Cheating has been a problem for educators since the dawn of organized education, with enterprising students always looking for a leg up to pass exams without so much as a single study session. However, the methodologies students use to cheat are changing as technology changes – with wearable technology advancements such as smartwatches leading to new problems for teachers and school administrators.

This was never more evident than in a recent scandal at a Thailand medical school where students were caught using spy cameras attached to their smartwatches to cheat on exams at the school. The students in question had wireless spy cams attached to their eyeglasses, using their smartwatches as a means for transmitting questions and answers to other students. 

This opened the eyes of educators everywhere, especially when the university’s rector posted pictures of the spy equipment on social media. And thus, a new threat was out in the open.

Banning Smartwatches For Exams

The reaction to the potential threat of smartwatches when it comes to cheating on exams has led to a chain reaction of universities banning them from exams on their campuses. Smartwatches are powerful tools that can give students cloaked access to everything from images to mathematical calculations, all in a way that simply looks like they’re checking the time.

This becomes more and more of a problem as the price point on smartwatches starts to drop. More and more students at the university level own these gadgets, increasing the possibility of potential cheating scandals aided by the power of these devices. Thus, universities are trying to get ahead of the problem before it proliferates – banning smartwatches from exam rooms altogether.

Other Wearable Technology Cheating Threats Emerge

It’s not just smartwatches that present a potential cheating problem for universities and other schools around the globe. Wearable technology is a booming industry with devices, such as Google Glass, readying for price drops as the months go on.

Google Glass has the ability to take pictures of things while also transmitting and receiving information. A student could theoretically send an exam’s questions to a friend wearing a connected device. The answers would be displayed on their Google Glass headset within seconds without their teachers knowing. 

Therefore, it becomes imperative for university teachers and administrators alike to pay attention to wearable technology advancements. The cheaper they get, the easier they’ll be for students to acquire. And when that happens, it opens up a ton of opportunities for cheating that weren’t there before.

Gone are the days of writing notes on the inside of your hand or arm and sneaking a peek down your sleeve when the teacher wasn’t looking. Wearable technology has changed everything, which can even include digital access to microscopic cameras in the exam room.

This presents a host of potential challenges for teachers and administrators alike. After the global chain reaction of smartwatch bans in examination rooms, expect similar measures to take place with other wearable technologies as they become easier to access and cheaper for students to acquire.