As it happens, the class maths whizz is sitting right in front of you and you can see he's just finished it. You are close enough to see how he solved it, and you know that no teacher can see you if you cheat.
What do you do?
- Would you cheat?
- Whether you respond yes or no, explain your reasoning.
- Think of someone you have a great deal of respect for. Would that person cheat? Why or why not?
- What would you do if you cheated and then a fellow student confronted you and was angry about what you did?
- Suppose you cheated. If the teacher asked you the next day whether or not you cheated, would you confess or make something up?
- Have you been in this situation? Would you change anything about your decision now?
- Have you ever seen someone cheat in class? What did it feel like?
- If one person cheats in a class, do you think anyone else is affected? Why & how / Why not?
- How big an issue is cheating in your school? Do you think it affects you?