My son is in a Genetics class and their first big test was yesterday. It was an open-book, timed, on the computer type. He and six other classmates got together at the computer lab and took the test together. They are all good students, and speaking for my son, he studied his butt off before they took it. He would never cheat knowlingly. The first person went online and as he took the test, if he was uncertain, they all consulted, looked in the book, and came to a consensus. Even with this the scores were all good but varied as some people disagreed on the correct answer for some. (it doesn’t tell you which ones you missed). I believe it was timed because if someone didn’t study they would never have had time to look up all the answers. It was 76 questions and an hour and a half alloted. Apparently someone in the class was heard saying he thought it was cheating to work together. This person didn’t go to the instructor or anything, but now my son is terribly upset thinking he has done something wrong. I can see how this could be misused if someone was riding on the coattails of those who studied, but they picked the six people carefully, all good students. When he told me about the test I never gave it a second thought. But, now I’m wondering how someone else would view this. I think it could be a good learning experience, and it seems that the time limit would keep the scofflaws out. Who wants to have someone else take advantage of your hard work? I have never taken an open-book computer test. Are there any students who know what the policy is at their university, anyone who has done this or heard of this and how it was viewed by the faculty?
Unless it was spelled out that working in a group was permitted, I would assume that it wasn’t permitted. But that’s my assumption, not some sort of rule.
Julie
3rd year Kent State student checking in.
Its an open book test. Open book = easy A and the prof realizes that in the “real world” you’d be able to consult a reference book on the material. The other side of the coin is that the prof knows that there isn’t shit in the book that can possibly help on the test.
Second, its a computer test. Unless this test is done during class time and/or in a controlled lab, students will be able to go online or call around or talk to people about it.
Tell your son to relax. If he’s taking genetics hes probably a zoo, bio, or biochem major. He should enjoy one of the easiest tests he will ever have in that field.
Depending on the explicit rules stated by the particular dean or school, it could be permissible. But open-book tests, and tests in general (unless otherwise stated) are usually “you do your own work”. As always, YMMV.
I think that it would be good if your son and his friends approached the professor together, explained how they took the exam, and indicated that they weren’t trying to actively cheat but didn’t think that there was any prohibition on what they did. It will be up to the prof to decide what to do from there, but better to honestly go forward than have to defensively respond if someone else complains.
I think that they may need to be prepared, however, to either take an F on the exam, or be forced to take a retest.
The first thing he did was to read over the school’s policy but there is nothing specific. I know that there is nothing new under the sun and if they did this it has to have been done hundreds, if not thousands, of times; that’s why I thought that the instructor would have addressed it, given it WAS a computer test and open-book. My dilemma is that I don’t think it’s cheating in this particular instance given the people and the circumstances, but it could be. I guess the best rule is if it isn’t specifically allowed, don’t do it.
When I was in school, open book meant you could consult any written reference materials but not with other students. Didn’t make a lot of sense, but that’s what it was.
Of course, this was back in the middle ages and we didn’t use computers. (We used stone tools and bear skins.)
It sounds like a misunderstanding. I don’t think your son should beat himself up over it since he never intended to break any rules. I would agree that he and his fellow students should approach the professor and explain that they simply didn’t know working together wasn’t allowed. However, I agree with TeaElle that the professor may decide to be less than understanding and either ask them to retake the test (which wouldn’t be so bad) or give them all an F (which would be awful, but it’s something professors do).
We had students who here who worked together on an open book take home exam and were considered to be cheating. I really think your son and his friends should speak with the professor to find out what constitutes cheating to him.
I’d second what TeaElle said. Just because there’s nothing specific in school policy doesn’t mean that what they did wasn’t beyond what the teacher expected. S/he’s probably a decent person, I’d just ask him/her about it. It’s the ethical thing to do regardless of whether or not there is a legal out.
Speaking as an instructror, since this was test, consulting with the other students while taking the test would be cheating, even on an open book test using the computer. I would tell your son to go to the instructor and explain the situation. Depending on the school’s policy on cheating, the punishment may range from nothing to expulsion.
Actually, I cannot see how anyone would think that consulting with other students during a test would NOT be cheating. The test was designed to test an individual’s knowledge of the subject not the group consensus (even though not everyone agreed on an answer and didnt put the consensus answer on the test).
On the instructor’s side, I would make each student retake the test at different scheduled times.
My Geography class this summer had tests like the one you described. Getting help from anyone with the test was considered cheating and would net you an F for the course if you got busted. AFAIK, nobody cheated; most of us took the test from our home computers.
I don’t see why your son should feel bad or get in trouble for something that wasn’t explicitly stated. As a student i would assume a test not taken in the class room was “anything goes”, if you didn’t want students to get help then either a) take the test in the classroom like you should or b) TELL THEM! (although i think allowing students to take a test unsupervised and telling them “you are not allowed to consult other people or sources other than your text book” is naive at best )
SnoopyFan, so did your Geography instructor actually state this policy before the test? Was this in writing somewhere?
