Jerry and his friends spend a lot of time together socially, and they also take some of the same classes. They get together regularly in a study group to discuss the lectures and workshops, and talk through difficult concepts. These discussions help everyone to feel more confident with the course content.

Jerry’s tutor gives the class a homework assignment worth 5% of the course grade, to be completed individually. When Jerry’s study group meets, they work through the homework together and check each others’ answers before submitting. Is this ok?

Question

Jerry and his friends spend a lot of time together socially, and they also take some of the same classes. They get together regularly in a study group to discuss the lectures and workshops, and talk through difficult concepts. These discussions help everyone to feel more confident with the course content.

Jerry’s tutor gives the class a homework assignment worth 5% of the course grade, to be completed individually. When Jerry’s study group meets, they work through the homework together and check each others’ answers before submitting. Is this ok?

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Question restatement: Jerry and his friends study together socially and in class, discuss lectures, and sometimes work on the same topics. For an individual homework assignment worth 5% of the course grade, they meet as a group to work through the homework together and check each other’s answers before submitting. The query asks whether this is acceptable.
Option 1: 'No, it is not ok to work together on an individual assignment. This is collusion.' This option correctly flags the core issue: an assignment designated for independent completion, if completed with others or with shared answers, constitutes collusion and breaches typical academic integrity policies. It underscores the principle that individual work should be performed independently, even if the group discussion aids understanding.
Option 2: 'It is fine because this is how Jerry and his friends always work together.' This rationalization relies on precedent rather than policy. Past behavior does not determine the acceptability of submitting someone else’s work as if it were their own; policies require individual effort for an assignment labeled as such.
Option 3: 'It is fine because they all contributed.' While collaboration can be valuable for learning, the key issue is that the assignment is specified as individual work. Merely contributing to a group effort does not make the final submission appropriate for an individual grade if the work is shared or completed collectively.
Option 4: 'It is fine because together they come up with better ideas.' Although group discussions can enhance understanding, improving ideas does not negate the requirement for independent completion of an individual task. The integrity of the assessment depends on each student producing their own work, not on the perceived quality of the group product.
In summary, the central concern is whether an assignment labeled as individual is completed by one student without external input from others. Options 2, 3, and 4 stray from that standard by implying that collaboration or shared output is acceptable, whereas option 1 aligns with the principle that such collaboration on an individual assignment constitutes collusion and violates typical academic integrity guidelines.

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