Mary Joy Mandane-Ortiz, a professor of mechanical engineering at Bicol University College of Engineering, said she wanted to encourage the students to find a “fun way” to ensure “integrity and honesty” while in class. Here’s how the students reacted.
1 A New Assignment
Mandane-Ortiz was preparing for exams set to be taken by hundreds of students in the third week of October. She asked the students for something “simple” that could be made in five minutes, for example like “ear flap” hats students were wearing in Thailand in 2013. Instead of sticking to simple paper hats, the students went above and beyond.
2 Creative Thinking
The students stuck to the assignment, creating hats that would block their line of vision if they tried to cheat. But instead of sticking to simple paper hats, the students created incredibly creative hats using a variety of materials such as old egg boxes or other discarded junk. Some even donned helmets or Halloween masks.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb
3 Viral Sensation
Mandane-Ortiz was so impressed by her students’ work, she posted the pictures on her social media—and the students went viral. Aside from garnering thousands of likes and attention from Filipino media outlets, other schools were also inspired to have their kids design anti-cheating hats.
4 Success!
The creative hats clearly worked—according to Mandane-Ortiz, the students finished their exams earlier than usual, and nobody was caught cheating. The students also performed better than usual in their exams, possibly because the hats were so effective.
5 Proud Teacher
Mandane-Ortiz is thrilled her students are getting the recognition they deserve. “Students, you make me proud; I will represent you,” she captioned an Instagram post. “Let’s show your creativity to the Philippines. Good job everyone. All credits are to you. You deserve this.”
