Anti-cheating helmets were student idea, says professor

[webfact]

Anti-cheating helmets were student idea, says professor
By Coconuts Bangkok

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok's Kasetsart University announced today that it has decided to end the use of its anti-cheating helmets.

A photo of the horse blinder-like device was first posted on Coconuts Bangkok yesterday. Shortly thereafter the post went viral as thousands of netizens commented and shared the photo.

The university said that its agro-industry faculty students had designed the headgear as part of an ethics lesson.

Natdanai Rungruangkitkrai, the course lecturer, said he seriously regretted that the issue had received such a strong negative response. He added that he had intended to teach the students about ethics and as part of the lesson he had asked them to think creatively about how to prevent cheating.

The students proposed different sets of exam papers and boxes, but they finally agreed to use A-4 paper blinders. [read more...]

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2013/08/16/anti-cheating-helmets-were-student-idea-says-professor

-- Coconuts Bangkok 2013-08-16

[Redhawk]

It was obvious, if this story this returning to its sender, he will blame his students! It is friday and its teatime!

[GentlemanJim]

Natdanai Rungruangkitkrai, the course lecturer, said he seriously regretted that the issue had received such a strong negative response. He added that he had intended to teach the students about ethics and as part of the lesson he had asked them to think creatively about how to prevent cheating.

Well if the lesson is to promote ethics, why do you need a device to prevent cheating? Why do you need to be creative to prevent cheating? The idea is that you don't need any device, you use 'ethics' and simply do not cheat..........wallah! There it's not that difficult is it Professor?

[jaltsc]

What a load of BS....Everyone knows that in Thailand students are strongly discouraged from having ideas

[Thai at Heart]

agro-industry faculty

At least it wasn't the industrial design faculty

[NongKhaiKid]

What a load of BS....Everyone knows that in Thailand students are strongly discouraged from having ideas

and unless you are an absolute nobody with no family name and no funds for tea money it's almost impossible to fail an exam or fail to graduate.

[jabek]

Natdanai Rungruangkitkrai, the course lecturer, said he seriously regretted that the issue had received such a strong negative response. He added that he had intended to teach the students about ethics and as part of the lesson he had asked them to think creatively about how to prevent cheating.

Well if the lesson is to promote ethics, why do you need a device to prevent cheating? Why do you need to be creative to prevent cheating? The idea is that you don't need any device, you use 'ethics' and simply do not cheat..........wallah! There it's not that difficult is it Professor?

Have you never been shown a physical example to reinforce an idea? How about the Prof thought that it was a good idea to get a bit of fun into the classroom with a simple request to illustrate the "ethics" of cheating. There, it's not that difficult is it?

Asst Prof Tanaboon Sajjaanantakul, the faculty’s dean, said the device was used for a mid-term examination for a textile testing course.

Tanaboon insisted that there was no cheating problem during examinations and the students were not forced to wear the hats.

“The students were excited and having fun. No one refused to make a hat.

Edited August 16, 2013 by jabek

[DocN]

They will stop it?

Why?

Just because some people (eg the whole civilized world) was loud out laughing at their idiocy?

[klauskunkel]

he had intended to teach the students about ethics and as part of the lesson he had asked them to think creatively about how to prevent cheating.

hey, you know, this could also prevent peeping upskirt pervs! Just an idea. Patent the contraption!

[WhizBang]

Damn, that reverse gear just does not go fast enough.

[Estrada]

It was the students idea....... The answer to the exam tests were handily written inside the A4 paper blinkers. Nice one....!

[puyaidon]

I taught in a private university for over 15 years and the students did not consider it cheating but helping their friends. Helping their friends was more important than the concept of cheating.

In the BBA, the course in one faculty had two separate exams for the same subject in the same room. The coordinator just graded each set of exams separately which were actually the same exams but in a different order. Having the separate exams makes the test writing a chore rather than cutting down on cheating.

I even had a software program bought by the university that could analyze multiple-choice answers for all the students taking an exam in the same subject and it would identify questionable papers with the same answers overall but the powers above wanted to nail any cheaters identified by the program even if the students were in different rooms or different campuses. The program was really only to be used to back up any claims of students physically caught cheating but some tried to use it for everyone. Plus, one set of students were caught physically cheating with the software program supporting the claim and the students were exonerated because the students claimed they were not cheating. Students would never lie to their teachers so the cheating committee claimed. Ho, ho, ho. and now we have the tooth fairy running the show.

Edited August 16, 2013 by puyaidon

[giggles]

wow they got professors in LOS now !

they will always find a way ,skin implanted rx/amps next

[johnlandy]

Natdanai Rungruangkitkrai, the course lecturer, said he seriously regretted that the issue had received such a strong negative response. He added that he had intended to teach the students about ethics and as part of the lesson he had asked them to think creatively about how to prevent cheating.

