A Brief Investigation of Exam Questions Posted to Tutoring Websites

A Darker Side of Modern ChE Education

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18260/2-1-370.660-129701

Abstract

Tutoring websites can facilitate and incentivize students to upload course materials in violation of syllabus and copyright policies. In a study investigating the prevalence of instructor-generated exam problems appearing online, 23.3% of all investigated problems appeared on tutoring websites, with those from an online graduate course appearing more frequently (74.7%) than traditionally-delivered undergraduate courses (11.2%). Reasons for this disparity as well as strategies to minimize this type of academic misconduct are presented.

Author Biographies

Javier Huayta, North Carolina State University

Javier Huayta received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from National University of San Marcos (UNMSM), located in Lima, Peru. He completed an M.S. in Chemical Engineering at NC State. Currently, he is a Chemical Engineering Ph.D. candidate at NC State, working on elucidating the interplay between environmental factors and genetic pathways that extend lifespan in the nematode C. elegans with Dr. Adriana San Miguel. ORCID: 0000-0001-9857-6080

Zachary S. Campbell, North Carolina State University

Zachary S. Campbell is currently a Chemical Engineering PhD candidate at NC State University focusing on the synthesis and application of metal oxide microparticles with Dr. Milad Abolhasani. He received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from NC State University, and was a visiting researcher with the Institut de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Bordeaux (ICMCB). ORCID: 0000-0003-1684-8316

Matthew E. Cooper, North Carolina State University

Matthew E. Cooper is a Teaching Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NC State. After receiving a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Ohio University, he served as a researcher at RTI International before joining the NC State faculty in 2011. Dr. Cooper’s research interests include effective teaching, process safety decision-making skills, and best practices for online education. He also hosts the In The (Fume) Hood chemical engineering education podcast. ORCID: 0000-0003-1060-4628

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Published

2022-04-09

Issue

Vol. 56 No. 2 (2022): Spring 2022

Section

Manuscripts