Student Faces Expulsion Over Facebook Study Group

At my school there is an online program called Blackboard that is DESIGNED for students to collaborate online. It was set-up by the school and is actively promoted by many professors. Not very many students actually use it though, but to call such conversations cheating is frankly absurd.

The student in the article should sue that professor back to the stone age and maybe the teacher should get fired.

At my school there is an online program called Blackboard that is DESIGNED for students to collaborate online. It was set-up by the school and is actively promoted by many professors. Not very many students actually use it though, but to call such conversations cheating is frankly absurd.

The student in the article should sue that professor back to the stone age and maybe the teacher should get fired.

Sorry, I didn't mean to post that twice. I thought that it hadn't posted the first time.

This crap has gone to farr it is my knowledge of computers supply to colleges was for studies for the people who could not afford their own then tell me why this study area and use is being apply towards my space or face book by others that cheat the students that really need it use take note this must be controled

The professor is old society. He's just pissed because he didn't think of it himself. He needs to take early retirement.

Roger, you can't even spell using spell check. Your diction is terrible so get off the computer ya redneck!

Methinks the good Professor is reacting to something he doesn't understand. Unless online collaboration had been specifically prohibited in advance, I can't see any justification for changing the student's grade from a B to an F.

This isn't high school we're talking about, this is college, and unique solutions to problems are generally lauded. College students today are doing all sorts of things online that weren't available in their parents' generation.

The Professor (or even better, the university) needs to have policies in place to deal with situations like this. In the absence of them, penalizing the first student to think of it is, IMHO, grossly unfair and possibly illegal.

There is no difference between using on-line research to complete a project/assignment and setting up an on-line study group. If the use of technology is a problem, then all students at all levels should be required to do research the old school method since that would level the playing field and stop leaving students without ready computer access at a huge disadvantage and instead really reflect who is actually intelligent and who is nothing more than a cheater.

I don't see it as being any different than the use of Blackboard. As long as it cannot be accessed during an actual test, meaning that cell phones and text messaging should be off, then it isn't cheating. I loved what study groups I could be involved in during my college career! It should be encouraged at a high school level as well. Geez...

The student even admits that the professor explicitly said to work independently.... guilty - case closed.

The thing taht bothers me about this is that there are 145 other members of the group and they are not charged with anything.

No where in the article does it say that the student said that the professor said students had to work independently. In fact, "students are permitted to meet in person to help each other with assignments." I see no difference between meeting in person or talking online about it. I've done it myself, and it is much less of a hassle because you don't have to figure out where/when to actually meet. Which is an absolute God send, because no two students have the same exact schedule or time available to meet. The professor needs to suck it up, and if he can prove the students were actually cheating with the group, then let the pieces fall where they may.

Man, Roger, your post is difficult to read! A little sentence structure and punctuation might help. I have to guess at your meaning, which leaves you open to misinterpretation. Perhaps that is what you intend, but what's the point?

Thirty years of quality control work compells me to observe that, if the class rules do not specifically exclude on-line study groups, then the class rules share responsibility in any actual or perceived violation. If study activities did not take the ethical form or function of cheating, then the only complaint can be that students took an initiative, and that should be commendable, not condemable.

another typical dumbass college professor

ARKdeERAH's lawsuit comment is an example of why the current presidential administration wants to limit frivilous lawsuits and their awards... ...there are much better ways the university might deal with this. I can see the student/group being easily vindicated and the professor being censured,fined, publicly humbled, etc, but gimme a break with the lawsuit...!

The prof. should go play in traffic.

If people like this Ryerson student want privacy on their social networking sites, they should consider posting legal terms of service to that effect. See http://hack-igations.blogspot.com/2007/11/privacy-advocates-such-as-nyu-professor.html The idea is not legal advice for anyone (or a substitute for counsel by a lawyer), just something to think about. --Ben

If you can't ultimately complete the work on your own and think for yourself, you fail. Losers rely on others to get the job done.