Question
Case study a
An undergraduate course required for graduation has a reputation for being extremely
hard to pass, much harder than similar courses. When posting materials to the class
website, the teacher accidentally posts a test with answers indicated at the end. The
teacher notices the error immediately and deletes the test, but before she does so a
student downloads the test. The website does not allow the teacher to see whether the
test was downloaded, and because she deieted the test with the answers so quickly, the
teacher later uploaded the same test without the answers and required students to take
the test. The Student Code of Ethics prohibits students from taking a test when there is
reason for them to believe they have confidential information regarding the answers to a
test they are not supposed to have. Violations of the Student Code of Ethics are
punishable,
What are the issues of integrity, ethics and law posed in the case study? What options
do the teacher and the student have, and what should they do and why?
Answer
Issues of integrity, ethics, and law are posed in the case study. The teacher's mistake in posting the test with answers indicated at the end violates the integrity and ethics of the academic system. The student's act of downloading the test and using it to gain an unfair advantage violates the Student Code of Ethics.
The teacher should report the incident to the appropriate authorities and take appropriate disciplinary action against the student. The student should confess to the teacher and accept the consequences of their actions. Both parties should learn from the incident and take steps to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.