Northeastern University investigates possible Internet cheating April 7, 2000 Web posted at: 1:27 AM EDT (0527 GMT)

BOSTON (AP) -- Northeastern University is investigating whether 30 freshmen cheated on a physics assignment by exploiting a glitch in an Internet-based homework program.

The students turned in identical homework assignments in an introductory physics class , though the WebAssign.net program is supposed to give each a different set of problems, the school said Thursday.

According to teacher Nathan Israeloff and Brian Pittman, WebAssign's senior programmer, the students discovered that entering the Web site numerous times on the same computer would generate identical questions.

WebAssign.net has redesigned the program. The North Carolina State University-based Web site is used by about 200 high schools and colleges and 40,000 people nationwide daily.

First-time cheaters could be placed on disciplinary probation and required to attend a class on academic dishonesty, school spokeswoman Janet Hookailo said. The maximum punishment could be expulsion.

http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/04/07/cheating.probe.ap/index.html

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), April 07, 2000

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Title: Northeastern University scandal focuses on Internet glitch

The Associated Press

BOSTON (April 6, 2000 5:06 p.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) - Northeastern University is investigating possible cheating by at least 30 freshmen physics students who used an homework service program on the Internet, school officials said Thursday.

"We have been looking into it. We have a very strong student code of conduct. We do not tolerate cheating," said Northeastern spokeswoman Janet Hookailo.

The trouble started when someone apparently discovered a glitch in the homework program, WebAssign.net, the school said. The glitch allowed assignments to be copied from one student file to another.

Officials said freshmen in an introductory physics class last quarter turned in identical homework assignments, even though the program is supposed to give each student a different set of problems.

According to Nathan Israeloff, the associate professor of the physics class, and Brian Pittman, WebAssign's senior programmer, the Northeastern students taking "Physics for Scientists and Engineers" discovered that entering the Web site numerous times on the same computer would generate identical questions, even if the students used different passwords and user IDs.

The North Carolina State University-based Web site is used by about 200 high schools and colleges and 40,000 people around the country each day.

WebAssign.net since has redesigned the program, which promises professors and students benefits such as immediate feedback, fewer grading errors, more practice with difficult problems and the elimination of monotonous grading.

Several students have turned themselves in, Israeloff said. Others may be declared innocent if they can prove their actions were a mistake, or that another student stole their answers.

Northeastern officials said punishment for the students could range from probation to expulsion.

Hookailo said university administrators had first heard of the cheating Wednesday. She said first-time cheaters could be placed on disciplinary probation and required to attend a class on academic dishonesty.

"When you have a group of freshmen, 18 or 19 years old, they don't always make the best life decisions," she said. "We need to make certain that they understand this is a bad thing to do."

http://www.nandotimes.com/technology/story/0,1643,500189757-500255464- 501305193-0,00.html

-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), April 07, 2000.