copying homework in college

Academic Integrity at MIT

A handbook for students, search form, copying and other forms of cheating.

While guidelines on the acceptable level collaboration vary from class to class, all MIT instructors agree on one principle: copying from other students, from old course “bibles,” or from solutions on OCW sites is considered cheating and is never permitted .

Collaboration works for you; copying works against you.

If you copy, you are less prepared.

MIT Professor David E. Pritchard, the Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics, has said,“Doing the work trumps native ability.” Those who invest the time working through the problem sets are better prepared to answer exam questions that call for conceptual thinking.

If you copy, you aren’t learning.

Research done in 2010 by Professor Pritchard and others showed that those who copied more than 30% of the answers on problem sets were more than three times as likely to fail the subject than those who did not copy.

(Source: Pritchard, D.E. What are students learning and from what activity? Plenary speech presented at Fifth Conference of Learning International Networks Consortium 2010. Retrieved in July 2019 from http://linc.mit.edu/linc2010/proceedings/plenary-Pritchard.pdf )

If you copy, you violate the principles of academic integrity.

Copying is cheating. When you fail to uphold the principles of academic integrity, you compromise yourself and the Institute.

If you collaborate, you learn from your peers.

Every student brings a unique perspective, experience, and level of knowledge to a collaborative effort. Through discussion and joint problem solving, you are exposed to new approaches and new perspectives that contribute to your learning.

If you collaborate, you learn to work on a team

Gaining the skills to be an effective team member is fundamental to your success as a student, researcher and professional. As you collaborate with your peers, you will face the challenges and rewards of the collegial process.

Beyond Copying

Whether because of high demands on your time or uncertainty about your academic capabilities, you may be tempted to cheat in your academic work.  While copying is the most prevalent form of cheating, dishonest behavior includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Changing the answers on an exam for re-grade.

Misrepresenting a family or personal situation to get an extension.

Using prohibited resources during a test or other academic work.

Forging a faculty member’s signature on a permission form or add/drop form.

Falsifying data or claiming to have done research you did not do.

Claiming work of others as your own by deliberately not citing them.

Assisting another student in doing any of the above.

(Adapted from: Jordan, David K.  (1996).  “Academic Integrity and Cheating.”  Retrieved from http://weber.ucsd.edu/~dkjordan/resources/cheat.html  in July 2019.)

If you are tempted to cheat, think twice.  Do not use the excuse that “everybody does it.” Think through the consequences for yourself and others. Those who cheat diminish themselves and the Institute. Cheating can also negatively impact other students who do their work honestly.

If you observe another student cheating, you are encouraged to report this to your instructor or supervisor, the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards , or reach out to the Ombuds Office for advice.

What To Do If You're Accused of Plagiarism/Cheating

Let’s just get this out of the way right off the bat. Don’t plagiarize. Don’t cheat.

Seriously, though, don’t do it. Not only does it devalue what you’re supposed to be learning and the hard work your peers are putting in, it’s completely and utterly against all colleges’ policies and rules. Violating a college’s academic honesty policies is no joke – most colleges have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to plagiarism and cheating, which can lead to your probation or expulsion. So again…seriously, do not plagiarize or cheat on any of your work, exams, papers, or projects.

But you wouldn’t be reading this article if you weren’t in some kind of trouble, so whether you did plagiarize/cheat or have been falsely accused of doing so, it’s imperative for you to know how to handle such a situation if it arises in your college career.

What to Do If Accused of Plagiarism?

Plagiarizing is taking someone else’s work and claiming it as your original work. This can take many forms. The most well-known (and easily recognized) way is copying someone’s paper / project or having someone else write your assignment for you. But copying pieces of material without giving credit or citations, using artwork you didn’t create or get permission to use, patchwriting , and paraphrasing ideas that aren’t your own without credit are all forms of plagiarism.

If you’ve been accused of plagiarism there’s a couple of key points to keep in mind:

1. Learn the School/Department’s Policy

Knowing your rights in this type of situation is vital for your defense against it. Are you being accused of direct plagiarism (i.e. directly stealing someone else’s work), self-plagiarism (reusing your own work), paraphrasing/patchwork plagiarism, unintentional plagiarism (poor or lacking citations), or something else? Keep in mind none of these are good, but the severity of what you are accused of matters…a lot. Blatant plagiarism will likely be dealt with very harshly, whereas accidental plagiarism might involve a heartfelt apology and minor punishment. Know what you’re accused of, what your school’s policy details might entail, and what the consequences are before you do anything.

2. Don’t Lie

Your professor has heard every excuse out there. They have software built for detecting plagiarism, instructors spend their entire careers learning this material, and they know from previous interactions how you talk, write, and think. Do you really think you’ll be able to get one by them? Lying about plagiarism is a sure-fire way for people to lose any feelings of leniency towards you. You’ll just tick them off.

3. Talk to Your Professor

Your professor is the first point of contact when being accused of plagiarism. Ask them to explain what they’re accusing you of and why they believe you plagiarized. They are also the ones most likely to grant you mercy (if you deserve it), so pay attention to what they’re saying, try to clarify if you can, and make sure you understand at the end of the conversation what they intent to do next – let you off with a warning, flunk you, report you to a higher authority in the school, etc.

4. References, References, References

Learn to reference and cite your sources. No one has ever gotten in trouble for over citing their sources. It’s perfectly fine if you reference someone else’s work in your papers, but give them proper credit in your project. Make sure you know your references and have them handy if accused of plagiarism. Showing where you got your information and how you accidentally didn’t cite something properly can go a long way in getting all charges cleared. Remember, instructors aren’t looking to bring someone up on academic dishonesty charges for a genuine mistake. If you can show where you made a good faith effort, you’ll likely just be given a warning.

5. Respect the Process & Ask for Mercy

If you get caught, do not (really, don’t do it) get defensive and aggressive. Being upset and defensive can get you into more trouble and create problems. Instead, be calm. Talk with your professor and/or dean calmly about your situation and learn what you need to do to plead your case. If you’ve plagiarized, there may be nothing you can do except accept the consequences of your actions, however, doing so in a calm and adult manner can only help you in the long run.

What to Do If Accused of Cheating?

Cheating on any academic work is unacceptable. Cheating is pretty self-explanatory for most people, but it can include looking at someone’s test/answers during an exam, using outside resources when they’re forbidden, stealing test answers off the internet, plagiarizing (which is a form of cheating), etc. So, what should you do if you are caught cheating?

1. Read and Learn the Policy

Sound familiar? Similar to plagiarism, it’s important to learn your school’s policy on cheating. It will tell you what the school defines as cheating and your rights. This can help you determine if you even have a case against the cheating charge you’re accused of committing.

2. Talk to Your Instructor

Be real—did you cheat? If you did, beg your instructor for mercy. They might not give it but it’s worth a shot. If you really, truly didn’t cheat, explain–calmly and rationally—the situation from your perspective. Try to give evidence in support of why you weren’t cheating. Do not become aggressive, angry, or shout at your instructor. Ask for their help in clearing you of this issue.

3. Ask If Your Score Can Be Thrown Out

Failing a class is better than getting in trouble for your entire academic career. You can ask you professor if they are willing to throw out the score or give you a zero on the test/exam/project you’re accused of cheating on. Keep in mind this might mean you risk failing the class, but that might be the best bad option. It’s easier to re-take a failed class rather than get kicked out of school.

4. Speak with the Administration about It

If this is your first offense and the severity of your cheating isn’t high, you may get a warning. There are many levels to this process – speak to an administrator or dean and understand the steps you’ll need to go through. Plead your case, ask for mercy, and show genuine remorse at your mistake. If you can show how this will never happen again (and mean it!) people will be more likely to give you a second chance.

5. Accept the Consequences

Colleges and universities have zero-tolerance policies for a reason. If you cheated (particularly if this is a 2 nd or more offense) you will likely have to accept the consequences of your actions. Try to do so responsibly and with contrition. You’ve come to college to learn and have a successful future, so cheating really isn’t the answer. But start now by making amends and take responsibility for your mistakes. It won’t clear away the problem right this moment, but it can turn things around for you down the road.

