1. Use a PDS (Plagiarism Detection Service) like Turnitin.com to catch plagiarism.
The service is used by thousands of schools and universities worldwide. Basically Turnitin.com compares your students' papers with those in their enormous databases. Similarities are highlighted so that you can review the findings easily. For a look at a rationale for NOT using a PDS read The Politics of Plagiarism Detection Services
2. Forbid the use of cell phones, PDA's and pagers in exam rooms.
Students are extremely savvy when it comes to devising ways to use common electronic equipment to cheat. Be alert to these techniques. Sending text messages via cell phone is more common than you realize. Watch for earphones which can be extremely tiny and are used to play back notes.
3. Lock down your grade program and database.
Hardly a day goes by without some chilling story about hackers breaking into a school's academic database and changing grades. Keep your computer secure by using secure passwords. Set your screen saver to activate in password protected mode after 2 minutes of inactivity.
4. Look for crib notes anywhere and everywhere.
Students can write notes on the most ordinary things like gum wrappers and bottle labels and bring them safely into the exam room UNLESS you are watching carefully or ban them completely. So, be a grinch and pick up wrappers and miscellaneous bits of paper wherever you see them! You can fit many pages of information on a small piece of paper using very small fonts. And it's edible too.
5. Be vigilant. Trust but verify!
President Reagan was much more astute than most people gave him credit for. His cautious "Trust but verify!" approach to dealing with the Russians paid off. Use the same approach in your classroom. Be aware of the possibilities for cheating which are all around you.