Well if the lesson is to promote ethics, why do you need a device to prevent cheating? Why do you need to be creative to prevent cheating? The idea is that you don't need any device, you use 'ethics' and simply do not cheat..........wallah! There it's not that difficult is it Professor?

Have you never been shown a physical example to reinforce an idea? How about the Prof thought that it was a good idea to get a bit of fun into the classroom with a simple request to illustrate the "ethics" of cheating. There, it's not that difficult is it?

Asst Prof Tanaboon Sajjaanantakul, the faculty’s dean, said the device was used for a mid-term examination for a textile testing course.

Tanaboon insisted that there was no cheating problem during examinations and the students were not forced to wear the hats.

“The students were excited and having fun. No one refused to make a hat.

So the professor wanted to inject a bit of fun into the classroom "you're crazier than the professor"

[Puyai]

I believe it. I don't think the teachers would be able to come up with such a cracking idea and brilliant design.

[unanimosity]

What a load of BS....Everyone knows that in Thailand students are strongly discouraged from having ideas

and unless you are an absolute nobody with no family name and no funds for tea money it's almost impossible to fail an exam or fail to graduate.

Not in a place where degrees are for sale.

[thomash]

It seems like most drivers on the

roads in Thailand are wearing those

types of helmets!

[unanimosity]

I taught in a private university for over 15 years and the students did not consider it cheating but helping their friends. Helping their friends was more important than the concept of cheating.

In the BBA, the course in one faculty had two separate exams for the same subject in the same room. The coordinator just graded each set of exams separately which were actually the same exams but in a different order. Having the separate exams makes the test writing a chore rather than cutting down on cheating.

I even had a software program bought by the university that could analyze multiple-choice answers for all the students taking an exam in the same subject and it would identify questionable papers with the same answers overall but the powers above wanted to nail any cheaters identified by the program even if the students were in different rooms or different campuses. The program was really only to be used to back up any claims of students physically caught cheating but some tried to use it for everyone. Plus, one set of students were caught physically cheating with the software program supporting the claim and the students were exonerated because the students claimed they were not cheating. Students would never lie to their teachers so the cheating committee claimed. Ho, ho, ho. and now we have the tooth fairy running the show.

In fifteen years one would think you might have thought to position yourself to the rear of the room to monitor the test sessions and use a camera in the front of the room to document the cheaters. Of course mid-term and final exams are usually administered by proxies.

This is why going forward you may wish to consider final projects in lieu of exams.

[deecee10]

Natdanai Rungruangkitkrai, the course lecturer, said he seriously regretted that the issue had received such a strong negative response. He added that he had intended to teach the students about ethics and as part of the lesson he had asked them to think creatively about how to prevent cheating.

Well if the lesson is to promote ethics, why do you need a device to prevent cheating? Why do you need to be creative to prevent cheating? The idea is that you don't need any device, you use 'ethics' and simply do not cheat..........wallah! There it's not that difficult is it Professor?

I wish I were as clever as you.

By the way I don't know what 'wallah' means.

I think you mean 'voila'.

N'est ce pas, Jimbo?

[marell]

Someone is sure to win some sort of prize for designing such highly sophisticated anti cheating technology.

[EyesWideOpen]

Must........save.........face........

[jabek]

Well if the lesson is to promote ethics, why do you need a device to prevent cheating? Why do you need to be creative to prevent cheating? The idea is that you don't need any device, you use 'ethics' and simply do not cheat..........wallah! There it's not that difficult is it Professor?

Have you never been shown a physical example to reinforce an idea? How about the Prof thought that it was a good idea to get a bit of fun into the classroom with a simple request to illustrate the "ethics" of cheating. There, it's not that difficult is it?

Asst Prof Tanaboon Sajjaanantakul, the faculty’s dean, said the device was used for a mid-term examination for a textile testing course.

Tanaboon insisted that there was no cheating problem during examinations and the students were not forced to wear the hats.

“The students were excited and having fun. No one refused to make a hat.

So the professor wanted to inject a bit of fun into the classroom "you're crazier than the professor"

So, do you honestly believe that those "hats" were made and worn as official University policy to prevent students from cheating?

And you accuse me of being crazy..........................

Edited August 16, 2013 by jabek

[spirit47]

Geeko was it...

[brubakertx]

They still allow the students to leave things on their desk.

Maybe cell phones can be used on test too.

