Many students have traditionally used their skin or clothing to aid in exam cheating.
In addition, most invigilators are aware of cheating with calculators, phones, and watches. However, a study conducted by Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology discovered one that evades the invigilators: the use of UV light. UV pens require students to write their answers with an inkless pen on any material they are permitted to bring into the exam hall. The rise in academic cheating indicates that students are devising new ways to cheat during exams. This situation has invigilators and academic stakeholders at a loss for words. The study, which was published in the journal Educational Research International, sought to investigate students' examination techniques. The study discovered that students used innovative techniques such as seating arrangements, the use of body parts, the use of foreign materials, and the use of technology.
The lead researcher, Dr. John Boulard Forkour, stated, "During the exam, all they did was shine or focus the red rays of the pen onto the surface; then, all the answers would appear."
"Most invigilators are aware of other technological devices that students use to cheat, but most are not aware of the UV light," he said.
"They think it's just a regular pen," one of the students interviewed by the researchers revealed. So, I sometimes tell some of the invigilators that it's just a regular pen. I have a UV pen that comes with an inkless pen. "All I have to do is write down all of the perceived answers on a sheet in my mathematical set and send it in." Following that, I use the UV light to reveal the answers. "It's simple, right?"
"To curtail academic cheating, educational authorities should not only improve institutional mechanisms to prevent cheating, but also make a conscious effort to change students' perceptions of cheating," Dr. Forkour advised.
