Combating Student Cheating in Pharmacy Schools in a Post-Pandemic World

Area of Science:

• Educational Technology
• Academic Integrity

Background:

• Academic dishonesty persists in higher education, particularly in health professions and pharmacy programs.
• Technological advancements and shifts to online learning exacerbate cheating challenges.
• Students employ both high-tech and low-tech methods to gain unfair advantages.

Purpose of the Study:

• To remind faculty and administrators of common cheating modalities.
• To advocate for active strategies to minimize and address academic integrity concerns.
• To encourage awareness of evolving cheating methods and risk-reduction techniques.

Main Methods:

• Review of common cheating modalities (high and low-technology).
• Discussion of the impact of technological advances (AI, smartphones, etc.) on academic integrity.
• Emphasis on faculty and administrator awareness and policy reflection.

Main Results:

• The 'arms race' between educational programs and students seeking to circumvent academic integrity is escalating.
• Increased awareness of cheating approaches and intentional policy reflection are crucial.
• Implementation of risk-reduction strategies is necessary to combat academic dishonesty.

Conclusions:

• Educators must move beyond discussing academic integrity to actively implementing strategies to prevent and address cheating.
• Staying informed about new cheating methods and peer-reviewed testing strategies is vital for maintaining academic integrity.
• Proactive measures are essential to mitigate risks associated with academic dishonesty in evolving educational landscapes.