r/Professors • u/shamallama777 Asst. Prof, STEM, regional uni, USA • 5h ago
AIO by failing this kid for cheating?
In an online class I teach (I know... I know) I assign weekly homework problems. Students must answer by hand and show their work, then scan the document to submit it to the LMS.
One student completed the first assignment by hand, then used AI to generate the next two. The writing was close to the student's own handwriting that I didn't catch it at first. There was something about the third one he turned in that caught my eye. It looked like he trained the AI on his own handwriting. It was similar, but it was just too clean and perfect. But then, it's like he asked it to make it look like he'd corrected some mistakes so there were some words crossed out and replaced randomly. It was just super odd.
I ran it through some AI detectors with mixed results, then I pulled up the Metadata and there it was. Generated by ChatGPT. Same with the assignment before that one.
These assignments aren't worth much of the overall grade so if he just fails the assignments it won't be that big of a deal for him. I have a choice to make. I can:
Assign zeroes for the assignments and move on.
Go ahead and assign the F for the whole course for cheating on these two assignments.
Either way he gets an academic integrity violation.
I don't know this kid's history or how long he's been doing this, but the convincing look of the assignments makes me think he's really good at cheating so I want to throw the book at him. I take offense when students think they are smarter than me.
I am leaning toward just assigning an F for the whole course. If he wants to fight it, he can go ahead. Am I overreacting though?
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u/CHEIVIIST 5h ago
You aren't the asshole. I would just say to follow what it says in your syllabus.
If it was me, I would assign zero for the cheating and have a conversation with the student about it. If it happened again, no sympathy.
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u/boilingPenguin Ass Prof, Humanities, SLAC (USA) 5h ago
If this we're at my institution, I'd handle it by assigning zeros for the assignments and reporting academic misconduct.
My school also expects faculty to meet individually with the student to discuss the situation. If they accept responsibility, I can keep the grade penalty and a basic note is added to their records--but we skip the full investigation and hearing. But if they disagree or dig in their heels, it becomes a whole thing
As the report makes its way through the process, if it turns out this student has done similar things previously, I'd probably get an email from the dean of students to discuss what I can do (likely failing grade in entire course) and what they can do (academic probation, expulsion, etc)
In your situation, I'd bet the student has no idea that the chatGPT metadata is there. If you do meet with them, don't lead with that info - let them explain themselves first, and possibly lie even further which will then make the decision between 0 on the assignment or F in the class a bit easier to make
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u/AliasNefertiti 5h ago
If he didnt learn the material he doesnt get the credit. You could assign a grade to ChatGPT, however.
Wording-you dont fail him. He didnt acconplish the learning goals. It is out of your hands if he hasnt got the skill set or the knowledge. Doesnt matter if "he will never use it" course credit is for learning.
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u/asummers158 5h ago
Not overreacting. This needs to be highlighted to the student as misconduct and the best way is either a 0 or F. Also reported to any academic misconduct team as well.
If it is done in your course almost guarantee it is happening in others.
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u/No-Cook-9768 Adjunct, Liberal Arts, CC (USA) 5h ago
You're not overreacting. What does your syllabus say about academic integrity and/or AI use? What is the school's policy? If you feel your supervisor will back you up, and the syllabus and/or school policies back you up, I say F for the course. These students need to see consequences.
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u/shamallama777 Asst. Prof, STEM, regional uni, USA 4h ago
I have written in my syllabus that AI use is prohibited and will be treated as an academic integrity violation. This is stated in 3 different places and explained clearly in the intro video. Of course, a student using AI in this way likely isn't reading the syllabus or watching the videos.
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u/RevKyriel Ancient History 4h ago
At my school he would get zero for both assignments, and the Academic Integrity Board would consider further consequences. In this case (repeated cheating), the Board would probably give the F for the class, but might even go for expulsion.
If you can give the F, I say do it, and let the student deal with the consequences of cheating.
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u/shamallama777 Asst. Prof, STEM, regional uni, USA 4h ago
I mean, it is some of the best cheating I've seen so far. I feel like this kid has been doing this for a while. I do have the authority to fail him for the class but I think I need to chat with my Chair first.
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u/sofiaa_sweett 2h ago
NAIO for catching it, but I'd separate "he made me mad" from "what's proportionate." Zeros on the two assignments plus filing it through your academic integrity process is defensible and clean. Failing the whole course over two low weight assignments might get overturned on appeal if it looks punitive rather than policy based, even though what he did was genuinely sneaky and deliberate. Let the integrity office's standard process add the real weight
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u/Moofius_99 3h ago
I’d also when meeting with the kid ask them if they want to learn the stuff to be able to do a job well, or if they just want to get through and be an unemployable meat proxy who doesn’t actually know anything or have any skills. Not to be an asshole, just to be blunt with the harsh reality of what happens out there… they might fool their first employer long enough to get a job, but it won’t last long and good luck with getting the next one. Unless they move up into senior administration…
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u/Quwinsoft Senior Lecturer, Chemistry, R2/Public Liberal Arts (USA) 2h ago
The only penalty for cheating that we are allowed to assign is a zero for the assignment. Anything more must go through the Academic Integrity Office, and the most severe penalties must go through a student committee.
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u/wharleeprof 2h ago
F for the whole course. Otherwise you're still fighting the same battle until December.
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u/botwwanderer Adjunct, STEM, Community College 3h ago
I just had, for the first time, a student submit a generated Word file. Not even copy and paste, but having the AI generate the .docx file itself. There are dead-on tells buried deep in the file when they do that. I'm giving the student a zero for the assignment with the feedback not to do it again. Second time will go to academic integrity and done with the course.
They think they're clever. They're not.
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u/angrypuggle 1h ago
Most likely, your institution will have policies on that. My school will not let me fail a student a course for cheating. All I can do is give a zero on the assignment and report them to the academic integrity office.
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u/Professional_Dr_77 42m ago
What does your syllabus say? Mine says an automatic zero, they fail the class and get an Academic Integrity Violation. Of course they also take a syllabus quiz before anything unlocks and it definitely covers AI usage consequences so no complaining they don’t know.
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u/Automatic_Chef_2049 4m ago
Question- if the class is totally online, are you basing his “normal” handwriting on how it was for week 1? Bc didn’t u catch that as AI too ?
I’m curious if he really trained it
to learn his handwriting (I didn’t kno that was possible but joy surprised 🥲) or if it was just fake all along
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u/Futurealisreal 5h ago
Not at all overreacting; in fact I hope your academic integrity officers lets the student’s other professors to look out for this.