Plagiarism and cheating are serious, and the best way to not need any of this advice is to just not do it. College is about learning new things. Cheating your way to graduation is definitely going to harm not only your college career, but it can follow you into your job.

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Plagiarism & Academic Integrity

• Academic Integrity

Types of Academic Dishonesty

• How to Avoid Plagiarism: Citing
• Citing Direct Quotes
• Paraphrasing
• Summarizing
• Try It! Identifying Plagiarism
• Understanding a Turnitin Report

There are many types of academic dishonesty - some are obvious, while some are less obvious.

• Misrepresentation ;
• Conspiracy ;
• Fabrication ;
• Collusion ;
• Duplicate Submission ;
• Academic Misconduct ;
• Improper Computer/Calculator Use ;
• Improper Online, TeleWeb, and Blended Course Use ;
• Disruptive Behavior ;
• and last, but certainly not least, PLAGIARISM .

We will discuss each of these types of academic dishonesty in more detail below. Plagiarism is the most common type of academic dishonesty, and also the easiest type to commit on accident! See the plagiarism page for more info about what plagiarism is and how to avoid it in your work.

Cheating is taking or giving any information or material which will be used to determine academic credit.

  Examples of cheating include:

• Copying from another student's test or homework.
• Allowing another student to copy from your test or homework.
• Using materials such as textbooks, notes, or formula lists during a test without the professor's permission.
• Collaborating on an in-class or take-home test without the professor's permission.
• Having someone else write or plan a paper for you.

  Bribery takes on two forms:

• Bribing someone for an academic advantage, or accepting such a bribe (i.e. a student offers a professor money, goods, or services in exchange for a passing grade, or a professor accepts this bribe).
• Using an academic advantage as a bribe (i.e. a professor offers a student a passing grade in exchange for money, goods, or services, or a student accepts this bribe).

Misrepresentation

Misrepresentation is any act or omission that is intented to deceive an instructor for academic advantage. Misrepresentation includes lying to an instructor in an attempt to increase your grade, or lying to an instructor when confronted with allegations of academic dishonesty.

Conspiracy means working together with one or more persons to commit or attempt to commit academic dishonesty.

Fabrication

Fabrication is the use of invented or misrepresentative information. Fabrication most often occurs in the sciences, when students create or alter experimental data. Listing a source in your works cited that you did not actually use in your research is also fabrication.

Collusion is the act of two or more students working together on an individual assignment.

Duplicate Submission

A duplicate submission means a student submits the same paper for two different classes. If a student submits the same paper for two different classes within the same semester, the student must have the permission of both instructors. If a student submits the same paper for two different classes in different semesters, the student must have the permission of their current instructor.

Academic Misconduct

Academic misconduct is the violation of college policies by tampering with grades or by obtaining and/or distributing any part of a test or assignment. For example:

• Obtaining a copy of a test before the test is admisistered.
• Distributing, either for money or for free, a test before it is administered.
• Encouraging others to obtain a copy of a test before the test is administered.
• Changing grades in a gradebook, on a computer, or on an assignment.
• Continuing to work on a test after time is called.

Improper Computer/Calculator Use

Improper computer/calculator use includes:

• Unauthorized use of computer or calculator programs.
• Selling or giving away information stored on a computer or calculator which will be submitted for a grade.
• Sharing test or assignment answers on a calculator or computer.

Improper Online, TeleWeb, and Blended Course Use

Improper online, teleweb, and blended course use includes:

• Accepting or providing outside help on online assignments or tests.
• Obtaining test materials or questions before the test is administered.

Disruptive Behavior

Disruptive behavior is any behavior that interfers with the teaching/learning process. Disruptive bahavior includes:

• Disrespecting a professor or another student, in class or online.
• Talking, texting, or viewing material unrelated to the course during a lecture.
• Failing to silence your cell phone during class.
• Posting inappropriate material or material unrealted to the course on discussion boards.
• << Previous: Academic Integrity
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• Last Updated: Jan 2, 2024 11:53 AM
• URL: https://spcollege.libguides.com/avoidplagiarism

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How to deal with students copying?

In university courses with compulsory homework, I quite often find students copying their work from others. Now, you can simply ignore this since they are responsible for their learning. If not, usually a very annoying game starts, where students try to slightly modify their soultions and teachers become detectives. I am not sure if this is helpful.

Is there any literature or best practice experience on the problem of how to deal with copying of mathematics students?

• undergraduate-education

• 4 $\begingroup$ There is maybe a case where the game does not start: If you have homework where students have to write some code (e.g., in numerics this is often the case that some algorithm have to be implemented), then you can use plagiarism software (e.g. theory.stanford.edu/~aiken/moss ). The software analysizes the structure and ignores empty lines or renaming of variables. If a student can trick the software, he has almost done the same work as someone actually doing the exercise. However, your question have to be difficult and long enough. $\endgroup$ –  Markus Klein Commented Mar 18, 2014 at 7:43
• 5 $\begingroup$ No literature, just personal anecdote: I had to grade homework questions where in the end only a certain threshold needed to be met (no marks, just pass/fail). My mode of grading work where the one student copied another one was awarding half the points with the remark "Same answers as XXX. Half the work, half the points." To my judgement, the message was recieved. For written homework (not code), I think that, if the students manage to obfuscade the fact that they copied, they put in some effort to understand what's to be done. $\endgroup$ –  Roland Commented Mar 18, 2014 at 11:04
• 2 $\begingroup$ @Roland, I used to grade like that. In addition, I would also give the one who was copied from half the points. In effect, there was only one work, and two people claimed it, so half the points go to each. $\endgroup$ –  JRN Commented Mar 18, 2014 at 13:47
• 2 $\begingroup$ @JoelReyesNoche Oh, yes, indeed. My notion of copying is transitive. Both parties with the same answer are getting half the points; I remember awarding one third of the points on three different homeworks. $\endgroup$ –  Roland Commented Mar 18, 2014 at 17:40
• 1 $\begingroup$ What I do is to "randomly" select a (small) sample of students for each homework, which then have to explain what they turned in. The grade of the oral is then the grade of the homework. The rationale is that I really don't care if they copied/worked together/found the answer on the 'web, I care that they understand the subject matter. $\endgroup$ –  vonbrand Commented Mar 18, 2014 at 21:00

At my university the focus is moved to tests and exams. In larger courses homework has usually no or very little significance, while in smaller classes very few attempt copying (it is too easy to spot).

On the other hand, programming homework is handled via plagiarism software (we have our own, its internals being kept secret; the output is reviewed manually), this is a routine procedure, as homework is usually tested automatically, and it is a standard step in various national-level contests that our university handles.

Now, to answer your question, how to handle copying when it happens? I know of three ways:

• By a formal process. The statute of our university says it's forbidden to do so (I suspect this is not unique), and such a student could be expelled. In practice, as far as I can remember, it had never happened. I heard that there had been such attempt, however, the student council had caused enough trouble that it all had come to nothing. This might have something to do with the fact, that the STEM-campus and the humanities don't like each other very much and the student council is in majority from the latter.
• Fail the course . Some insist that such students shouldn't be allowed to attend the make-up session exam, but this would result in a bureaucratic mess. Instead, by plagiarism the student achieves an equivalent of $-\infty$ points and it all fits into professor's "freedom of grading".
• By some agreement. This might be not the most fair, but during their first semester, it might be the most appropriate. Students come from various neighborhoods, their high-school had different policies and are frequently immature. A good talking-to has more positive effects than punishment, which you could still apply later if he/she hasn't learned from the mistakes. Fortunately, at my university copying is rare enough that we can afford such a lenient treatment (and you don't even need to keep track, because people remember).

