Cheating isn’t new: Managing an age-old problem with 21st century tools

In this episode of Opportunity Thrives, we discuss a topic that certainly isn’t new, but has evolved with the digital age: cheating, and how to maintain digital integrity when implementing an online curriculum program for today’s middle and high school students. For as long as students have sat in a desk, they have found creative ways to cheat in order to pass a test. All of the same student motivations still apply in a digital setting, but the strategies are slightly different. Two guests on this episode, Kecia Ray and John Watson, participated in a discussion on how districts can implement safeguards and best practices to reduce the incidences of cheating and discuss where many might fall short when it comes to digital integrity. John Watson is the Evergreen Education Group founder and primary researcher. He has two decades of experience in online learning and education technology conducting, writing, and presenting research as well as providing testimony on digital learning matters to state boards of education, legislatures, and charter school commissions.  Dr. Kecia Ray has devoted her career to education technology and is the former executive director for the Center for Digital Education, Ray has worked as an administrator for the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools and for the Tennessee Commissioner of Education. She was also named one of the top 10 EdTech Leaders by Tech and Learning magazine and a top 100 EdTech Influencer by EdTech Digest. She now leads K20 Connect, a network of education and technology leaders focused on building effective practices in K20 education.