Fifty-eight undergraduate college students were arrested last week in Bankok, Thailand, for hiding pagers in their underwear in an attempt to cheat on a final English test required to earn a bachelor’s degree at Ramkhamheang University.

Four teachers at the university apparently aided the 35 female students and 23 male students in their attempt.

The pagers were set to vibrate with the answers for the multiple-choice exam the students were taking. One vibration indicated the first choice was correct, two vibrations indicated the second choice, etc.

“The ingenuity with which students approach this is surprising,” University of Wisconsin professor Kenneth Mayer said. “It’s appalling, but this stuff goes on all the time.”

All 58 students, as well as the four teachers involved, are expecting a fine of 100,000 baht, which amounts to about $2,300 U.S. dollars, for the illegal use and operation of pagers. In addition to the fine, these individuals could face a two-year sentence in a Bangkok prison.

Mayer said he has strong feelings regarding academic dishonesty, which he makes clear in his course syllabi. Any student he catches cheating in one of his classes receives an “F” for the course, and he says he “will see to it that your misconduct is duly noted in your academic record.”

Mayer said research has shown one of the best ways to combat cheating is for professors to make it clear such behavior is unacceptable, which is what he tries to do in his syllabi and communicates vocally to his students.

However, due to students’ academic dishonesty, Mayer still had to change the way he once ran classes.

“I have given up assigning papers in large classes, because it is difficult to have full confidence with everyone submitting their own work,” Mayer said. “Students are being hurt the most with this … it’s no skin of my nose.”

UW freshman Zach Kahn said the actions conducted by the Thai teachers are unethical and should definitely result in removal from the institution in which they teach. However, Kahn also said he understands why some students cheat.

“All the pressure put on students to get good grades and do well in school rather than the actual process of learning can lead students to cheat,” Kahn said.