For many students, WebAssign is a normal component for most of their classes, as homework, classwork and even the textbook are available through the online platform. In more recent years, the new “Cengage Unlimited” option allows students to access the online platforms required for their classes all while saving money. There are also additional benefits for upgrading to this program, including six months of access to Quizlet Plus and Evernote as well as 30 days of access to Chegg with one hour of Chegg tutoring.
Herein lies a problem that produces dissonance between what NC State preaches for academic integrity and what they are saying students need to buy for resources, because often teachers argue that using Chegg is cheating. Yet, as NC State encourages students to buy Cengage Unlimited, they are also indirectly encouraging them to “cheat,” and thus the line between cheating and academic integrity is blurred.
According to the NC State Code of Student Conduct, one relevant example of cheating is defined as “using materials, equipment, or assistance in connection with an assignment, examination, or other academic exercise which have not been authorized by the faculty member, including but not limited to, notes, calculator, or other technology.” Using Chegg, an online platform that has access to thousands of textbooks, example problems answered and online tutors, could easily fall under this category of cheating.
Although a large number of teaching staff and faculty have documented on their syllabi that using online answer banks such as Chegg or other test banks is cheating, there is still debate over whether or not using Chegg is cheating. These inconsistencies across colleges and faculty can make students feel like they’re walking in a minefield as they straddle the line between seeking help through external resources and cheating. For example, in one of my classes, working together on homework with classmates is considered cheating, while in another we are encouraged to do the homework in group settings.
Despite the inconsistency, academic integrity is taken very seriously at NC State. Punishments for cheating can include academic integrity probation, a reduction in grade and/or no credit for assignments and in extreme cases, expulsion.
A possible solution to firmly define cheating and its relationship with Chegg would be for the official Student Code of Conduct to explicitly reflect that Chegg and other similar online platforms either are or aren’t cheating. This would end the confusion at a higher level, which would minimize the confusion for students if some teachers explicitly detail that Chegg is cheating in their syllabus and some do not. Moreover, if NC State is going to continue endorsing Cengage Unlimited, then they need to have a stance on Cengage’s partnership with Chegg, as it offers free trials to students.
According to the International Center for Academic Integrity, almost 70% of undergraduates, not including first-years, have admitted to cheating in some form. As many professors believe plagiarism is on the rise due to increased internet access, it is imperative that rules and guidelines be explicitly defined in the age of increased digital information. Understanding Cengage Unlimited’s financial benefits as well as the additional features, it makes sense for NC State to endorse the option for online content; however, until NC State makes a statement about the partnership with Chegg, the line of “cheating” will continue to stay blurred.