I do have to say for all the tuition money paid at this well-thought of university my son attends, I have been vastly disappointed in some of his instructors. From using TA’s to teach in the classroom and administer all tests, to just getting up in front of the class and rambling on about their personal agendas. On the positive side, the school does offer lots of extra help in the more difficult classes. It just seems like the actual professors are very removed from the learning process and my son is being “taught” many times by people only a couple of classes ahead of him. Meanwhile his so-called teachers are off doing whatever they do aside from their rare visits to the classroom. I understand none of this is relevant to the issue at hand ethically speaking, but the bottom line is I have no problem with it because of the specific circumstances, my son even learned more in the process. I don’t think, however, he should do it again.
And even though he could take the moral high ground and go to the instuctor, I don’t think it’s worth the risk. If you don’t want to know the answer, don’t ask the question. Since his original intentions were innocent, nothing would be learned from getting a possible F in the class. That is if we agree that punishment is meant to teach a lesson.
He’s not a kid. He was out in the workforce for several years and was laid off. The “real” world is different from academia and I think he’s learning that.
SnoopyFan, so did your Geography instructor actually state this policy before the test? Was this in writing somewhere?
I do have to say for all the tuition money paid at this well-thought of university my son attends, I have been vastly disappointed in some of his instructors. From using TA’s to teach in the classroom and administer all tests, to just getting up in front of the class and rambling on about their personal agendas. On the positive side, the school does offer lots of extra help in the more difficult classes. It just seems like the actual professors are very removed from the learning process and my son is being “taught” many times by people only a couple of classes ahead of him. Meanwhile his so-called teachers are off doing whatever they do aside from their rare visits to the classroom.
I understand none of this is relevant to the issue at hand ethically speaking, but the bottom line is I have no problem with it because of the specific circumstances, my son even learned more in the process. I don’t think, however, he should do it again.
And even though he could take the moral high ground and go to the instuctor, I don’t think it’s worth the risk. If you don’t want to know the answer, don’t ask the question. Since his original intentions were innocent, nothing would be learned from getting a possible F in the class. That is if we agree that punishment is meant to teach a lesson.
He’s not a kid. He was out in the workforce for several years and was laid off. Academia is different from the “real” world and I think this experience has taught him that. The team approach is obviously not the way to go.
I just don’t understand the concept of cheating and grades.
You son learned that material, and thought hard about. He has taken responsibility for the information, and did not simply blow off the assigned work. He will be rewarded by knowing the material, and being able to apply it to his future work. If he had cheated, he would not have this knowledge and would have wasted his time and money in college.
If the instructor didn’t say you couldn’t, than you can, as far as I’m concerned (barring a school policy of some kind). On the open book tests I get, they make it a point to state “You can use anything you bring to class, but don’t talk to other people.”
IMHO, it’s cheating. There’s nothing to say that this group of students didn’t split up the material, and each only study and learn a part of what they’re being tested over. If someone turns your son in, he’s going to have exactly his word and nothing else to protect himself when the shit hits the fan.
The test wasn’t designed to see how well the various members of a group know the material and use the text to come to a concensus, it was designed to see how well he knows the material and can use the text.
I have had many ‘computer’ tests.
I always assumed it was an unspoken rule that if you were the one taking the test, you should have the knowledge.
Unless this was a group test and specified that way I would assume you work alone.
Choosing the students he wanted to work in a group with right there tells me the teacher didnt plan on this being a group assignment.
He should talk to the professor so next time they are all on the same page.
Another vote for cheating. If it was a group assignment, then they wouldn’t have been each taking individual tests. I don’t see what difference it makes that it was on a computer instead of on paper. Who cares? “Open book” != “consult your neighbors.” I can see that they might have been honestly confused about it, but if they were not told working as a group was okay, then I think they were wrong to assume it was okay. It’s not generally okay to ask around when taking a test; why would it be in this case? Because it was on a computer? Because it was in a lab instead of a class? Because it was unsupervised? Again, I don’t see those things as justifyiing the belief that the behavior magically becomes okay, when otherwise it wouldn’t be.
But I don’t see why you’re asking since he’s apparently not going to do anything about it anyway. Even if he concludes he did the wrong thing, he’s not going to admit to it – despite the fact that these six may well have taken advantage of other students who didn’t consult each other on the test.
IMO, if he thinks it was cheating, even in retrospect, he should be a man about it and admit it to his professor. Easy for me to say, I know; especially when he may well be getting his friends in serious trouble as well. So I can certainly see that he might believe the wisest course is to be silent. Bht then – again – I don’t know why you’d be asking whether it was or wasn’t cheating. Seems to me you (and he) would be happier not examining too closely his initial conclusion that it wasn’t.