Plagiarizing problem sets and homework

[jackloft]

I am a young student checking pupils homeworks. I've got a case - 2 pupils definetely cooperated when doing homework. Do you have tips to determine who actually solved it and who copied? Got some ideas myself (like maybe one who copied had a better handwriting) but it is better to ask.

 

[Belegost]

(background I was a physics and EE TA for quite a few years as an undergrad and grad)

First a question; was it clear to students that the assignments needed to be done solo? It's hardly uncommon for a few students to meet up for a study group to do homework, and in that case a joint effort to solve the problems will lead to those students having the same solution method, no copying involved. If there was not a clear requirement that the homework most be done without collaboration this should not be an issue. I would suggest speaking with the instructor who assigned the homework to determine that.

Second, in the case where cooperation is not allowed it doesn't matter who copied or who did the work, the rules were broken by both parties and both parties should receive no credit equally. However, I would again suggest a discussion with the instructor, a grader should not carry that responsibility.

My suggestion - grade the papers normally, then write a short note with your concerns meant for the instructor, paperclip that note and the two homework papers together put it at the top of the stack you are returning. If you speak to the instructor when returning the assignments, bring up the issue at that time, otherwise make sure your phone number is on the note so the instructor can call you and discuss it.

I HIGHLY recommend against trying to make any further determination of wrongdoing, or scoring the papers at all differently - that is the responsibility of the instructor.

 

[dullard]

That is what tests/quizzes are for. Homework is to teach how a problem can be solved. Tests are to test if that particular student was the one who did the work.

I also want to expand on Belegost's post. Group cooperation is exactly what business WANTS and what students usually lack. Cooperating on homework should be highly encouraged. If it isn't encouraged in your class, maybe you should consider making the cooperation a part of the requirements rather than trying to find a way to punish the best quality of those two students.

 

[deadlyapp]

Agree with above poster. In ME undergrad, we would often have very similar solutions and problem solving methods since we would do in groups, which was encouraged, however when entire solution sets from the books were leaked and large numbers of people would have the exact method described by the solution set, then the instructor would give us one warning, then thereafter would give zero credit.

 

[Red Squirrel]

It's only homework, I would not make a fuss over it. Now if they are finding ways to cheat on a test that's another story.

It's kinda a given that homework is open book and that you can use any resources available to you, given you have to do it at home on your own time.

 

[highland145]

Death match.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Dramatic twist: OP is checking Math homework.

 

[Chaotic42]

I like the solution my Advanced Algebra professor took - put your name on your homework plus the names of people with whom you collaborated for each problem. That was the only class I ever did a study group with, so I never encountered any issues elsewhere, but it worked really well.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I used to write C++ programs to do my math homework for me. I would do like 10-20 problems by hand as intended so I can get practice, but after that it felt pointless to do 100+ so I would just write a program, and then pipe the equations into it and it would dump the work + answer so all I had to do was copy it from the terminal. I'm a nerd like that.

Math was always my weakness though so maybe I should have done those 100+ problems to get more practice. But I also had like 7 more classes I had to do homework for. Only so much time in an evening.