Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kimchi_pizza]

I caught two university students involved in cheating and just wanna get
a few thoughts from other posters...

Let me set up the scenario..

One student is a freshman Chinese male. Not the most handsome of fellows but an all around decent, albeit naive, guy. Attends and participates in all his classes with a B average on his midterm and class.

The other is a female Chinese student. Very attractive and a senior who graduates after this semester with high hopes of becoming a flight attendant in Korea. She, on the other hand, has missed several classes and received a D on her midterm. She won't graduate if she fails my class.

During the exam the young lady in question was sitting not two rows in front of me and I couldn't help but notice she kept looking into her lap then circling answers to a multiple choice exam. I approached her and found a slip of paper with the answers to the test. I pulled her out and following the exam, I questioned the other two Chinese students, one of whom admitted to slipping her the paper with the answers.

After some thought, I first considered failing them both but my teacher instinct kicked in and I wanted to see what they may've learned from this.
So, I put it to them this way, "One of you will get an "F". Who will get it is between you two to discuss and let me know."

The male offered to take the F. The young lady did not. "So be it" I said. But the woman still had to take the exam and might still fail it. After taking it again she handed me the exam and asked me not to fail the other guy, "So are you willing to take the "F" then?" No answer...

After a bit of chastising of the male student by me, he was near tears and while leaving begged me not to give him the "F" as it will affect his future plans to attend graduate school. I told him I would think about it.

Now, I've already made my decision on who will receive the failing grade. But I'd just like to get some other input before punching the final grade into the computer. I'll write about the end result and reasons for them later.

As a side note, with quick glance of the retaken exam it seems she failed the exam horribly.

[stimpleton]

I have no tolerance for cheating. My students know this, as they have witnessed me ripping up people's test papers and informing them their score is now zero.
With that in mind, I would be giving both students an F; the girl for cheating, the boy for assisting. Sure, an F may Mod Edit his future plans, but he's learned a valuable life lesson.

[jvalmer]

Do you really want to teach their sorry behinds again?

[OculisOrbis]

just because he gave her the paper, it doesn't mean she had to use it. automatic failure for the girl. various options for the guy.

[Moldy Rutabaga]

In my uni program a D is in some respects worse than an F. An F course can be retaken and the F will be erased, but the D is on the transcript forever. You might look into whether both of them can in fact retake the course.

She fails without question or reservation. Instant F for cheating, and particularly so for someone showing no remorse whatsoever. In my class I would report her and recommend expulsion. The male is at your discretion, as what he did gave him no benefit to his grade, although it was still academic misconduct.

In future, establish seating plans for tests that separate couples and friends, and if you're giving a multiple choice test, have two versions to trip people up. It is more work to grade but less work than dealing with the hassles of cheating.

Let us know. I give essay exams and usually don't get to deal with such exciting scenarios.

[kimchi_pizza]

a couple'a quick replies...

stimpleton, I normally have no tolerance for cheating, but then again cheating's a very abnormal event in my 3 years here, hense the posting. Also, being that they are Chinese and a minority in a foreign country, like myself, I tend to have a BIT more sympathy and understanding. Then again, cheating is cheating and it's a universal thing.

I tend to agree with you Orbis and Moldy..
It's the same for us that receiving a D is worse than an F for that very same reason. But the young lady is a senior and the freshman, even if he receives a B, can still retake the class and go for an A. The thought of expulsion also immediately popped in my mind, but....I hesitate on taking it that far. I try to deal with my problems locally and not at the adminstrative level.

Writing up several versions of the exam is a good idea, but in that aspect I guess I'm just too lazy'an examiner! I'll just have to be more "cunning".

[I'm no Picasso]

The male student doesn't sound like the particularly brass type, and I'd say no matter the results, he's probably already learned his lesson. With a more defiant kind of student, it might be necessary to follow through with it. The girl deserves an F no matter how you slice it.

That having been said, I wouldn't fault you for giving the male student an F. I just don't know that I would, personally, have the heart to do it.

[yingwenlaoshi]

Why would you give them a choice of who gets the F?

[kimchi_pizza]

[CentralCali]

They both flunked the integrity test. They cheated. The consequences of their action are not your fault; do not be concerned with them. Follow the course of action you told (or should have told) your students at the beginning of the term: Cheating equals flunking that test and referral to student judicial affairs or whatever your school's version is.

[Olivencia]

Who cares? If I saw them do that I would have just looked the other way. It just doesn't matter.

[Burndog]

[The Gipkik]

I'd also take into consideration their previous test results, the likelihood that they may have cheated in the past and so on. Could also turn it into a teaching moment and offer the two miscreants an alternative kind of test, such as a speaking, listening test if you care. Also, by telling us about their looks you are also implying that the girl has gotten to where she is at present by her looks more than her intelligence--which means she feels a certain kind of entitlement. And that the rather unattractive Chinese fella was kowtowing to her because of his strong feelings.

And the "you choose who gets an F" is also classic game theory thinking. The results are telling.

[caribmon]

People are cheating in real life so I let them cheat on tests. Otherwise they don't understand real life. "advantages are taken, not handed out." Metallica.

[BoholDiver]

I'd give her the F for sure. Him, a D-.