Math Help Apps :
14 | SLAS TIMES
The Thin Line Between Cheating
by Carl Erick Wasing and Albert Peng
Most students questioned for this article report using homework help apps such as Mathway , Photomath , and Slader to help them with homework and classwork . Many adults find themselves asking if these apps considered cheating and are they beneficial for students to use ?
Mathway and Photomath are math-based programs that give you step-by-step solutions for math problems , and Slader is a textbook homework solution app . Slader offers answers to the questions inside of most school textbooks for multiple subjects .
An overwhelming amount of work can lead to stress and not wanting to complete assignments , and this is where these homework help apps come in .
Mr . Brandon Schievenin , the calculus teacher , expressed that , if students used the apps as a supplementary resource then it would be beneficial .
using them appropriately . In his final verdict , he stated that he would consider apps cheating if they are using them without learning anything .
Mr . Rick Silva , the chemistry teacher , had a similar opinion . “ There ’ s a difference between using and misusing …” He added that if the student does not have a good understanding , then they are misusing it .
Wills Liu , a 9th grader in SLAS , said , “ It ’ s beneficial ... You can check your work .” When asked if he considered it to be cheating , he answered , “ No , because I don ’ t copy answers . I learn from there .”
Both teachers and students agree that these apps can be cheats if misused . Otherwise , they are useful learning tools .
He mentioned that his students use these apps to prepare for upcoming tests , and they seem to be Step Two
Watch the app solve the problem for you , then see a step-by-step solution .
Step One
Take a picture of the problem on your phone using the app .
Step Three
Copy the solution and the process onto your worksheet .