I hope this helps $\ddot\smile$

• 3 $\begingroup$ "So, professor, how will this -$\infty$ average into my grade?" $\endgroup$ –  Andrew Commented Jan 22, 2016 at 13:54
• 1 $\begingroup$ @Andrew Professor: "Your grade on the exam was 6/10. So your total grade is (winking while writing it down) $-\infty\cdot w+ 6/10\cdot (1-w), \;0<w<1$. If you can tell me "how much that is" I will give you a passing grade." $\endgroup$ –  Alecos Papadopoulos Commented Jan 22, 2016 at 15:24

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• News Releases

Research reveals frequency and cost of copying college homework

Study finds unnoticed student cheating is a significant cause of course failure nationally

University of Kansas

LAWRENCE, Kan. — The history of students who copy homework from classmates may be as old as school itself. But in today's age of lecture-hall laptops and online coursework, how prevalent and damaging to the education of students has such academic dishonesty become?

According to research published online today in Physical Review Special Topics: Physics Education Research , unnoticed student cheating is a significant cause of course failure nationally.

A researcher from the University of Kansas has teamed up with colleagues from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to get a better handle on copying in college in the 21st century.

Young-Jin Lee, assistant professor of educational technology at KU, and the Research in Learning, Assessing and Tutoring Effectively group at MIT spent four years seeing how many copied answers MIT students submitted to MasteringPhysics, an online homework tutoring system.

"MIT freshmen are required to take physics," said Lee. "Homework was given through a Web-based tutor that our group had developed. We analyzed when they logged in, when they logged out, what kind of problems they solved and what kinds of hints they used."

Lee said that it was easy to spot students who had obtained answers from classmates before completing the homework.

"We ran into very interesting students who could solve the problems — very hard problems — in less than one minute, without making any mistakes," said Lee.

Students also were asked to complete an anonymous survey about the frequency of their homework copying. (According to the survey, students nationally admit to engaging in more academic dishonesty than MIT students.)

Among the researchers' most notable findings:

"People believe that students copy because of their poor academic skills," Lee said. "But we found that repetitive copiers — students who copy over 30 percent of their homework problems — had enough knowledge, at least at the beginning of the semester. But they didn't put enough effort in. They didn't start their homework long enough ahead of time, as compared to noncopiers."

Because repetitive copiers don't adequately learn physics topics on which they copy the homework, Lee said, the research strongly implies that copying caused declining performance on analytic test problems later in the semester.

"Even though everyone knows not doing homework is bad for learning, no one knows how bad it is," said Lee. "Now we have a quantitative measurement. It could make an A student get B or even C."

At the beginning of a semester, the researchers found that copying was not as widespread as it was late in the semester.

"Obviously, the amount of copying was not so prevalent because the academic load was not as much at the beginning of the semester," said Lee. "In order to copy solutions, the students need to build their networks. They need to get to know each other so that they can ask for the answers."

But the KU researcher and his MIT colleagues also demonstrated that changes to college course formats — such as breaking up large lecture classes into smaller "studio" classes, increasing interactions between teaching staff and students, changing the grading system — could reduce student copying fourfold.

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

Original Source

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How to penalize students who copy each other but don't realize they have plagiarized?

I gave my students an opportunity to rewrite one of their papers for extra points. As I was grading, I realized that two papers were almost identical. They had a similar structure, organization, and presented ideas in a similar manner. I asked the students about plagiarism but they denied it. Since it was a rewrite, I told them that I wouldn't add any points to their grades and they should never do this again.

One of the students, however, emailed me stating that she is worried their final assignments might look similar as well. She was trying to convince me that her paper is her original work and the second student "worked really hard to make sure their papers don't look alike!".

She included screen shots of their fb conversation as evidence. In FB conversation the one with the original work is telling her friend to use her paper as a basis but change the sentences and examples so it won't look like plagiarism.

This is a clear case of plagiarism. Correct? I am not sure how to handle it. I know they are not realizing that's plagiarism, otherwise they wouldn't have shared those fb conversations. So I don't want to report to the school (yet!). But I am also not sure how to penalize them? Give a zero for the assignment? What do you recommend? Should I give zeros to both of them?

• 81 The student with the original work has not completed plagiarism. She may have committed academic misconduct if the policy explicitly says do not share your work. The second student has committed plagiarism. –  StrongBad Commented Mar 20, 2016 at 0:14
• 32 Maybe you should give them an extra assignment – one where they have to write a 1-2 page paper on this topic: What Is Plagiarism? –  J.R. Commented Mar 20, 2016 at 11:45
• 4 Make them write the exactly same paper 10 times. Longhand. And they will be enlightened. ;-) –  Captain Emacs Commented Mar 20, 2016 at 12:56
• 25 I went to public schools - plagiarism is redundantly covered, repeatedly, over and over. For emphasis. They're being lazy and playing dumb, but they know exactly what they're doing. They're testing you and think you're too lazy to throw the book at them. Don't let them get away with it. –  Aaron Hall Commented Mar 21, 2016 at 13:10
• 5 It sounds like the students don't completely understand what constitutes plagiarism. You'll at least need to help them understand what constitutes plagiarism, whatever you choose to do in relation to the assignment. –  NeutronStar Commented Mar 21, 2016 at 14:34

7 Answers 7

This isn't just plagarism - it's out and out cheating - and both students are guilty and one of them has kindly produced proof of their guilt. I would escalate to whatever process is usually undertaken for cheating students.

That they apparently have failed to grasp the concept doesn't make them any less guilty of the infringement and it simply doesn't matter whether they "meant to cheat" - they did.

The appropriate way to deal with cheating students is to escalate it to the system for dealing with cheating students. You should trust that this process will take their ignorance into account while (a) being fair to other students and (b) expressing the appropriate level of opprobrium for their actions.

• 23 That they apparently have failed to grasp the concept doesn't make them any less guilty of the infringement. Actually it precisely does make them less guilty . That is a well-established principle of the law, known as mens rea . See my answer. –  Dan Romik Commented Mar 20, 2016 at 18:55
• 34 @DanRomik Mens rea applies to the offense - not to the knowledge of the law . Mens rea applies when your actions accidentally cause an offense - these are typically cases of neglect. However those students knew they are copying their works , they just didn't know that it's an offense. Different concept applies there, called Ignorantia juris non excusat . –  Tomáš Zato Commented Mar 21, 2016 at 14:18
• 4 It simply doesn't matter whether they "meant to cheat" - they did. The appropriate way to deal with cheating students is to escalate it to the system for dealing with cheating students - that process should take their ignorance into account while (a) being fair to other students and (b) expressing the appropriate level of opprobrium for their actions. –  Jack Aidley Commented Mar 21, 2016 at 15:32
• 5 Thanks! Administration recommended the same thing. I was worried because I knew it would show up in their records but apparently they would just get a warning for the first time. After meeting with one of them, the story got more complicated. Therefore, I think asking for the professional advice of more experienced people would be the best option. –  Kar Masia Commented Mar 21, 2016 at 22:40
• 5 @TomášZato - fun fact: that principal was developed in the beginnings of the ancient Roman Empire when the plebeians demanded to know the laws so that the learned people could not make up laws. After some demonstrations, the government put up the Twelve Tables . This made it so that all citizens will be held liable for any unlawful actions, and ignorance of the law is no longer an excuse because the laws are publicly available. –  Daniel Commented Mar 22, 2016 at 14:55

Learn about your school's policy. Learn about whether your school has an honor code, defines plagiarism in its catalog, or requires mandatory training such as an online orientation. Many schools have specific rules about what kind of punishments are allowed, and these rules may be based on their own interpretations of local laws or their past experiences with lawsuits. For example, my school's policy specifically tells us that we are not allowed to give a student a failing grade in the course for dishonesty, and it also spells out different levels of consequences for a first and second offense.

Look at your own syllabus to see what you said about plagiarism; usually administrators will support you on anything that's laid out clearly in your syllabus.

Don't assume that administrators will support you. Their priorities may be very, very different from yours.

Once you have done all your homework, talk to your dean and propose how you want to handle the issue. Make sure your dean is on board with what you plan to do. Consider "soft" penalties such as forcing the students to meet with the dean.

