Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site uwvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!think!harvard!seismo!uwvax!David Parter From: david@wisc-rsch.arpa (David Parter) Newsgroups: net.unix,net.cse Subject: Re: students editing output Message-ID: <300@uwvax.UUCP> Date: Sat, 14-Sep-85 00:33:44 EDT Article-I.D.: uwvax.300 Posted: Sat Sep 14 00:33:44 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 15-Sep-85 12:28:07 EDT References: <236@uwai.UUCP> <433@uvm-cs.UUCP> Sender: david@uwvax.UUCP Followup-To: net.cse Organization: UWisc Systems Lab Lines: 44 Xref: watmath net.unix:5647 net.cse:439 > Stephen Hartley (hartley%uvm@csnet-relay) worries (and, I believe, not > without cause): > > ... students ... tailor[ing] their output with an editor to be more > > correct. What do other people do? David Luner (luner@wisc-ai) writes: > I make a point to tell my classes that the faking of results is a serious > breach of trust and will be dealt with severely. I emphasize that the programs > I ask them to write I have seen in many versions, both correct and incorrect > that they should not expect an error to slip by. [The truth of this depends > on exactly what language and what programs they're doing, but they don't > know that.] > /David the problem is to prevent such cheating. It is very hard to do, and intimidating the students is not enough. The only thing i can think of off hand is perhaps writing a special version of script that puts the script file in a secure directory, marked as to which student ran it, what data set was run and when. In addition, provisions have to be made for a bad run (typos, anyone?) so if the student ran it again for the same test data, it should overwrite the previous version, up until the time when no more programs are accepted. And then whatever is in that directory is what gets graded. Of course, if the instructor suspects cheating, it is easier to prove in CS than in other fields.... just demand a demo. Or diff the files, check the creation dates or even the backup tapes from a previous semester, depending upon the exact problem (all of the above have been done). i work in the Systems Lab here at Wisconsin, and have helped some faculty with this in the past. As a student in the department, i am particularly sensitive to this problem. I wish it would go away. david -- david parter UWisc Systems Lab uucp: ...!{allegra,harvard,ihnp4,seismo, topaz}!uwvax!david arpa now: david@wisc-rsch.arpa arpa soon: david@wisc-rsch.WISCONSIN.EDU or something like that Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com