Another Dental School Caught Cheating

[dmband420]

http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2008/10/03/news/local/doc48e564658fc6a136523038.txt

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[makushin]

Passing down old tests? I don't really consider that cheating, although it was in poor taste to charge them for it.

 

[Streetwolf]

Apparently some test questions and other materials were in the book or w/e that weren't released by the faculty. That is why it was "cheating".

Also not everyone had equal access to it, and who knows where the money really went?

Though I must say, faculty members really SHOULD change their test questions every year or two. It doesn't have to be some big deal, just switch up the answer choices, rephrase a question... anything to make it NOT the same. Or release SOME questions. That's all we really want. Just a good idea of what the test is going to be like.

 

[aphistis]

"Forces them to undertake the time-consuming task of rewriting exams"

Oh, the HORROR...the HUMANITY...the INJUSTICE of it all.

This is pretty weak, IMO.

 

[youngmc27]

Old tests get handed down all the time in dental and medical school. If the professors don't want these things to happen then rewrite your tests. Otherwise it is likely that they are going to get out one way or another.

 

[haisha ni narou]

I would not call this a cheating scandal. Just like the dean said, poor judgement.

 

[DPMstudent]

What is different in this case from handing down old tests, which does happen at many schools: "At issue: Some of the test questions in the study file and on the CD were not released by the faculty who wrote them, the dean acknowledged. That means that for some courses, faculty fear, students may have had questions in hand before they took the tests." Which makes it a cheating scandal in my opinion.

 

[Tooth]

I'd like to know how the whole "scandal" made its way to the STATE AUDITOR. Better yet WHO started this mess. The only way this could happen is if a disgruntled dental student reported it to the state, thereby bringing an investigation on the school, and thereby putting his/her school's accreditation at risk. What a dumb *ss!

 

[Lopyswine]

at our school the passing down of old tests is considered full on academic dishonesty. if you are caught with an old test, you face the same charges as if you hacked into a computer. they were very clear about "old tests" during our orientation.

 

[Tooth]

at our school the passing down of old tests is considered full on academic dishonesty. if you are caught with an old test, you face the same charges as if you hacked into a computer. they were very clear about "old tests" during our orientation.

Isn't that because your school was recently caught in a "test file" scandal?

 

[Lopyswine]

Isn't that because your school was recently caught in a "test file" scandal?

hmm not that I'm away of. If so, they never mentioned it to us and I have heard it mentioned. If that is the case, then it would explain how nazi they are about old tests.

 

[12YearOldKid]

Wow. We had old tests, but it was sanctioned by the school. It was specifically mentioned in the code of conduct as being acceptable. I guess the difference is that all the instructors knew we had them. Heck, some of our old tests went so far back that we had tests that our professors had taken when they were students.

We rarely had duplicate test questions, but the old tests were a great tool for helping you to focus your studies on the most important concepts. Seems a shame to deny students a great study tool like that just because profs don't want to switch up the questions a little.

 

[DrReo]

So the next class at Nebraska will have their hands full with angry professors who have to work and rewrite tests now...?

 

[loved]

I think it is ridiculously lazy that professors recycle exams (or a majority of exam questions) from year to year.

If they are going to recycle them, they should at least make more of an effort to keep them out of student circulation.

 

[gryffindor]

I can't see how it is so hard to change up the questions. We had decades of old tests for a Biochemistry class and it was obvious every year the questions and answers were repeated word for word. The year we went to take our final, the questions definitely repeated but the answer choices were completely changed. Unless you actually knew some Biochemistry to figure out the answer, there was no way you were going to pass. A lot of people sweated after that final and only passed because of the "curve" added to make sure that more than half the class didn't get left back.

 

[Turnerjo13]

It seems to be common knowledge that old tests are passed down around here. There is not much effort to conceal it. I am not sure if there is any official policy on old exams. For the most part I don't put much stock in them as study aids. There is no substitute for knowing the information you are being tested on.

 

[KOM]

It seems to be common knowledge that old tests are passed down around here.

Why don't your professors just keep the exams after the test?

 

[Daurang]

Why don't your professors just keep the exams after the test?

Keeping the exam doesn't do anything. Each testtaker is in charge memorizing one question and then pool them together later. Some schools do this on the national board to help out their students.

 

[KOM]

Keeping the exam doesn't do anything. Each testtaker is in charge memorizing one question and then pool them together later. Some schools do this on the national board to help out their students.

Wow. That's some organization!

 

[Turnerjo13]

Why don't your professors just keep the exams after the test?

I have noticed that we don't get to keep many exams. Most of the ones I have seen are old and not that helpful. In the classes where we do get our exams back the teacher changes the exam from year to year.

we are definitely not organized enough to have each person memorize one question. There would also be more than a few of us the would decline to participate in the process for fear of consequences.


Ive seen it happen quite a few times where someone studies an old exam and then get screwed when the test is not the same. Not a good risk to take.

 

[Guy Smiley]

Keeping the exam doesn't do anything. Each testtaker is in charge memorizing one question and then pool them together later. Some schools do this on the national board to help out their students.

I'd be surprised if there are schools supporting a policy like this as this is blatantly illegal.

 

[Daurang]

You think they're dumb?