• 11 Thank you! That is a lot of work. I cannot say I am looking forward to it! –  Kar Masia Commented Mar 20, 2016 at 0:18
• 2 Sad that the administrators might not be on the side of the instructor. When I was teaching, it was a great comfort to know that my back was guarded by a bureaucracy larger than any of us. It was particularly helpful when dealing with the litigiously unreasonable. –  Ryan Reich Commented Mar 20, 2016 at 6:15
• 18 "we are not allowed to give a student a failing grade in the course for dishonesty..." Boy, is that backwards. I would understand if you were required to pass someone who could honestly demonstrate competence in the material even if they had lied about doing their homework—but a blanket rule that you can't fail someone for dishonesty? Even if they cheat, plagiarize, and don't actually learn the subject themselves? Yeesh. –  Wildcard Commented Mar 20, 2016 at 8:33
• 30 Wildcard, you may be misinterpreting the statement. At our University we cannot alter grades for academic misconduct, but we can and should report the student to the honor council, which can and will give them a "special F" for the course if they are "convicted." Not only do they fail, but they have a permanent "black spot" on their record. Failing them would actually be a mercy we are not allowed to do, and skip their "due process." –  Richard Rast Commented Mar 20, 2016 at 9:57
• Similarly, in France higher education teachers are not allowed to grade taking into account assumed fraud. Frauds and misconducts should be dealt with by a special committee. The main reason is that students have the right to be trialled fairly, including seeking legal advice by an lawyer. A benefit of this approach is that when student cheat repeatedly but get caught only every now and then, precedents show up at the committee, not if different teachers dealt with the matters discretely. –  Benoît Kloeckner Commented Mar 22, 2016 at 11:26

This is a matter of education. Some students think plagiarism is only copy and pasting from one another. They also think placing a citation is a license to copy. Some also define it as ok if software, eg turnitin, cannot detect it.

In my case I make it clear. If they steal one sentence it is an automatic zero. It is also a zero if they steal the structure of a paragraph or section. These need to be emphasized multiple times until they eject their old ways out of their system.

• 21 +1 This is the real problem. If these students don't think they've committed plagiarism, you need to make sure they learn and understand that they did. It's not about giving them the correct grade or penalty, but about making damn sure that they understand the principle, and never forget it. The grade is secondary. –  Peter Bloem Commented Mar 20, 2016 at 9:22
• 7 Honestly, I have been a bit irritated by the two of them throughout the quarter, especially the one who copied the work. They kept challenging me on their grades constantly. The one who copied the work emailed me saying "if it will make you feel better, I will write the essay again!". I don't know if it's because I am a new teacher or I am being oversensitive, but that sounds rude. It also shows she knows what she did was wrong! –  Kar Masia Commented Mar 21, 2016 at 6:45
• 10 @Karin These kids are trying to walk all over you. They seem the type that will scheme and whine and cry to get their way. Schools are full of these kids - they'll do anything but the work they're supposed to do to try to scratch together a higher grade for themselves. It's a manipulation game and every time you let them win, give them some slack or leeway, extra chances, you are encouraging this awful behaviour. For the sake of those who will have to deal with these creatures as adults in the workplace, please dispense the discipline now. –  J... Commented Mar 21, 2016 at 11:05
• 1 @Peter I guess branding irons are out of question... –  Mindwin Remember Monica Commented Mar 21, 2016 at 12:54
• 5 Oh I agree! They are trying to push boundaries. I gave extensive comments on second student's assignment. It was a 3 page paper, and I had 2-3 long comments per paragraph. She could have fixed her own paper but instead chose to use someone else's work. There is a section on academic misconduct in my syllabus, the paper was only 3 pages double spaced, it was from the material we discussed in the class, and I told her how to fix her paper.There was also the option of sending me outlines to look over before submitting the papers. Btw, Administration told me to file a report. –  Kar Masia Commented Mar 21, 2016 at 22:33

I'm going to disagree with Ben Crowell's answer, despite it being well-written and mostly sensible except for one crucial detail. The students have perhaps committed what we technically define as plagiarism (or more precisely, as StrongBad commented, one of them committed plagiarism and the other allowed her work to be used), but the element of mens rea , the "guilty mind" that we consider morally necessary to inflict punishment, is clearly lacking. So my verdict is not guilty .

The bottom line is, it doesn't matter how much we educators wring our hands about "kids these days". If someone clearly doesn't know that a behavior is wrong then it is foolish and harmful to penalize them for it. It is our job to educate students about what constitutes plagiarism and what are the standards we expect of them for independent work and citation of sources. All the things that Ben Crowell's answer lists are basically irrelevant, since if a student is showing you a facebook conversation proving that they did not realize what they were doing is plagiarism, that means your institution has failed to properly educate the students about this subject, whether it's written in the catalog or not.

I should add that in my opinion part of the problem with this common misunderstanding of plagiarism by students is that plagiarism is in fact quite a subtle concept, and that our expectations of how fast and easily students can understand and adapt to it are simply unrealistic. To criminalize a behavior that can result from a misunderstanding or lack of sophistication that is very common among students entering university is very problematic, and can backfire in all sorts of unexpected ways. (On the other hand, of course plagiarism is a real problem that needs to be dealt with; I don't have all the answers about what is the correct approach or balance to strike, and a detailed discussion of this topic is in any case beyond the scope of this question.)

To summarize, in my opinion it would be wrong to penalize the students in this case . You can and should use this as a teaching opportunity, and it would be reasonable to require the plagiarizing student to submit a revised paper that satisfies your standards for academic writing, after very clearly and carefully explaining to her what those standards are. This is also an opportunity for all of us to reflect on what we are trying to achieve with various "zero tolerance" policies that impose an unrealistically high standard of behavior on students who may not be adequately prepared to be capable of satisfying those lofty standards.

Edit: thanks to all the commenters for their lively and intelligent discussion and criticism of my answer. You have persuaded me that the answer is perhaps more subjective than I thought. I am willing to tone down my recommendation and say that the plagiarizing student may be deserving of punishment. I think ultimately it would all depend on specific details about the facebook conversation and other evidence that we do not have. At the same time, given the information presented in the question I still think an educational, rather than punitive, approach, would be the most appropriate one in this case. The key question that needs to be answered in my opinion is whether the student "knew what she was doing" in the sense that she had an understanding that basing her paper off of another student's paper was wrong. It doesn't sound like she did, but I'm only speculating and am open to changing my mind about this if presented with new information.

• 38 I think this is a misunderstanding of the concept of mens rea. The student knew what they were doing, even if they didn't know that it would be classified as plagiarism, so I would say they did have mens rea. If they had read someone else's work years before and then unwittingly reproduced the argument without citing that might be plagiarising without mens rea. –  bdsl Commented Mar 20, 2016 at 16:49
• 11 I mean it was done on purpose, it wasn't an accident. The students understood their own actions, they just didn't fully understand the concept of plagiarism. –  bdsl Commented Mar 20, 2016 at 17:57
• 7 A good number of university plagiarism policies I'm familiar with have no requirement that students understand that they are committing plagiarism before they can be found guilty of it. Many policies explicitly state that plagiarism will be treated seriously regardless of whether students know they are violating the policy. The student didn't need to know he was committing plagiarism; he just needed to know that he was copying another student's work. Similarly, a bank robber doesn't need to know robbery is against the law, just that he intended to permanently take someone else's money. –  Zach Lipton Commented Mar 20, 2016 at 19:36
• 14 @DanRomik I certainly respect using your own judgment and not wanting to take drastic measures, but I don't consider this "mild plagiarism" at all. It seems one student did an assignment (actually, multiple assignments) and shared it in its entirety with another student, who did a sloppy job of rewriting a few bits and turned it in as his own work. In other words: multiple entire assignments containing zero original work. That's no missing footnote or quotation marks, which can be honest mistakes. If the students thought this was a group project, I can understand, but that's not the case here. –  Zach Lipton Commented Mar 20, 2016 at 20:01
• 19 -1. I strongly disagree with this answer. If we had to prove a "guilty mind" before any kind of punishment, the law would be a complete joke. The students might have not been aware of the concrete consequences of their actions, but they knew that what they were doing had quirks (otherwise, why change the paper at all?). What will they (and others) learn if this goes unpunished? –  Martin Argerami Commented Mar 20, 2016 at 21:11

Some students, myself in particular, get taught incorrectly in the early years of education that "putting something in your own words" is how to avoid plagiarism. This is of course, overly simplistic and wrong of course. If you give both students the benefit of the doubt, that neither know what plagiarism is, I don't think they should be penalized for this naivety.

