In this age, it is hard to resist exploiting the convenience, efficiency and accessibility of technology. However, according to biology teacher Suzanne Williams, the science teachers have asked students to refrain from typing assignments.

Over the last two years, science teachers have noticed an increase in cheating. Students copy and past articles from the Internet into their assignments and exchange work and assignments through e-mail.

“When I’m grading papers and I see the same lab report over and over again, I know that something needs to change,” Williams said.

According to biology teacher Greg Stoehr, digitized assignments get passed around from student to student in the same class, as well as to future students.

According to Williams, this policy is “not a hard fast rule” throughout the department.

There are a few exceptions for students who are on a 504 plan to accommodate a disability, according to chemistry teacher Carl Babb, who accepts typed formal projects but encourages hand-written lab reports.

Most science students disagree with this policy because writing assignments by hand can be tedious and time-consuming.

“Typing allows you to get your assignments done faster,” freshman Jenna Louie said.

However, Williams believes students benefit from the policy.

“Handwriting is a form of learning,” she said. “I also see a lot of typos because students do not proofread the work they type.”

To hinder the amount of cheating that goes on at school, science teachers will continue to enforce this policy.