Two-thirds of teen respondents admitted to inserting information straight from the internet into school work without actually reading or changing it.

Perhaps even more worryingly, almost a third (28.5 per cent) deemed this as acceptable practice despite recognising that such behaviour is considered plagiarism.

Commenting on the results, Andrew Kakabadse, professor of international management development at Cranfield School of Management said: 'Our research shows that technology obsession hinders spelling skills, implicitly encourages plagiarism, and disrupts classroom learning.'

It's a trend not fully reflected in the recently published book about the issues of technologically-enhanced cheating, and what schools can do to create a culture of integrity.

In researching Cheating in School: What We Know and What We Can Do, co-author Dr. Patrick Drinan, a political science professor at the University of San Diego found that long-term trends show only a slight increase in cheating.

'The opportunities in terms of technology definitely have been enhanced, but there's not necessarily that much more cheating going on because of technology either.

'So the good news is that there is some restraint in terms of cheating despite the surge of technological capabilities available to students,' he told an American radio journalist.

This could be just the thin end of the wedge though; the numbers are skewed because there is less cheating among older pupils.

Drinan's co-author Tricia Bertram Gallant said: 'Maybe right now grad students are saying that they cheat less than elementary school students, but perhaps that's a generational difference, not a maturation difference. And so I think it's a combination of motive and opportunity.'

The Cranfield survey confirmed that access to technologies now occurs at a very early age.

Most kids are using a computer by age eight, are on the internet between the ages of five and 10, have use of a mobile phone between the ages of eight and 10 and access to an online social network between the ages of 11 and 13 years of age.

More than 60 per cent of the respondents admitted to being 'very' or 'quite' addicted to the internet, while more than half said they are addicted to their mobile phones.

The report also revealed that students spend, on average, one to two hours a day on social network sites.

The study revealed that all this technology is having a disruptive effect on children's learning. More than a third (39.3 per cent) of 11-18 year olds admitted that text shortcuts damaged the quality of their written English, particularly in terms of spelling.

These findings underline earlier study that found almost half of teachers failed to understand some of their pupils' writing because it was so littered with obscure language.

Phrases such as 'innit' and 'Gr8' were regularly found in school work.

Professor Kakabadse said: 'Despite school policies restricting mobile phone usage, students use the phone frequently, with the majority making calls from the toilets. The mobile phone continues to be a prime channel of social communication during the school day.'

Dr Drinan says that it will take more than just policy to beat the trend. Educators have to adjust their practices if they are going to counter the trend. He said: 'There's a variety of (anti-plagarism) software programming but that's not necessarily the best way (to counter cheating).

'It is to make sure you give clear assignments to your students so that they know what is permitted and what is not permitted.

'Faculty actually are using far more collaborative learning methods and so that, in a sense, starts to magnify the difficulties.

'Not only are you going to the internet but your teacher's putting you into teams to do work, too, and so there's always been a problem associated with who did the most work on the team, and the like.

'And that's, in a sense, been exacerbated by the current conditions.'
When it comes to cheating, it's never been easier.

And with increased focus on scores and grades, and less emphasis on the actual process of learning, can you really blame the kids for taking the easy way out?

So are today's kids a bunch of lazy cheats?

I think not; well no more so than previous generations.

But the internet is transforming how young people communicate and educators have to get with the programme if they want to turn out a cohort of educated, well rounded individuals.

Speciality software and other IT tools go some way in policing the student population, but it's time to shift the whole paradigm of modern learning and education.





lSherrilynne Starkie is the managing partner of Strive Public Relations, a strategic communications consultancy serving the Isle of Man. Visit her business blog, www.strivepr.com/notes or follow her on twitter.com/sherrilynne