I think you should probably invite the students to your office to teach them or send around the school's academic honesty guide to all your students (it should be pretty small and thoroughly define the terms it uses). If this is happening to one pair, it is likely happening to others or these two students are doing similar in other courses. Example: Jill reads something online and simply rewords it for the report while maintaining the structure and flow of the original material.

• 4 This myth continues well beyond the “early years” of education. –  gerrit Commented Mar 21, 2016 at 17:45

Honestly, I have been a bit irritated by the two of them throughout the quarter, especially the one who copied the work. They kept challenging me on their grades constantly. The one who copied the work emailed me saying "if it will make you feel better, I will write the essay again!"

It sounds like you have a student who is eager to learn how to do the right thing and get it right, even if she isn't doing so right now. This is a good thing because you have a much stronger opportunity for a teachable moment where the teaching is more likely to be effective, than a student whose attitude is "I'll try this minimum that I think might scrape by, and in the unlikely event someone is paying enough attention to catch it, oh well, that'll just be the end result." Further, you have students who care about their grades, and you control at least one of those, so you have some leverage that seems likely to be effective.

How about having that student write the essay - or a similar one on the same topic or another topic still related to your course - in a supervised environment* where she would have no access to classmates' work? If network-isolated, you might have to provide some printed reference material, but (a) it might be a good thing for students to get at least one experience writing in that way and (b) this exercise/test is focusing more on the student's ability to critically analyze content and discuss the material with some potentially original insights, than on breadth of a background literature search.

You do apparently need to teach the distinction between copyright infringement (which involves copying the particular expression of ideas, and for which paraphrasing all the content is a valid way around), plagiarism (which relates more to passing off another person's ideas as one's own), and failing to write original content/ideas (which may involve proper citation of the others' ideas and is honest, but may not meet the course requirements for a top grade). It appears the students in question are confusing the first two, and those in the third sentence of Prof. Santa Claus's answer ("They also think placing a citation is a license to copy") are confusing the latter two. These distinctions are not obvious and the ethics of each are not universal. It does take teaching them, and it might be worth you having a conversation with the dean to try to make sure this gets into the curriculum in a first semester writing course or something like that.

Here, your students at least seem willing to learn. Good luck making the most of the teaching opportunity!

(*): Where there are more people present than just you and the student, in case the student would otherwise come up with false accusations against you should she receive a poor course grade.

• 3 Thanks for the comment! I learned my lesson for future classes! rewriting the essays is not an option. I gave students extensive comments on their papers. Instead of fixing her own work, one of them copied her friend's work. I don't think the issue is her eagerness to learn but her obsession with grades. I told her she wasn't getting good grades because she didn't understand the nuances of the arguments and offered her help if she needed. Idk, my skin might become thicker once I do this often, but I am very exhausted right now! Teaching is very difficult! –  Kar Masia Commented Mar 21, 2016 at 23:14

When my mom was a TA back in the day, she had a similar situation where one student thought she was helping her friend by letting her see the paper, but the second student was straight-up copying. My mom and the TA of the other student came up with this idea: Grade the paper as though it were submitted singularly. Then, go to both students and let them decide how they want to split the points. For instance, if it were worth 80 points, they could do a 40-40 split, or the original writer could take all, or whatever else.

• 3 Do you know how the two decided? –  jakebeal Commented Mar 21, 2016 at 18:27
• Sounds a lot like "giving an F for cheating." –  user28174 Commented Mar 23, 2016 at 1:32
• This is in fact the strategy i think works best is. It works even better if you announce the policy beforehand as it makes it implicitly understood that its a bad idea in general, also makes a 3 way split impossible. But then you get these papers where they declare the WANT a 60-40 split. –  joojaa Commented Mar 23, 2016 at 5:45
• @ joojaa 60-40 split would come out as 48 and 32, but I would say this is just a bad way to do it. At least one of them is cheating. I don't think there is anything wrong with showing others your work but you do risk them stealing it and the lecturer not knowing who it belongs to. –  rom016 Commented Mar 23, 2016 at 13:34
• 1 @jakebeal In my mom's case, they split it evenly (much to her surprise). –  RblDiver Commented Mar 23, 2016 at 14:48

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Research into cheating at the college and university began in 1990 by Dr. Donald McCabe, one of the founders of ICAI. This research continues today, spearheaded by ICAI and its members.

McCabe’s original research and subsequent follow-up studies show that more than 60 percent of university students freely admit to cheating in some form.

In March 2020, ICAI researchers tested an updated version of the McCabe survey with 840 students across multiple college campuses. This work showed the following rates of key cheating behaviors:

• Cheated in any way on an exam

• Getting someone else to do your academic work (e.g. essay, exam, assignment) and submitting it as your own.

• Using unauthorized electronic resources (e.g. articles, Wikipedia, YouTube) for a paper, project, homework or other assignments.

• Working together on an assignment with other students when the instructor asked for individual work.

• Paraphrasing or copying a few sentences or more from any source without citing it in a paper or assignment you submitted.

*This includes data from 5 institutions including a private university, two large public universities, a small public university, and a small private liberal arts college

Rettinger, et al. (2020) in prep

Cheating in High School

McCabe also conducted surveys of over 70,000 high school students at over 24 high schools in the United States. This work demonstrated that 64 percent of students admitted to cheating on a test, 58 percent admitted to plagiarism and 95 percent said they participated in some form of cheating, whether it was on a test, plagiarism or copying homework.

More about Don McCabe’s surveys and statistics, including sources for these statistics, is available in his excellent book Cheating in College .

Homework – Top 3 Pros and Cons

Pro/Con Arguments | Discussion Questions | Take Action | Sources | More Debates

From dioramas to book reports, from algebraic word problems to research projects, whether students should be given homework, as well as the type and amount of homework, has been debated for over a century. [ 1 ]

While we are unsure who invented homework, we do know that the word “homework” dates back to ancient Rome. Pliny the Younger asked his followers to practice their speeches at home. Memorization exercises as homework continued through the Middle Ages and Enlightenment by monks and other scholars. [ 45 ]

In the 19th century, German students of the Volksschulen or “People’s Schools” were given assignments to complete outside of the school day. This concept of homework quickly spread across Europe and was brought to the United States by Horace Mann , who encountered the idea in Prussia. [ 45 ]

In the early 1900s, progressive education theorists, championed by the magazine Ladies’ Home Journal , decried homework’s negative impact on children’s physical and mental health, leading California to ban homework for students under 15 from 1901 until 1917. In the 1930s, homework was portrayed as child labor, which was newly illegal, but the prevailing argument was that kids needed time to do household chores. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 45 ] [ 46 ]

Public opinion swayed again in favor of homework in the 1950s due to concerns about keeping up with the Soviet Union’s technological advances during the Cold War . And, in 1986, the US government included homework as an educational quality boosting tool. [ 3 ] [ 45 ]

A 2014 study found kindergarteners to fifth graders averaged 2.9 hours of homework per week, sixth to eighth graders 3.2 hours per teacher, and ninth to twelfth graders 3.5 hours per teacher. A 2014-2019 study found that teens spent about an hour a day on homework. [ 4 ] [ 44 ]

Beginning in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic complicated the very idea of homework as students were schooling remotely and many were doing all school work from home. Washington Post journalist Valerie Strauss asked, “Does homework work when kids are learning all day at home?” While students were mostly back in school buildings in fall 2021, the question remains of how effective homework is as an educational tool. [ 47 ]

Is Homework Beneficial?

