Detection, patterns, consequences, and remediation of electronic homework copying
Name
82369073-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
8.78 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
f6f94aeec8f983b12ed8ef0709c7418b
Author(s)
Palazzo, David J. (David John)
Advisor(s)
David E. Pritchard.
Date Issued
2006
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
The log of all interactions the student makes with an online homework tutor (MasteringPhysics), including start time, finish time, correct answers, wrong answers, and hints requested allowed the development of an algorithm which assigns a "copying" probability to each problem completed. This algorithm was applied to three successive Newtonian Mechanics classes at MIT: Fall 2003, Fall 2004, and Fall 2005, affording unique insight into the dynamics of physics homework copying, and allowing contrasts between the performance and behavioral patterns of students who copy a lot and students who copy a little or copy none at all. Observations show that repetitive homework copying is correlated with steeply declining exam performance, and that repetitive copiers are four times more likely to fail to complete the - required two semester physics sequence on time than students who don't copy. Observations of several behavioral patterns associated with repetitive homework copying are reported - these patterns, combined with data from a self-reported cheating survey of MIT freshman, shed new light on the reasons students copy and steps educators can take to reduce homework copying.
(cont.) Through the implementation of several of these steps, we observe that between Fall 2003 and Fall 2005 detected homework copying dropped by -40%. Although efforts to reduce homework copying may not be an innovation in teaching, our study indicates it may be the best path to increasing student learning and success.
Description
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Physics, 2006.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 131-141).
Subjects
Physics.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics
Terms of Use
M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.
Persistent DSpace Link
