Investigating Academic Integrity: How to Prove Cheating in an Online Exam

In the realm of education, ensuring integrity during examinations is vital. A situation has arisen involving my father’s teaching profession where he suspects a student has committed academic dishonesty during an exam taken on a laptop. The allegations are serious: the student is accused of utilizing their cellphone for internet access to copy content from various websites, subsequently pasting this material into a Word document. To make the copied information appear more credible, the student even altered certain phrases.

While the evidence of similarity between the student’s submission and the online content appears substantial, my father requires a more robust basis for his claims. The original Word file is available, but he is searching for additional verification that could support his suspicions.

The complexity of this case raises an important question: Is it feasible to detect whether text has been pasted into a Word document? Furthermore, can one assess the history of changes made within the file itself? Such insights could significantly bolster the case against the student.

The laptop in question has already undergone a thorough analysis, revealing no internet browsing history or cookies, which complicates matters even further. My father is at a crossroads, unsure of the next steps to take in this investigation.

If you have any suggestions or insights on how to uncover evidence of document alterations or if tools exist that could track the document’s revision history more intricately, your expertise could be invaluable.

Let’s collaborate to uphold the principles of honesty and integrity in our educational systems. Thank you for any assistance you might offer!