Pro 1 Homework improves student achievement. Studies have shown that homework improved student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college. Research published in the High School Journal indicated that students who spent between 31 and 90 minutes each day on homework “scored about 40 points higher on the SAT-Mathematics subtest than their peers, who reported spending no time on homework each day, on average.” [ 6 ] Students in classes that were assigned homework outperformed 69% of students who didn’t have homework on both standardized tests and grades. A majority of studies on homework’s impact – 64% in one meta-study and 72% in another – showed that take-home assignments were effective at improving academic achievement. [ 7 ] [ 8 ] Research by the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) concluded that increased homework led to better GPAs and higher probability of college attendance for high school boys. In fact, boys who attended college did more than three hours of additional homework per week in high school. [ 10 ] Read More

Pro 2 Homework helps to reinforce classroom learning, while developing good study habits and life skills. Students typically retain only 50% of the information teachers provide in class, and they need to apply that information in order to truly learn it. Abby Freireich and Brian Platzer, co-founders of Teachers Who Tutor NYC, explained, “at-home assignments help students learn the material taught in class. Students require independent practice to internalize new concepts… [And] these assignments can provide valuable data for teachers about how well students understand the curriculum.” [ 11 ] [ 49 ] Elementary school students who were taught “strategies to organize and complete homework,” such as prioritizing homework activities, collecting study materials, note-taking, and following directions, showed increased grades and more positive comments on report cards. [ 17 ] Research by the City University of New York noted that “students who engage in self-regulatory processes while completing homework,” such as goal-setting, time management, and remaining focused, “are generally more motivated and are higher achievers than those who do not use these processes.” [ 18 ] Homework also helps students develop key skills that they’ll use throughout their lives: accountability, autonomy, discipline, time management, self-direction, critical thinking, and independent problem-solving. Freireich and Platzer noted that “homework helps students acquire the skills needed to plan, organize, and complete their work.” [ 12 ] [ 13 ] [ 14 ] [ 15 ] [ 49 ] Read More

Pro 3 Homework allows parents to be involved with children’s learning. Thanks to take-home assignments, parents are able to track what their children are learning at school as well as their academic strengths and weaknesses. [ 12 ] Data from a nationwide sample of elementary school students show that parental involvement in homework can improve class performance, especially among economically disadvantaged African-American and Hispanic students. [ 20 ] Research from Johns Hopkins University found that an interactive homework process known as TIPS (Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork) improves student achievement: “Students in the TIPS group earned significantly higher report card grades after 18 weeks (1 TIPS assignment per week) than did non-TIPS students.” [ 21 ] Homework can also help clue parents in to the existence of any learning disabilities their children may have, allowing them to get help and adjust learning strategies as needed. Duke University Professor Harris Cooper noted, “Two parents once told me they refused to believe their child had a learning disability until homework revealed it to them.” [ 12 ] Read More

Con 1 Too much homework can be harmful. A poll of California high school students found that 59% thought they had too much homework. 82% of respondents said that they were “often or always stressed by schoolwork.” High-achieving high school students said too much homework leads to sleep deprivation and other health problems such as headaches, exhaustion, weight loss, and stomach problems. [ 24 ] [ 28 ] [ 29 ] Alfie Kohn, an education and parenting expert, said, “Kids should have a chance to just be kids… it’s absurd to insist that children must be engaged in constructive activities right up until their heads hit the pillow.” [ 27 ] Emmy Kang, a mental health counselor, explained, “More than half of students say that homework is their primary source of stress, and we know what stress can do on our bodies.” [ 48 ] Excessive homework can also lead to cheating: 90% of middle school students and 67% of high school students admit to copying someone else’s homework, and 43% of college students engaged in “unauthorized collaboration” on out-of-class assignments. Even parents take shortcuts on homework: 43% of those surveyed admitted to having completed a child’s assignment for them. [ 30 ] [ 31 ] [ 32 ] Read More

Con 2 Homework exacerbates the digital divide or homework gap. Kiara Taylor, financial expert, defined the digital divide as “the gap between demographics and regions that have access to modern information and communications technology and those that don’t. Though the term now encompasses the technical and financial ability to utilize available technology—along with access (or a lack of access) to the Internet—the gap it refers to is constantly shifting with the development of technology.” For students, this is often called the homework gap. [ 50 ] [ 51 ] 30% (about 15 to 16 million) public school students either did not have an adequate internet connection or an appropriate device, or both, for distance learning. Completing homework for these students is more complicated (having to find a safe place with an internet connection, or borrowing a laptop, for example) or impossible. [ 51 ] A Hispanic Heritage Foundation study found that 96.5% of students across the country needed to use the internet for homework, and nearly half reported they were sometimes unable to complete their homework due to lack of access to the internet or a computer, which often resulted in lower grades. [ 37 ] [ 38 ] One study concluded that homework increases social inequality because it “potentially serves as a mechanism to further advantage those students who already experience some privilege in the school system while further disadvantaging those who may already be in a marginalized position.” [ 39 ] Read More

Con 3 Homework does not help younger students, and may not help high school students. We’ve known for a while that homework does not help elementary students. A 2006 study found that “homework had no association with achievement gains” when measured by standardized tests results or grades. [ 7 ] Fourth grade students who did no homework got roughly the same score on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) math exam as those who did 30 minutes of homework a night. Students who did 45 minutes or more of homework a night actually did worse. [ 41 ] Temple University professor Kathryn Hirsh-Pasek said that homework is not the most effective tool for young learners to apply new information: “They’re learning way more important skills when they’re not doing their homework.” [ 42 ] In fact, homework may not be helpful at the high school level either. Alfie Kohn, author of The Homework Myth, stated, “I interviewed high school teachers who completely stopped giving homework and there was no downside, it was all upside.” He explains, “just because the same kids who get more homework do a little better on tests, doesn’t mean the homework made that happen.” [ 52 ] Read More

Discussion Questions

1. Is homework beneficial? Consider the study data, your personal experience, and other types of information. Explain your answer(s).

2. If homework were banned, what other educational strategies would help students learn classroom material? Explain your answer(s).

3. How has homework been helpful to you personally? How has homework been unhelpful to you personally? Make carefully considered lists for both sides.

Take Action

1. Examine an argument in favor of quality homework assignments from Janine Bempechat.

2. Explore Oxford Learning’s infographic on the effects of homework on students.

3. Consider Joseph Lathan’s argument that homework promotes inequality .

4. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? If so, how? List two to three ways. If your thoughts have not changed, list two to three ways your better understanding of the “other side of the issue” now helps you better argue your position.

5. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives .

More School Debate Topics

Should K-12 Students Dissect Animals in Science Classrooms? – Proponents say dissecting real animals is a better learning experience. Opponents say the practice is bad for the environment.

Should Students Have to Wear School Uniforms? – Proponents say uniforms may increase student safety. Opponents say uniforms restrict expression.

Should Corporal Punishment Be Used in K-12 Schools? – Proponents say corporal punishment is an appropriate discipline. Opponents say it inflicts long-lasting physical and mental harm on students.

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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the 5 best homework help websites (free and paid).

Other High School , General Education

Listen: we know homework isn’t fun, but it is a good way to reinforce the ideas and concepts you’ve learned in class. But what if you’re really struggling with your homework assignments?

If you’ve looked online for a little extra help with your take-home assignments, you’ve probably stumbled across websites claiming to provide the homework help and answers students need to succeed . But can homework help sites really make a difference? And if so, which are the best homework help websites you can use? 

Below, we answer these questions and more about homework help websites–free and paid. We’ll go over: 

• The basics of homework help websites
• The cost of homework help websites 
• The five best homework websites out there 
• The pros and cons of using these websites for homework help 
• The line between “learning” and “cheating” when using online homework help 
• Tips for getting the most out of a homework help website

So let’s get started! 

The Basics About Homework Help Websites–Free and Paid

Homework help websites are designed to help you complete your homework assignments, plain and simple. 

What Makes a Homework Help Site Worth Using

Most of the best sites allow users to ask questions and then provide an answer (or multiple possible answers) and explanation in seconds. In some instances, you can even send a photo of a particular assignment or problem instead of typing the whole thing out! 

Homework help sites also offer more than just help answering homework questions. Common services provided are Q&A with experts, educational videos, lectures, practice tests and quizzes, learning modules, math solving tools, and proofreading help. Homework help sites can also provide textbook solutions (i.e. answers to problems in tons of different textbooks your school might be using), one-on-one tutoring, and peer-to-peer platforms that allow you to discuss subjects you’re learning about with your fellow students. 