[webfact]

UPDATE:

Thai students given blinkers to stop cheating

BANGKOK, August 16, 2013 (AFP) - A Thai university has taken drastic steps to stop would-be cheats by introducing makeshift 'blinkers' for its examinees, thwarting students tempted by a furtive glance at their peers' exam papers.

The bizarre headgear -- consisting of two A4 sheets of plain white writing paper attached by paperclips to a headband -- was worn by nearly 100 students on Wednesday during a textile exam.

It was the brainchild of a professor at one of Bangkok's most famous universities who was concerned that his small exam room would encourage plagiarism.

But a photograph posted on Facebook of the students sporting the blinkers -- which they made and customised themselves -- during the exam at Kasetsart University, had by Friday stirred ridicule from the Thai press and social media.

The controversy prompted the university to scrap the blinkers while the teacher behind the scheme toured television studios to explain the unusual measure.

"It was for fun, relaxation and humour for the students... I want them to feel relaxed in their exams," Nattadon Rungruangkitkrai told AFP over the telephone.

The 40-year-old professor said the idea came about during discussions with students last week about how to prevent cheating.

"It is a trial idea agreed between me and the students -- they liked it. They said the blinkers could release stress during the exam and help them concentrate," he added.

An education expert said the incident suggested cheating was rife in the Thai education system and among wider society.

"It's in their nature to help their friends by allowing other people to copy," Somphong Chitradub, an education expert at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University told AFP.

"But they have to respect themselves -- competing by copying is nothing to be proud of."

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2013-08-16

[tominbkk]

Create tests where you can't cheat easily. Open, higher level thinking questions..short answer or essay. Ideas learned from the text in conjunction with student reflection. Graded on understanding of concepts, clarity of writing, and organization of ideas.

[GirlDrinkDrunk]

i understand completely, i for one, prefer to have loose sheets of paper stapled to my head while i am concentrating

[ETatBKK]

BAD : -( this idea already been copied somewhere in other universities, and been deployed !

so, could we say this is a form of cheating or 'copycatting' at university level ?

[webfact]

UPDATE:
EDUCATION
Anti-cheating hats will not be used again : university promises
Chuleeporn Aramnet
The Nation


Nearly 100 students at Kasetsart University wore an anti-cheating hat while taking exams, which caused an uproar.

BANGKOK: -- Kasetsart University's Faculty of Agro-Industry has promised not to use the much-criticised anti-cheating hats in its exam room again, but officials insisted yesterday that the paper hats were introduced with the intent of promoting honesty.

"Since people have criticised us, saying the hat is not appropriate, we will not use it again," faculty dean Tanaboon Sajja-anantakul said at a press conference.

The hat was made with sheets of A4 paper to cover both sides of the student's face, making it difficult for him or her to glance at a neighbour's test.

According to Tanaboon, this hat was used on some 90 students just once when they sat an exam on Textile Testing. The students and their lecturer Nattadol Rungruangkitkrai had mutually agreed to try and stop cheating, and hence invented the hat.

"I want to inculcate ethical behaviour and honesty in my students. So, I emphasised that those who cheat in exams will be punished and asked my students to propose how they can prevent the cheating," Nattadol said, adding that his students then proposed that they wear a paper box or paper hat.

"We finally agreed on the paper hat, and the students found it fun," he said.

Nattadol said he took a photo of his students wearing the anti-cheating hats and posted it on the timeline of a closed Facebook group.

The faculty dean added that the photograph somehow found its way to the public sphere and criticism followed.

"I am so sad and stressed out," Nattadol said, referring to widespread comments that his university had such a bad problem with cheating that such a hat had to be created. The lecturer insisted that his students were honest and disciplined.

Chanantorn Jiravejdechacharn, one of the students, said she was also saddened by comments in which the students wearing the hat were described as being submissive, oppressed or cheats.

"In fact, we found that the hat helped us concentrate better," she said, adding that she understood her lecturer's good intentions.

However, she said, if people deemed this hat inappropriate, she would not wear it again.

Tanaboon said his faculty would not punish Nattadol for the uproar caused by the hats. "He has been under a lot of stress already and has already been faced with derision," the dean said.


-- The Nation 2013-08-17

[khaowong1]

Natdanai Rungruangkitkrai, the course lecturer, said he seriously regretted that the issue had received such a strong negative response. He added that he had intended to teach the students about ethics and as part of the lesson he had asked them to think creatively about how to prevent cheating.

Well if the lesson is to promote ethics, why do you need a device to prevent cheating? Why do you need to be creative to prevent cheating? The idea is that you don't need any device, you use 'ethics' and simply do not cheat..........wallah! There it's not that difficult is it Professor?

You beat me too it, I was thinking the same thing. But of course this is Thailand, our interpretation of "ethics" and theirs are quite different.