Can technology aid in the prevention of AI-based cheating in schools?

Technology breakthroughs have completely changed how education is provided and received. In this paper, we shall examine several potential technological countermeasures o AI-based academic dishonesty.

The availability of AI-powered tools that may be used to write essays, solve arithmetic problems, and even take examinations has led to an increase in the prevalence of AI-based cheating. It is difficult for teachers to spot cheating while using these technologies because they are accessible to students anonymously and with ease. However, technology can also be employed to stop cheating powered by AI.

Ways technology can help prevent AI-based cheating

1. Software that detects plagiarism: Using AI algorithms, these tools check written content against a sizable database of previously published material to see whether it contains any instances of plagiarism. This can assist in identifying plagiarism, which is the process of copying and pasting online text into an academic assignment.

2. Remote proctoring software: These software tools use AI to monitor students during exams, detecting any suspicious behavior, such as looking off-screen or accessing unauthorized websites. This helps ensure that students are not using AI-based tools to cheat during exams.

3. AI-powered chatbots: These chatbots can provide immediate assistance to students during exams or assignments, reducing the need for students to seek help from unauthorized sources. This can help reduce the likelihood of students resorting to AI-based cheating.

4. Systems that use AI algorithms to customise learning depending on a student’s strengths and shortcomings, offering individualized guidance and feedback, are known as adaptive learning systems. Teachers can intervene and offer extra support by identifying areas where students are having difficulty, which prevents kids from feeling the need to cheat in order to keep up with their peers. 

5. The application of blockchain technology to stop academic fraud: Blockchain is a safe, decentralized ledger that can be used to track and confirm the legitimacy of academic credentials. Schools may make sure that academic records are tamper-proof and that students’ academic accomplishments are independently verifiable and reliable by keeping them on a blockchain.

6. Biometric authentication: A student’s identification can be confirmed via biometric authentication, which makes use of distinctive physical traits like fingerprints or facial recognition. By utilizing biometric verification, schools may make sure that the student sitting for a test or turning in an assignment is the same student who is registered for the course, minimizing the risk of impersonation and cheating.

7. Secure testing environments: These settings use a mix of technology and physical safeguards to prevent exam-day cheating by students. Schools may utilize technology to prohibit access to particular websites or programs during exams, or they may use special desks or barriers to prevent students from spying on each other’s computers.

8. Some schools are putting in place AI-driven systems that can keep an eye on how pupils behave in the classroom, including how they utilize electronic gadgets. In order to prevent academic dishonesty, these systems can notify professors when a student enters forbidden websites or uses AI-based technologies in the classroom.

9. Schools can also implement strict policies and guidelines regarding academic integrity.
The penalties of academic dishonesty can be described in these policies, which might serve as a deterrent to students who might otherwise cheat. The risks of AI-based cheating and its effects on students’ future academic and professional careers can also be discussed in schools with students.

10. Instead of encouraging kids to cheat, schools might encourage them to employ AI tools for academic gain.

11. Schools must stay up to date with the finest techniques and tools for identifying AI-based cheating because technology is constantly evolving. Teachers who receive regular training and professional development can better grasp how to employ cutting-edge technologies to stop academic fraud.

12. Artificial intelligence can be used in schools to track student activity and spot trends of cheating. Exam results, submission times, and typing patterns are just a few examples of the kind of enormous volumes of data that AI systems might examine to spot possible cases of fraud. Before cheating becomes a major issue, this can assist schools in identifying and preventing it.

13. By using technology, schools can give each student individualized feedback and encouragement, removing the need for cheating. Schools may quickly provide students with feedback on their work using chatbots that have AI, helping them to pinpoint areas that need development. This might improve their interest in the material covered in the course and lessen their propensity to use unethical means to advance their careers.

14. Schools can employ social media monitoring strategies to identify and prevent academic dishonesty. Artificial intelligence (AI) is used in these applications to search social media for phrases associated with cheating, like requests for assistance with homework or exam questions. Schools can proactively spot and address problematic phrases in students’ work in order to prevent academic dishonesty.
However, it’s crucial to understand that it might not be able to totally eradicate academic fraud using technology. As a result, educators should keep stressing academic honesty and checking students’ work for indications of plagiarism.

Schools must make sure that any technology monitoring or surveillance is done out in compliance with legal and privacy laws in order to respect students’ privacy. In the end, while technology can be a helpful tool for reducing AI-based cheating in schools, it’s vital to balance the advantages with privacy issues
and the requirement for continued emphasis on academic integrity.

Schools may provide an honest and fair learning environment for all students by combining plagiarism detection software, remote proctoring software, chatbots, policies, instruction, adaptive learning systems, blockchain, and social media monitoring.  The fact that technology cannot completely eliminate academic dishonesty must be kept in mind. The importance of academic accomplishment should therefore continue to be emphasized by teachers, who should also regularly monitor their students’ progress.