And best of all, nearly all of them offer their services 24/7, including tutoring! 

What You Should Should Look Out For

When it comes to homework help, there are lots–and we mean lots –of scam sites out there willing to prey on desperate students. Before you sign up for any service, make sure you read reviews to ensure you’re working with a legitimate company. 

A word to the wise: the more a company advertises help that veers into the territory of cheating, the more likely it is to be a scam. The best homework help websites are going to help you learn the concepts you’ll need to successfully complete your homework on your own. (We’ll go over the difference between “homework help” and “cheating” a little later!) 

You don't need a golden piggy bank to use homework help websites. Some provide low or no cost help for students like you!

How Expensive Are the Best Homework Help Websites?

First of all, just because a homework help site costs money doesn’t mean it’s a good service. Likewise, just because a homework help website is free doesn’t mean the help isn’t high quality. To find the best websites, you have to take a close look at the quality and types of information they provide! 

When it comes to paid homework help services, the prices vary pretty widely depending on the amount of services you want to subscribe to. Subscriptions can cost anywhere from $2 to $150 dollars per month, with the most expensive services offering several hours of one-on-one tutoring with a subject expert per month.

The 5 Best Homework Help Websites 

So, what is the best homework help website you can use? The answer is that it depends on what you need help with. 

The best homework help websites are the ones that are reliable and help you learn the material. They don’t just provide answers to homework questions–they actually help you learn the material. 

That’s why we’ve broken down our favorite websites into categories based on who they’re best for . For instance, the best website for people struggling with math might not work for someone who needs a little extra help with science, and vice versa. 

Keep reading to find the best homework help website for you! 

Best Free Homework Help Site: Khan Academy

• Price: Free!
• Best for: Practicing tough material 

Not only is Khan Academy free, but it’s full of information and can be personalized to suit your needs. When you set up your account , you choose which courses you need to study, and Khan Academy sets up a personal dashboard of instructional videos, practice exercises, and quizzes –with both correct and incorrect answer explanations–so you can learn at your own pace. 

As an added bonus, it covers more course topics than many other homework help sites, including several AP classes.

Runner Up: Brainly.com offers a free service that allows you to type in questions and get answers and explanations from experts. The downside is that you’re limited to two answers per question and have to watch ads. 

Best Paid Homework Help Site: Chegg

• Price: $14.95 to $19.95 per month
• Best for: 24/7 homework assistance  

This service has three main parts . The first is Chegg Study, which includes textbook solutions, Q&A with subject experts, flashcards, video explanations, a math solver, and writing help. The resources are thorough, and reviewers state that Chegg answers homework questions quickly and accurately no matter when you submit them.  

Chegg also offers textbook rentals for students who need access to textbooks outside of their classroom. Finally, Chegg offers Internship and Career Advice for students who are preparing to graduate and may need a little extra help with the transition out of high school. 

Another great feature Chegg provides is a selection of free articles geared towards helping with general life skills, like coping with stress and saving money. Chegg’s learning modules are comprehensive, and they feature solutions to the problems in tons of different textbooks in a wide variety of subjects. 

Runner Up: Bartleby offers basically the same services as Chegg for $14.99 per month. The reason it didn’t rank as the best is based on customer reviews that say user questions aren’t answered quite as quickly on this site as on Chegg. Otherwise, this is also a solid choice!

Best Site for Math Homework Help: Photomath

• Price: Free (or $59.99 per year for premium services) 
• Best for: Explaining solutions to math problems

This site allows you to t ake a picture of a math problem, and instantly pulls up a step-by-step solution, as well as a detailed explanation of the concept. Photomath also includes animated videos that break down mathematical concepts to help you better understand and remember them. 

The basic service is free, but for an additional fee you can get extra study tools and learn additional strategies for solving common math problems.

Runner Up: KhanAcademy offers in-depth tutorials that cover complex math topics for free, but you won’t get the same tailored help (and answers!) that Photomath offers. 

Best Site for English Homework Help: Princeton Review Academic Tutoring

• Price: $40 to $153 per month, depending on how many hours of tutoring you want 
• Best for: Comprehensive and personalized reading and writing help 

While sites like Grammarly and Sparknotes help you by either proofreading what you write via an algorithm or providing book summaries, Princeton Review’s tutors provide in-depth help with vocabulary, literature, essay writing and development, proofreading, and reading comprehension. And unlike other services, you’ll have the chance to work with a real person to get help. 

The best part is that you can get on-demand English (and ESL) tutoring from experts 24/7. That means you can get help whenever you need it, even if you’re pulling an all-nighter! 

This is by far the most expensive homework site on this list, so you’ll need to really think about what you need out of a homework help website before you commit. One added benefit is that the subscription covers over 80 other subjects, including AP classes, which can make it a good value if you need lots of help!  

Best Site for STEM Homework Help: Studypool

• Best for: Science homework help
• Price: Varies; you’ll pay for each question you submit

When it comes to science homework help, there aren’t a ton of great resources out there. The best of the bunch is Studypool, and while it has great reviews, there are some downsides as well. 

Let’s start with the good stuff. Studypool offers an interesting twist on the homework help formula. After you create a free account, you can submit your homework help questions, and tutors will submit bids to answer your questions. You’ll be able to select the tutor–and price point–that works for you, then you’ll pay to have your homework question answered. You can also pay a small fee to access notes, lectures, and other documents that top tutors have uploaded. 

The downside to Studypool is that the pricing is not transparent . There’s no way to plan for how much your homework help will cost, especially if you have lots of questions! Additionally, it’s not clear how tutors are selected, so you’ll need to be cautious when you choose who you’d like to answer your homework questions.  

What Are the Pros and Cons of Using Homework Help Sites?

Homework help websites can be a great resource if you’re struggling in a subject, or even if you just want to make sure that you’re really learning and understanding topics and ideas that you’re interested in. But, there are some possible drawbacks if you don’t use these sites responsibly. 

We’ll go over the good–and the not-so-good–aspects of getting online homework help below. 

3 Pros of Using Homework Help Websites 

First, let’s take a look at the benefits. 

#1: Better Grades Beyond Homework

This is a big one! Getting outside help with your studies can improve your understanding of concepts that you’re learning, which translates into better grades when you take tests or write essays. 

Remember: homework is designed to help reinforce the concepts you learned in class. If you just get easy answers without learning the material behind the problems, you may not have the tools you need to be successful on your class exams…or even standardized tests you’ll need to take for college. 

#2: Convenience

One of the main reasons that online homework help is appealing is because it’s flexible and convenient. You don’t have to go to a specific tutoring center while they’re open or stay after school to speak with your teacher. Instead, you can access helpful resources wherever you can access the internet, whenever you need them.

This is especially true if you tend to study at off hours because of your extracurriculars, work schedule, or family obligations. Sites that offer 24/7 tutoring can give you the extra help you need if you can’t access the free resources that are available at your school. 

#3: Variety

Not everyone learns the same way. Maybe you’re more of a visual learner, but your teacher mostly does lectures. Or maybe you learn best by listening and taking notes, but you’re expected to learn something just from reading the textbook . 

One of the best things about online homework help is that it comes in a variety of forms. The best homework help sites offer resources for all types of learners, including videos, practice activities, and even one-on-one discussions with real-life experts. 

This variety can also be a good thing if you just don’t really resonate with the way a concept is being explained (looking at you, math textbooks!).

Not so fast. There are cons to homework help websites, too. Get to know them below!

3 Cons of Using Homework Help Websites 

Now, let’s take a look at the drawbacks of online homework help. 

#1: Unreliable Info

This can be a real problem. In addition to all the really good homework help sites, there are a whole lot of disreputable or unreliable sites out there. The fact of the matter is that some homework help sites don’t necessarily hire people who are experts in the subjects they’re talking about. In those cases, you may not be getting the accurate, up-to-date, and thorough information you need.

Additionally, even the great sites may not be able to answer all of your homework questions. This is especially true if the site uses an algorithm or chatbot to help students…or if you’re enrolled in an advanced or college-level course. In these cases, working with your teacher or school-provided tutors are probably your best option. 

