On Nov. 9, South Korean media disclosed that hundreds of students in a course at Yonsei University, a top South Korean university, are suspected of using AI tools like ChatGPT to complete their midterm exams. Some students attempted to create blind spots in the monitoring system during online exams to use AI for cheating. Korean media pointed out that although AI is rapidly spreading in South Korean universities, most institutions have yet to establish clear guidelines or countermeasures. How to balance the use of technology with ensuring academic integrity has become a topic of concern.
A professor responsible for the "Natural Language Processing (NLP) and ChatGPT" course at Yonsei University's revealed that there was large-scale use of AI for cheating during the midterm exams for his course. Approximately 600 students were enrolled in the course. Due to the large number of students, he adopted online teaching methods and conducted the midterm exam on Oct. 15 through an online platform.
Online Exams Struggle to Prevent AI Cheating
To prevent cheating, a professor required students to record their screens during the entire exam, showing their faces, hands, and screen activity. The professor noted that some students avoided monitoring by adjusting camera angles or having multiple windows open. Others frequently switched applications to send exam questions to ChatGPT for answers.
After discovering potential cheating, the professor offered a deal: students who voluntarily confessed would receive a zero on the midterm but face no further penalties. An anonymous poll on the school forum later revealed that, out of 353 participants, 190 admitted to cheating, suggesting a cheating rate of over half. The university confirmed that about 40 students had been caught cheating.
One student in the course stated bluntly, "Most of the class used ChatGPT during the exam. If I were the only one not using it, it would be hard to get a good grade." Another said, "Many classmates, including myself, used AI to look up answers."
A student in Seoul pointed out that everyone around him uses ChatGPT or Gemini for assignments. He even felt that "not using such tools almost makes you feel foolish, as work that takes you a whole day can be done by classmates in just a few hours with AI."
In a separate incident, Korea University disclosed that during an online midterm exam for a course with over 1,400 students, some shared exam screenshots in an open chat room. The exam used no specialized anti-cheating software, and the university received reports of students using AI to cheat.
Korean media noted AI is spreading rapidly in universities, but most lack clear usage guidelines. A 2024 survey showed 91.7% of 726 university students had used AI for assignments or research. Meanwhile, a study found 71.1% of 131 higher education institutions had not issued any guidelines on generative AI use.
US and UK Universities Return to Offline Exams
To prevent students from using AI to cheat, many schools are returning to traditional pen-and-paper exams. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that over the past two academic years, sales of exam answer booklets have significantly increased at many large public universities in the United States, with the University of California, Berkeley, seeing a surprising 80% increase.
In the UK, the University College London Faculty of Laws stipulates that assessment for its courses must be based on in-person exams or evaluations such as oral exams and classroom presentations. Universities like Oxford and Cambridge are also leading the way in restoring traditional in-person exam formats.
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