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Teachers Combat New Cheating Techniques

In a recent study, more than 60% of high schoolers admit to cheating on tests. Improving technology means students are constantly coming up with new ways to cheat.

In a recent study, more than 60% of high schoolers admit to cheating on tests. Improving technology means students are constantly coming up with new ways to cheat.

With so many ways to beat the system, Triad teachers are getting creative.

WATCH: The high-tech tricks kids use to cheat in school

Learning how students cheat is a full time job for Robert Horn, math teacher at Glenn High School in Kernersville.

"The way they cheat does evolve so you try to keep ahead, learning the nuances of the devices that they have or just trying to watch the sleight of hand," said Horn.

His math students are always under an attentive eye. "Walking around the classroom while they're taking a test, walking around the classroom while they're working on their work, that way I can see what they're doing," said Horn.

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His technique isn't new, but what he’s looking for is always changing. "A lot of students have phones, they have apps or they just take pictures with that or they can Google the answers."

Barbara Hurdle has seen similar cheating techniques in her English classes.

"Students take pictures of their work,” said Hurdle. “I see the same answers to questions from first period to third period."

Changing tests and assignments from class to class and year to year helps combat cheaters but sometimes it's not enough.

"As the technology evolves for the kids, it also evolves for the teachers," said Hurdle.

Now teachers are using their own technology to fight back. Hurdle puts student papers through the website turnitin.com. "It'll show me exactly what's plagiarized, tell me where it came from whether it's the internet or another student's paper."

Some teachers also take advantage of individualized online learning.

"The students get a quiz come to them and each student's quiz is different so again, that cuts down on the cheating," said Hurdle.

To help even more, Glenn High School's Wi-Fi will block questionable websites and apps.

Even so, cheating is always evolving. But so are the ways to stop it.

"There's a lot of people out there developing things for teachers and for people who are in our situation so it's kind of give and take,” said Hurdle.

Sometimes the best thing a teacher can do is get rid of the technology altogether. Hurdle said she has an absolute cell phone ban in her classroom.

She even has a cell phone parking garage which are little pockets hanging on the wall. That's where students have to put their phones if they're caught with them in class.

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