Professors’ Awareness of Chegg Usage
Professors have the ability to determine whether students are using Chegg to complete their homework. Although Chegg itself does not notify professors when students utilize Chegg Study, there are several telltale signs that astute professors can pick up on. Before delving into the specifics, be sure to explore our comprehensive review of Chegg and its services. It covers many frequently asked questions about Chegg. Additionally, check out our article on how students employ Chegg Study to cheat in college, as the severity of cheating significantly impacts whether professors can identify Chegg usage.
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Ways Professors Identify Chegg Users
We scoured the internet to compile real-life accounts from professors who discovered Chegg cheaters. Professors employ various tools when they suspect a student of cheating.
1. Submission of Unusual Answers or Problem-Solving Approaches
Some professors find out about Chegg usage through unusual answers or steps offered by Chegg. On the r/Professors subreddit, numerous professors shared their experiences. For example, Economics professor u/urnbabyurn recounted how Chegg’s answers and steps often give away students who employed the service. Even if the answer provided by Chegg Study is correct, the unusual approach to solving the problem forces professors to investigate further. A simple online search can then lead them to Chegg.
Additionally, if multiple students submit problems using the same uncommon method, professors will recognize that something suspicious is happening.
2. Application of Complex Techniques to Solve Simple Problems
The utilization of complex methods not taught in class to complete assignments is another obvious red flag. If a freshman employs an intricate approach without explanation, the professor may inquire about it. While it is acceptable to use self-taught methods and demonstrate comprehension, simply copying answers from Chegg without understanding them will expose cheating. Chegg has a vast pool of knowledgeable employees, including over 70,000 experts in India with doctoral degrees, who provide answers to students.
3. Discrepancies Between Homework Performance and Exam Results
When students consistently excel on homework but struggle on exams, professors will quickly become suspicious. Typically, students who perform well on homework assignments should also score at least average marks on exams. While some variation is expected, consistently earning A grades on homework and D grades on exams indicates something is amiss.
4. Submission of Answers Identical to Those on Chegg
Universities employ sophisticated plagiarism detection software, with Turnitin being the most well-known. If a professor runs your answer through Turnitin and discovers close resemblance to a Chegg answer, it will be flagged for review. Cheating with Chegg presents professors with numerous opportunities to suspect dishonesty. Once professors decide to investigate, they have access to further resources that aid in confirming suspicions of cheating with Chegg.
Information Disclosed by Chegg to Professors
When professors suspect students of utilizing Chegg, they can contact the company for information. Although the exact policy regarding information disclosure remains unclear, anecdotal reports indicate that Chegg does provide certain account details upon request from universities. Returning to r/Professors, we find another firsthand account from a chemistry professor named caffeinated_tea. According to this account, Chegg provided an extensive amount of information that facilitated successful academic integrity complaints against at least two students.
Reportedly, Chegg does not provide IP addresses or information about students who view specific problem answers. However, Chegg allegedly discloses the following details regarding the submitting student:
- Upload date and time of the question
- Answer date and time from a Chegg expert
- Username, email address, and name of the student who uploaded the problem
- Institution mentioned in the student’s account
- Expert solution to the problem
Another professor in the same discussion thread claimed that Chegg also provided IP addresses. Some participants even suggested that Chegg disclosed payment information, such as the credit cardholder’s name, but this remains unconfirmed. Armed with this information, professors can narrow down the search and identify the specific student who posed the problem on Chegg Study. However, there are cases where students can conceal their identities by using non-identifying email addresses, providing false names and schools, or utilizing VPNs to mask their IP addresses.
In a separate 2021 thread, a student alleged that Chegg provides all profile information of both the question-asker and all students who view a particular answer. In summary, cheating with Chegg involves significant risks, as professors and universities can take action to curb its usage.
Consequences of Getting Caught Using Chegg
When a student’s actions violate the university’s academic integrity policy or student conduct code, the consequences following a professor’s suspicion and confirmation of cheating depend on the severity of the violation. Expulsion is among the possible outcomes. Clearly, there are numerous reasons not to resort to cheating with Chegg in college. For further inquiries, consult our comprehensive 5,000-word Chegg review.
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