Should we be giving away answers?

Question

Very often, students (presumably high school and early college) will ask very specific questions on the general science, physics, chemistry, and math boards. I'm sure this happens on other boards, as well. These questions clearly come from homework assignments, extra credit assignments, exams and the like. The question is, do we violate academic integrity by giving away answers? Or are we bound by a social contract that if a user asks a question, we are required to give an answer? Who wins? Who loses?

Answer 1

1) we don't violate anything by giving answers, the student does by asking then using them. They stand to lose a lot if they get caught, so they should take the decision.

2) Instead of just giving out the answer, I try to guide the person towards the answer if I sense that the question is a direct homework question. Or I give a web site.
I note that I am not the only one who does that.

3) As a teacher, I found it easy to say which students cheated. The web makes it easier for teachers to confirm that a student has cheated in this fashion.

4) As an employer, I can quickly find out if the new employee understands what he (or she) is supposed to know from his course. If he doesn't, out.

5) I do not mind an occasional call for help. In the life of all students, there is always a day where the brain freezes up and you just can't get through an assignment. The problem comes when a student does this regularly (however, read 3 and 4 above).

Answer 2

I've always liked sharing knowledge, especially in areas that I think are really cool. I find that sometimes people are not so put off towards certain subjects once they start to get a handle on it and no longer feel overwhelmed. I try to explain how to think through the problem to get to the question or point them in the right direction. If I find others have posted answers that I don't agree with, then I might go into more detail because clearly it isn't only the asker that needs some help.

I totally hear you, when you say that some of the questions are homework questions. I figure even if you are a deligent student, you may not know the answer to every question. Or someone else can use the answer to figure out a similar problem. Also some students may be afraid to ask questions in class or not have many resources. (I know, I'm an optomist.) Besides, it is pretty easy to figure out who is just mindlessly copying.

I answered one question on probabilities by explaing the rules and working through a couple of the problems as examples to do the rest. The person had the nerve to yell at me for not giving all of the answers!! He then reposted the question and tried to brag to me how he was able to get all the answers. I looked the other answers and they were obviously not all correct. The bottom line is that he is going to have to take the test by himself, and it will be obvious he has no understanding.

So yes, people get answers to their homework; this is nothing new. In fact, I think it is good to ask for help. The ones that pay the price in the end are the ones that do not take it as an opportunity to learn and that's an individual choice.

Answer 3

Students are usually bound by Honor code. That is, if their HW assignment says that they are supposed to work on it alone, it is their responcibility not to cheat. Let them grow up and learn to take this responcibility.

We are not bound by any social contracts to answer any questions. You answer only if you feel like it.

There are million of ways to cheat. They existed before the interned was created. With this one, there is always 3-5 contradictory answers. At least, they get to think which one to pick.

I wouldn't assume that every student who asks questions here is cheating. If you think about it, not every kid has the same ooportunity. You maybe thinking to your old days, when you could go to your dad if you had questions on your middle school assignment, and your dad whould give you hints but not answers. Well, that's great. But I'd rather them ask their questions here if they have no dad, and if their mom is an alcoholic then not ask those questions at all.

Answer 4

I think Pat's right. If all the student cares about is providing a correct answer on the homework, without learning the process to arrive at that answer, then they're not going to do well on any tests or quizes. Fortunately, many who answer questions in the math and science forums usually give an explanation of who to calculate the correct answers. Hopefully, the student pays attention and learns something.

Answer 5

Asking or answering questions does not violate academic integrity as far as I know. This is something I enjoy doing in my spare time and I don't feel that I am bound by a social contract to answer any question that I don't want to answer. Who wins or who loses is anyone's guess.

Answer 6

You are certainly under no obligation to answer any question if you don't want to. Sometimes students can benefit from seeing how you solve the problem. If it looks like a blatant attempt to cheat, you could always provide a plausible-looking wrong answer, perhaps based on some law of physics you just made up.

Answer 7

You already know the answer. The students are really shortchanging themselves as they will likely perform worse on tests by not developing good study habits and later in life when skills like math and critical thinking become necessity..

Answer 8

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Answer 9

yo i dont know but if there was no one to answer the questions you could not share them and you could not debate them and you could not tell the student no they are wrong when someone gives them the wrong answer does it matter if someone loses or wins arnt you just glad someone might no the answer when you were totally lost not knowing how to find it

Answer 10

Sure, why not..
What else are you going to do with the information in your head ?
If you don't get it out by answering questions..
Your head could get full and explode...