Fraud Triangle

Title: Understanding Why Students Cheat

Introduction

Since Covid, cheating at universities has significantly increased. This rise coincides with a shift to more online learning and the advent of AI tools, creating a perfect storm for academic dishonesty. This phenomenon can be explained through the paradigm of the Fraud Triangle, a framework developed in the 1950s by criminologist Donald Cressey and originally applied to embezzlers. However, this theory has become a standard in accounting courses and other areas to explain fraud. Now, it can also apply to a new type of fraud, academic dishonesty.

The theory lists three elements required for fraud: pressure, opportunity, and rationalization. When these three components are all present, there is a much higher probability of fraud or, as in our case, academic dishonesty. In this blog, we will discuss each of the three components as they relate to academia, along with some solutions.

Pressure

In the academic context, pressure relates to graduation requirements and the consequences of falling short. Some students are on scholarships and need a minimum GPA to maintain their funding. Others are trying to get into med school or other graduate programs that require extremely high GPAs. Regardless, all students need to pass their classes to earn a degree. Thus, there is a natural element of pressure which cannot be removed. However, since the theory requires all three components to be present prior to fraud, we can focus on the next two components.

Opportunity

Recently, AI tools such as ChatGPT have become ubiquitous and are readily available to students. These tools make it extremely easy to undermine the learning process and cheat on papers. Additionally, the probability of getting caught is perceived as low. Students can edit or hide the “AI” writing and there are even AI software programs to rewrite the paper so it does not t read like conventional AI. Finally, a student can simply deny they used AI, causing a dilemma for the professor. For example, is the software saying X% chance of the student cheating good enough evidence to fail them?

Rationalization

Students are readily able to rationalize academic dishonesty by comparing what they are learning to expectations on the job. Often, academic learning is more theory and less praxis. Students sometimes fail to perceive the value of pedagogy and thus can justify undermining it. Also, they believe they can use AI tools at work, so why not use them in an academic setting? Finally, when you see so many other classmates cheating and not getting caught, it is easy to justify joining the bandwagon. Thus, students can rationalize the behavior.

Solutions

The pressure to achieve good grades and graduate is implicit in academia and thus cannot be readily removed. However, Zero Cheating has proprietary software solutions that remove the opportunity to cheat with AI on papers. The software focuses on the writing process as opposed to the final output. By providing professors with a visual rendering of how the paper was written, we can confidently create an environment of Zero Cheating and 100% Learning. For more information, Click Here for a Demo

The rationalization side of the triangle can be addressed in two separate ways. First, once the opportunity is removed, then fewer classmates are cheating, which helps to reduce the variable. Second, Zero Cheating offers insights to students and professors on how to use AI responsibly, enhancing rather than undermining the learning process. Thus, students feel the classroom experience is more akin to real-world work environments. For more information on these practices, Click Here for Our Student Video