Evan Henry
Contributing Writer

In a generation that sees young people carrying the knowledge of the universe in their pockets via smartphones and tablets, it’s no wonder some college students who take online classes look to the internet to find answers to their coursework.

Taking traditional classes on campus can be overwhelming or inconvenient for some students who work or have other obligations outside of school. So earning credit through online classes is a good way to counteract that stress. However, trying to learn a subject through a computer screen can cause some confusion, and it’s easier to Google answers to questions when there isn’t a professor staring you down at your desk.

So, what does it mean for students who cheat in online classes?

Obviously, they are only taking advantage of the resources around them. After all, it’s 2017, technology seemingly changes every day, and it’s likely light-years ahead of what was around when the structures of some courses were originally set up.

I had a teacher in high school who told his classes to use any resource necessary when completing class work. He encouraged the use of technology in the learning environment, even if it meant using a smartphone to look up the answer to a question. But this not only meant lazy students, it also meant a lazy teacher.

If students are openly allowed to cheat, instructors will breeze through the grading process with ease. And they know it.

“Students online, depending on the university, have good opportunities to cheat right now,” Fred Stielow, who helped design cheating prevention tools at American Public University System, said, according to U.S. News.

But students who cheat to get through their courses are robbed of their full education, ultimately wasting their tuition money and cheapening their credentials. And the more schools and their technology partners integrate face-to-face engagements online, the more online cheating will become impossible, according to The Atlantic.