In many computer science classes you will work alongside a partner solving a problem using a technique known as pair programming. Collectively, you are expected to solve a problem by working together, this is known as collaboration. Collaboration is an important skill and one you will apply throughout much of your time at Westminster, as well as working professionally. Alternatively, cheating occurs when you submit work that is not your own. Whereas collaboration is routinely practiced, and in fact is often expected, cheating is not acceptable, and can lead to negative grades in school, or in the professional workplace, possible getting fired.
A first cheating offense will earn a grade of zero on the assignment or exam, and a second offense will receive a failing grade for the course.
Both two partners involving in a cheating will be penalized. For example, in a homework, student A sent his/her code to student B and both A and B submitted almost same code. Both A and B are cheating in this homework.
Any cheating offense will be reported to the Dean of Students.
lab
You work with a lab partner during the lab period on a lab intended as a pair programming exercise. You do not complete the lab during the lab period. During the following week, you do not complete the lab, but your partner does. You ask your partner for their code and submit their completed work.
You do "work" with a lab partner in or out of the class. However, you almost do not contribute anything to the work and you probably even do not understand most parts of the code.
You miss a lab period, but someone in the lab gives you their code as a starting point. You then complete the lab together.
homework
You are working on a homework assignment and are having difficulty understanding the problem. You ask a friend in the class for some help, and they sit at your laptop and enter some code that partially completes the homework. The code you submit includes some of their work.
You are having a hard time on a homework assignment, and find some code online that helps you solve the problem. You copy and paste the code and submit it as part of your assignment.
You and a friend in class work alongside one another on a homework assignment, you both type in your own code, but are working together and come up with nearly identical code.
Exam
You work with a lab partner during the lab period on a lab intended as a pair programming exercise. You complete the lab during the lab period, and both submit the same code.
You work with a lab partner during the lab period on a lab intended as a pair programming exercise. You do not complete the lab during the lab period, but meet during the week after and complete the lab as a pair, and both submit the same code.
You are working on a homework assignment, and do not fully understand the logic error you are getting. You notice a friend in class come by, and you ask them to look at your code for some help. Working together, you identify the bug and fix it.
You and a friend talk about different possible algorithms you may use to solve a homework assignment, but implement the assignment independently.
You are having trouble finding a logic error in a homework assignment, and ask your friend to take a look at it. They work with you and help you find the error, and you fix the error.
You stop by the math/tutoring center for some help with a homework assignment. They provide some help with compile errors, as well as a few logic errors. By the end of the tutoring session, your program is working correctly.