Cheating Lessons

“Much of this book (and arguably the best part of the book) is simply about good teaching. Lang just believes, as many do, that good (and creative) teaching makes students less likely to cheat… Lang should also be congratulated for admitting a hard truth: no matter how good a class or professor, some students are simply going to cheat. And nothing is going to be able to stop this… Lang gives anyone who teaches a lot to think about. Plus, all educators who are looking for ways to shake things up in their classes should enjoy the second section of the book and walk away with some new perspectives on teaching.”—Catherine Ramsdell, PopMatters

“This lively book combines a review of key studies of cheating, inspiring examples of active student efforts to stop academic dishonesty, and useful guidelines for how faculty and institutions can respond when it does occur.”—Elizabeth Hayford, Library Journal (starred review)

“Practical and insightful… Whether tracking historical incidents of cheating to illustrate different factors, or discussing how university communities can talk to their students about academic dishonesty, Lang is an upbeat guide, effectively arguing that even small steps can help reduce the potential for cheating.”—Publishers Weekly

“Lang’s book serves as an excellent introduction to principles of effective teaching—that is, teaching that leads to meaningful student learning. Happily, these principles also reduce student motivation to cheat, as Lang cogently argues. Faculty will find in Cheating Lessons many practical examples of ways they can implement these principles in their teaching.”—Derek Bruff, Vanderbilt University

“Lang reminds educators that their primary focus should be on promoting learning, and not on preventing cheating. This helpful book provides accessible summaries of literature on academic cheating, its nature, causes, and prevalence—and illustrative examples of how successful instructors build their courses to encourage learning, and as a by-product, reduce cheating.”—Colin S. Diver, President Emeritus, Reed College

“James Lang has written a smart, original, well-researched guide to ‘building better learning environments’ framed as a guide to avoiding academic dishonesty. Rigorously grounded in empirical studies, rich with illuminating examples, and engagingly written, Cheating Lessons promises to be an eye-opening and immensely useful book for post-secondary educators.”—Christopher Hager, Trinity College