#2: No Clarification

This depends on the service you use, of course. But the majority of them provide free or low-cost help through pre-recorded videos. Watching videos or reading info online can definitely help you with your homework… but you can’t ask questions or get immediate feedback if you need it .

#3: Potential For Scamming 

Like we mentioned earlier, there are a lot of homework help websites out there, and lots of them are scams. The review comments we read covered everything from outdated or wrong information, to misleading claims about the help provided, to not allowing people to cancel their service after signing up. 

No matter which site you choose to use, make sure you research and read reviews before you sign up–especially if it’s a paid service! 

When Does “Help” Become “Cheating”?

Admittedly, whether using homework help websites constitutes cheating is a bit of a grey area. For instance, is it “help” when a friend reads your essay for history class and corrects your grammar, or is it “cheating”? The truth is, not everyone agrees on when “help” crosses the line into “cheating .” When in doubt, it can be a good idea to check with your teacher to see what they think about a particular type of help you want to get. 

That said, a general rule of thumb to keep in mind is to make sure that the assignment you turn in for credit is authentically yours . It needs to demonstrate your own thoughts and your own current abilities. Remember: the point of every homework assignment is to 1) help you learn something, and 2) show what you’ve learned. 

So if a service answers questions or writes essays for you, there’s a good chance using it constitutes cheating. 

Here’s an example that might help clarify the difference for you. Brainstorming essay ideas with others or looking online for inspiration is “help” as long as you write the essay yourself. Having someone read it and give you feedback about what you need to change is also help, provided you’re the one that makes the changes later. 

But copying all or part of an essay you find online or having someone write (or rewrite) the whole thing for you would be “cheating.” The same is true for other subjects. Ultimately, if you’re not generating your own work or your own answers, it’s probably cheating.

5 Tips for Finding the Best Homework Help Websites for You

Now that you know some of our favorite homework help websites, free and paid, you can start doing some additional research on your own to decide which services might work best for you! Here are some top tips for choosing a homework help website. 

Tip 1: Decide How You Learn Best 

Before you decide which site or sites you’re going to use for homework help, y ou should figure out what kind of learning style works for you the most. Are you a visual learner? Then choose a site that uses lots of videos to help explain concepts. If you know you learn best by actually doing tasks, choose a site that provides lots of practice exercises.

Tip 2: Determine Which Subjects You Need Help With

Just because a homework help site is good overall doesn’t mean that it’s equally good for every subject. If you only need help in math, choose a site that specializes in that area. But if history is where you’re struggling, a site that specializes in math won’t be much help. So make sure to choose a site that you know provides high-quality help in the areas you need it most. 

Tip 3: Decide How Much One-On-One Help You Need 

This is really about cost-effectiveness. If you learn well on your own by reading and watching videos, a free site like Khan Academy is a good choice. But if you need actual tutoring, or to be able to ask questions and get personalized answers from experts, a paid site that provides that kind of service may be a better option.

Tip 4: Set a Budget

If you decide you want to go with a paid homework help website, set a budget first . The prices for sites vary wildly, and the cost to use them can add up quick. 

Tip 5: Read the Reviews

Finally, it’s always a good idea to read actual reviews written by the people using these homework sites. You’ll learn the good, the bad, and the ugly of what the users’ experiences have been. This is especially true if you intend to subscribe to a paid service. You’ll want to make sure that users think it’s worth the price overall!

What’s Next?

If you want to get good grades on your homework, it’s a good idea to learn how to tackle it strategically. Our expert tips will help you get the most out of each assignment…and boost your grades in the process.

Doing well on homework assignments is just one part of getting good grades. We’ll teach you everything you need to know about getting great grades in high school in this article.

Of course, test grades can make or break your GPA, too. Here are 17 expert tips that’ll help you get the most out of your study prep before you take an exam.

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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Friend copied my work without me knowing

Final grades came out today and one of my grades didn’t come out. Come to find out in an email this evening that my friend had copied my work for our last homework assignment and the professor had reported us to the Academic Honor Board. She got an extension on the homework while I turned mine in on-time. We always would meet in-person to work on past homework assignments and do our double-checks with each other (which the professor allowed us to do with no issue), but due to finals, we couldn’t find a time to meet, so I sent her my homework file over email for her to check hers over with. I didn’t explicitly write “use this to check over only,” but based on what we had done in the past, I didn’t think this time would be any different.

Apparently she ended up giving up at the end and copy and pasted some answers instead, which is what led to where we are now. We have to wait until February for the Honor Board to start hearing cases again, but I have set up a meeting with our professor as soon as I was able next week, and my friend is meeting with the professor right after me. Does anyone have any advice for me about how to present my case/how to go about this? I know now that I should not have sent my friend the homework file, but I did not ever think she would be desperate enough to fuck both of us over and copy it.

will i be rescinded for copying homework?

<p>My AP stat teacher caught me copying my french homework from someone today. It was a chain of people passing the hw around and copying but unfortunately I was caught :/. My stat teacher told my french teacher and when i talked to my french teacher after school she was really okay with it. she said not to do it again and that she was giving me a 0/2 for the assignment. I can take that because i still have an A in french. unfortunately, my stat teacher wants to write me up for it. She’s going to write me up along with 3 other people she caught with the homework. She told us it was a bad day to get caught doing this because she caught a couple homework cheaters a couple periods before. do you think it’s possible to get my acceptance to Cornell rescinded for this? I don’t want to condone the deed or give excuses, but last year there was a whole AP US cheating chain busted and nothing happened to them. Another kid stole the AP Biology midterm answers and he’s still going to NYU. Ugh I might email my AP stat teacher apologizing and saying that i need to clear my conscience.</p>

<p>no. 10 char</p>

<p>of course not</p>

<p>Three letters. L-O-L.</p>

<p>Five letters. T-R-O-L-L.</p>

<p>^I don’t think this is implausible though…very typical high school actually. I would NOT email the teacher because that makes a written record of the whole affair right there! Sleep on it, nothing’s going to happen over night, and then hopefully the stats teacher will have slept as well and will no longer be having that “bad day.” I don’t know exactly what it means to be written up, but Cornell will probably never know about it.</p>

<p>Hahaha</p>

<p>Learn how to copy homework, noob</p>

<p>unless she contacts Cornell directly I doubt they would even find out, you’re fine</p>

<p>At my kid´s school, where there is honor code, this incident could go to the honor board. This would be considered a form of cheating, and kids have been expelled for cheating. </p>

<p>It really depends on what your GC will do with the information if the teacher should write you up. If your GC is not going notify Cornell then there is no issue, otherwise you´ll have to explain it to Cornell. I would speak with your GC to see what you should do. I wouldn´t just ignore this and hope it would go away. The last thing you would want is for this teacher to write you up without your knowledge, and have Cornell find out when it´s too late for you to do anything.</p>

<p>My school’s the same as Oldfort’s kid’s school, so it would without a shadow of a doubt be sent to the college, and if it is, I do not doubt that they would rescind. Being even associated with cheating and caught is a major, major no-no in the Ivies, so if they catch wind of it, then you’re most likely screwed. However, judging from the laissez-faire approach your school seems to have to cheating, I doubt highly that your French teacher had it marked on your record for cheating. If she did, then you’ll be asked to explain to them the situation, and it may turn out quite poorly for you.</p>

<p>Couple of things here:</p>

<p>1) DO NOT CHEAT. Take your education into your own hands and be grateful for receiving one.</p>

<p>2) Don’t let Ms. Diabolical scare you, nothing of the sort will happen. There is absolutely no excuse for cheating, but top students are more prone to it than airheads. Getting two hours of sleep at night really takes its toll on you sometimes, but don’t do it again!! (:</p>

<p>If it is put on your record and forward to Cornell, you’re probably done. </p>

<p>If not, then you’re fine.</p>

<p>Pretty stupid move. There are very few things you can be rescinded for. Heck, you could’ve gotten an F on the assignment or the class even and be okay. But, colleges and grad schools in general have VERY low tolerance for any kind of academic violation.</p>

<p>Yup. One slip is all it takes and they are not forgiving like HS can be.</p>

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