3 ms·

Whatever is available online or anywhere public is fair game, as long as it's not gained by hacking the professors computer or something along those lines (and

by sev 16y ago

Whatever is available online or anywhere public is fair game, as long as it's not gained by hacking the professors computer or something along those lines (and not used DURING the test). That's just my opinion.

cicero 16y ago
"What is clear is that some students gained access to a bank of tests that was maintained by the publisher of the textbook that Quinn used." Textbook publishers usually make these things available only to teachers. Some kind of hacking or fraud would be necessary for a student to gain access. There is a growing sense in our online culture that if I can figure out how to access some information, then it's ok for me to use it how I want.
- sev 16y ago
  > Some kind of hacking or fraud would be necessary for a student to gain access. Unless someone else had access to it, made it available online as a public "free" download and they found it by searching for it. No hacking or fraud was necessary there (by the students at least) For example, when I was a student the professor assigned even numbered problems so that the answers wouldn't be in the back of the linear algebra book. However, I found a PDF online that contained all answers with solutions! I didn't have to hack anything.
  - billswift 16y ago
    That strikes me as an obnoxious professor. What conceivable reason could there be for a college instructor to do that? I only took a few courses before I withdrew, but the math instructors always assigned problems with solutions for homework, that way we could tell if we didn't understand something and ask about it in class.
- mitcheme 16y ago
  How do they make them available only to teachers? I don't know about the databases, but I know you can buy teacher's editions of textbooks online legitimately, like through Amazon. I also know that last time one of my (student edition) textbooks came with online material, access was restricted by requiring you to enter a code printed in the book. Even if the teachers' resources are secured better than that, it must be nearly impossible to prevent all of their customers from posting those questions online -- most of my profs post assignments online rather than giving out hard copies because it is just more convenient for both them and us this way. Some of those questions come from the textbook; I don't know how many come from some other teachers' resource. I know I've stumbled upon other profs using some of the same questions, and sometimes even answer keys, because I Googled some terminology I didn't understand which was apparently unique to that publisher.

by sev 16y ago

cicero 16y ago

"What is clear is that some students gained access to a bank of tests that was maintained by the publisher of the textbook that Quinn used." Textbook publishers usually make these things available only to teachers. Some kind of hacking or fraud would be necessary for a student to gain access. There is a growing sense in our online culture that if I can figure out how to access some information, then it's ok for me to use it how I want.

sev 16y ago
> Some kind of hacking or fraud would be necessary for a student to gain access. Unless someone else had access to it, made it available online as a public "free" download and they found it by searching for it. No hacking or fraud was necessary there (by the students at least) For example, when I was a student the professor assigned even numbered problems so that the answers wouldn't be in the back of the linear algebra book. However, I found a PDF online that contained all answers with solutions! I didn't have to hack anything.
- billswift 16y ago
  That strikes me as an obnoxious professor. What conceivable reason could there be for a college instructor to do that? I only took a few courses before I withdrew, but the math instructors always assigned problems with solutions for homework, that way we could tell if we didn't understand something and ask about it in class.
mitcheme 16y ago
How do they make them available only to teachers? I don't know about the databases, but I know you can buy teacher's editions of textbooks online legitimately, like through Amazon. I also know that last time one of my (student edition) textbooks came with online material, access was restricted by requiring you to enter a code printed in the book. Even if the teachers' resources are secured better than that, it must be nearly impossible to prevent all of their customers from posting those questions online -- most of my profs post assignments online rather than giving out hard copies because it is just more convenient for both them and us this way. Some of those questions come from the textbook; I don't know how many come from some other teachers' resource. I know I've stumbled upon other profs using some of the same questions, and sometimes even answer keys, because I Googled some terminology I didn't understand which was apparently unique to that publisher.