About ten years ago Mary and I were hired by our local university to
teach microprocessor theory and practice to a group of 28 Saudi
students.
We were warned that they had some kind of secret communications that
they used to help each other during tests and that none of their
American teachers had been able to figure out how it worked. We were
also told that their religion mandated that it was the responsibility of
the smartest person in a group to help the less fortunate out in all
situations and apparently, American school tests were such a situation.
When we gave the first test, we separated the students checkerboard
fashion, Mary stood at the back of the room and I stood at the front.
Both of us watched the proceedings like hawks stalking pray, but we saw
no signs of cheating. Everyone passed the test with flying colors.
Even the ones that had not bothered to come to class and the ones who I
knew for certain were totally confused about the subject.
On the next test I gave the same questions to everyone but made up four
different tests which had the questions arranged in different orders.
We were amazed that only five students had a near perfect score and that
all of the other students had marked their answers in the same order as
they appeared on the test papers of the students who had made the high
marks, regardless of which of the tests they had received.
When the tests were handed back the students were shocked to discovered
that everyone except the five high scoring students had low to failing
grades. You should have heard the uproar as my subterfuge was slowly
brought to light. It ended in a screaming match in Saudi (which we
could not understand) and as a body, the class got up, and with
withering glares (Note: Saudis can manage some very withering glares)
sent in our direction, the students left the room and the university
grounds. It was three days before the various authorities connected
with the government contract could persuade them to come back to class.
By the end of the year we had won most of them to our strange ways and
have warmly welcomed several of them in our home when they come back to
the U.S. on business.
To this day, we still have no idea of how they so easily communicated
the test answers to such a large group, without our being able to detect
any extraneous noises or motions.