The discussion centers on the prevalence and nature of cheating in introductory physics courses, particularly focusing on the use of solutions manuals and collaborative behaviors among students. Participants share personal experiences and observations regarding academic dishonesty in both lower and upper division classes.
Participants express a range of views on the effectiveness of solutions manuals and the nature of cheating, indicating that there is no consensus on the best approaches to address these issues. Some agree on the need for preventive measures, while others emphasize the importance of understanding cultural differences in academic practices.
Limitations in the discussion include varying definitions of cheating, differing access to solutions manuals across courses, and the potential for misinterpretation of student behaviors during exams.
Educators, teaching assistants, and academic integrity officers may find insights into the challenges of maintaining academic honesty and the diverse perspectives on cheating in educational settings.
elterrible said:In the upper level engineering courses its pretty much impossible to cheat on the tests. They are design problems, with each one taking up a page or more, so its not like there is just one letter or one line you can quickly copy from a neighbor, you need a page of calculations to answer the question, so you better be able to do it at test time.