Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watnot!watmath!clyde!cbatt!decuac!grebyn!paisana!demasi From: demasi@paisana.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.edu Subject: Re: Cheating on Programming Assignments Message-ID: <82@paisana.UUCP> Date: Mon, 6-Apr-87 16:34:42 EST Article-I.D.: paisana.82 Posted: Mon Apr 6 16:34:42 1987 Date-Received: Thu, 9-Apr-87 00:22:48 EST References: <248@rruxa.UUCP> <2625@phri.UUCP> <843@fmsrl7.UUCP> <807@sdcc13.ucsd.EDU> Distribution: na Organization: AT&T, Oakton, VA Lines: 39 Summary: Yup, that's the way we did it. In article <807@sdcc13.ucsd.EDU>, ln63szb@sdcc13.ucsd.EDU (Grobbins) writes: > Although many different methods of checking programming assignments > are used, one thing I've encountered in every programming course: > grades are based heavily on examinations. Although I have no idea how many schools do this, I know of at least one other: Temple U in Philadelphia (Hi Guys! Got the net running yet?) At Temple, tons of programming assignments were regularly handed out at all levels with less and less weight placed upon actual assignments and progressively more upon exams as one advanced through the schedule. Initially, heavy weighting of programming assignments is probably good in that it demonstrates to the neophyte programmer the kind of hours and sweat required to become adept in the field (That is, blows out the non programmers early, while they still have time to change majors without too much hassle.) But in the long run far more emphasis was placed on the ability to understand and explain concepts in the abstract and general. In fact, some professors went so far as to assign difficult programming assignments and then never even bother to collect them. One learned rather quickly after straring at a few blank blue books during mid-terms that blowing off a program here and there was pure suicide. Of course, major projects still counted heavily towards one's grade, but there exists a simple way to verify their authorship. Talk to the kid who supposedly wrote it. It really shouldn't take more than ten or fifteen minutes of good questioning to determine how much of a given large project is actually origional. (How'd you handle this? What problems did you run into doing that? Where'd you get this from?) The same logic stands for group projects. Ask the students who did what, then quiz the individuals on their respective parts. If THEY say the works was evenly distributed, believe me, it was. -- Michael C. De Masi - AT&T Communications (For whom I work and not speak) 3702 Pender Drive, Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Phone: 703-246-9555 UUCP: seismo!decuac!grebyn!paisana!demasi "No matter where you go, there you are" - Buckaroo Banzai