JMU sororities in trouble for storing old exams
 

My mom pointed this article out to me this morning.... what are your thoughts? link to article

We had a test file drawer when I was in school, more for the practice than memorization of the answers.

If a professor is lazy enough and stupid enough to use the exact same exam semester after semester, then maybe he or she isn't earning his or her salary. Similarly, if a student memorizes the answers from an old test and the questions are mixed up, that student deserves the "F" that he or she would probably earn.

Give me a break. They're getting in trouble just because they're a sorority. I'm sure there's a ton of non-greeks who keep their old notes, tests, and papers and give it to their friends to use. It's not a big deal. I don't find it to be cheating. Cheating would be bringing these notes or tests into an exam with you. The only things these girls are doing is using these old tests to study from. If the professor is too lazy to change the exams every semester, then that's the professor's problem.

ETA- Looks like honeychile was typing at the same time as me and said the same thing about lazy professors. :) I knew a lot of them in my days. We had a few tests on file from back in 1997 and when I took an exam in 2002, it was the SAME EXACT TEST...nothing changed. You would think these professors would change their lesson plans over the years to reflect changes in research or trends.

Everyone has test banks.........they are just now figuring this out? Do yall think it's wrong to use the test banks? Just curious.........i've heard many different opinions.

The only way that collecting old tests could hurt academics in any way is if the profs or TAs give the same test over and over again, year after year. Which, IMHO, should be an "honor code" violation for the faculty, not the students, for sheer laziness.

Even the ETS (that produces the SAT and GRE exams) sell or otherwise distribute old tests as practice exams for people preparing the real thing. It's a good idea in principle.

--add

Completely ridiculous. I've never heard of test files being against an honor code. It's not like you take the test into the room with you. They'te to help you familiarize yourself with the prof's testing style...and if the professor is dumb/lazy enough to give the same test over and over, that's another issue.

If anything, the worker violated the "honor code" by snooping through the sororities' storage areas. I just hope to heaven neither of them had any ritual material stored there.

Have to agree........

I think it ridiculous. Our chapter has "test files". We use them to help each other study. Old exams and old notes go into them to help people, not to help them cheat.

One of my psychology professor's had his exams on file in the library. They were all the same questions he would ask on the exams. They were there to help you study. No answers were provided. It was up to you to look through the text book and notes to see if you had the right answer.

This is so stupid! Test files don't help you cheat. Like others have said, if the proffessor is too lazy to change the exam year after year then it's their own fault. Also, if it's a violation of their honour code, why are the professors had the exams back. At my school, most of the professors did not return the exam questions to you and you were required to turn in the question when you handed back your finished exam. They would check to make sure you did.

If the professors wanted to reuse the tests then they should have the students return them following the exam. That is just ridiculous. Everyone uses test banking, its not wrong to use old tests. If you don't want your exams floating around don't let them out of the room. Its that simple.

At my university, you used to be able to buy old exams from the bookstore. Now, you can download it for free if you're connected to the school's computer system.

It looks like the university understands that they were in the right.

I can't believe they actually made this part of their honor code though. It's basically admitting to having lazy professors who don't change exams from year to year.

-Rudey

We had test files in the Shelter way back in the 60's.

Seems to me that if the files help you memorize answers to what the instructors feel are important enough to test you on -- they've done a service to both professor and student.

That's probably why some mentioned above purposely allow their tests to be kept in a public place.

edit

Let me add this. When I was on the Adjunct Faculty at the University of Colorado J-School, my desire was for everyone in the class to learn something and get top marks -- everyone. Some faculty seem to consider grades to be a contest between them and the students.

While the famous "bell shaped curve" may be legitimate in many cases, I see nothing at all wrong with it being top heavy with A's as long as the student is learning the material.

At that time, there were no books in the topic I was teaching (TV Sports Production), so the class relied heavily on lectures and guest appearances by other professionals. My tests were all "open notes." Maybe I'm wrong, but I'll bet that having to go back through the notes to answer the questions made the knowledge "stick."

That logic might cause some gastric discomfort for professional teachers, so it's probably a good thing I'm not one of them.

But I got top reviews from my students on their evaluations.

According to the article, collecting old exams is against the school's honor code. If these kids agreed to the honor code, right or wrong, they're grownups and should be held accountable.

In this particular case though, the tests on file dated from 1951 to 1995 and the honor code provision was not yet in place. As the article said, these ladies are in the clear.

Now, why they'd be destroying the files is beyond me.

KT's point is correct, of course.

The question in my mind is why that is written into the code in the first place. Not sure this kind of thing is really thought through.

1995 was a long time ago for many classes. Think of all the advances in biological and anatomical courses, as well as history and political science, etc.