Tests and Quizzes Almost without exception, quizzes and tests will be individual efforts. If you have a question about any item on the quiz or test, direct it to the teacher. You may not share answers or code with your classmates.
Tests or quizzes may have "open resource" components and "closed resource" components. Closed resource components do not allow for the use of notes or external resources. Open resource components all you to use use "static" information off of the web as a reference. This means you may not engage other intelligent agents in the process. If you have any doubts about this you are encouraged to ask your instructor.
You may not discuss tests or quizzes with others until we go over them in class or we post the solution, unless we specify otherwise. This rule does not apply if you are in a singleton section.
Some Specific Examples The following are considered breaches of academic honesty.
- Giving or receiving help during a test or quiz
- Discussing the contents of a test or quiz
- Programming unauthorized information into electronic devices to be used during a test or quiz
- Completing graded assignments for other students - violation for both the giver and recipient of the work
- Collaborating on assignments that have clearly been designated as individual work
- Not citing correct sources for ideas and evidence in written and, in some cases, oral work
- Taking credit for more work on an assigned group project than was actually contributed
Programs and Projects We regard our classrooms as learning communities. We allow and encourage the sharing of ideas and methods between students on projects. However, the work you turn in should be substantially your own. If a project is a group project, you may, of course, collaborate freely as a group.
If you are ever unsure, we strongly encourage you to ask.
Here are some acceptable forms of collaboration:
- If you find a class in the Java Standard Libraries that would be helpful to others, you can share that with your classmates. We would encourage you to bring such gems to our attention so the class as a whole can learn about them and benefit from them.
- Your classmate has an intransigent bug in his code. We encourage you to help get each other get unwedged from these. This is a learning opportunity that will benefit both of you. Sometimes we will place the code in front of everyone so we can all see it, discuss it, and help the student having difficulty to get winched out.
- You are assigned a complex project involving several modules. You can discuss the overall design and approach you are taking with your classmates. Sometimes this can spur useful class discussion.
- You can freely share configuration files for UNIX accounts (e.g. .bashrc, .exrc), aliases, and configuration settings for any IDE you may be using. If you have something especially nifty, share it with the class.
- You can share links and learning resources you discover freely. We encourage you to share them with us so we can post them for everyone's benefit.
- You can freely share notes you make in class, and you can post them publicly on the web, if you wish.
- You may freely use and alter any code examples shown in class. These are totally fair game
- You may discuss the overall structure of programs with your classmates, and share diagrams or other insights. You may not exchange actual code.
Here are examples of unacceptable forms of collaboration:
- You may not copy another's program and submit it as your own.
- You may not make your program available for others to copy.
- A program has an analytical and a GUI portion. You cannot share the code for your GUI so the recipient does not have to write it.
- Sharing responses on quizzes or tests.
- Obtaining the solution to a project off the web and representing it as your own work.
- Sharing a module of code containing more than one function, or a single function that substantially solves the problem.
- In general, you must substantially be the creator of any project you submit for credit.
A Rule of Thumb A good test for whether it is OK to share something is to ask: Could the recipient, aided by the insight from your help, now solve a problem of similar sophistication independently from scratch without your contribution?