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From: biep@klipper.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: Cheating on Programming Assignments
Message-ID: <709@klipper.cs.vu.nl>
Date: Tue, 7-Apr-87 04:24:52 EST
Article-I.D.: klipper.709
Posted: Tue Apr  7 04:24:52 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Apr-87 03:22:14 EST
References: <248@rruxa.UUCP> <274@sdacs.ucsd.EDU> <211@axis.fr> <645@ihu1e.ATT.COM>
Reply-To: biep@cs.vu.nl (J. A. "Biep" Durieux)
Organization: VU Informatica, Amsterdam
Lines: 35

Warning: I am not English, and my English may be (and no doubt will be)
	rambling.

In several articles several persons write about handing in copied programs.

I think whoever steals anything doesn't belong on any self-respecting school
(excluding cases where pity is more justified than justice, like non-cared-for
children), and should be thrown out immediately. Once one starts accepting
things like this, people get the idea that it is more of a sport than of a
crime, and will try to outwit you and be proud of it. I consider cheating
to be stealing of grades, and a very serious crime. A teacher isn't and
shouldn't have to be a policeman, exams shouldn't have to be supervised and
homeworks shouldn't have to be checked for own-ness (what's the English
word for that?). Just make very clear that such behaviour doesn't belong
here.
Also, make very clear that if a student finds out that some other student
cheats (or the like) and doesn't say it, he is choosing sides with that
other student against the school and all hard-working students. Often,
some student may feel guilty for "traiting" his mate, if he doesn't
realise that if he doesn't he is traiting all others at that school.
Of course, his best behaviour would be to go talking with the wrong-
doer first and try to convince him to confess what he did to the
teacher (or whoever). Any person who confesses what he did before
being forced to should be judged lighter.

This way of being strict also encourages the working (non-cheating)
students, since knowing that other got the same exam (or even title)
by cheating works discouraging.

					J. A. Durieux

-- 
						Biep.  (biep@cs.vu.nl via mcvax)
	So you say that, besides the 36 known dimensions there is
	a 37th one, completely unknown by us?  Sounds exciting!!