Is it a collusion?

[Marazm]

Hello everyone!

I will clearly describe my case. There are two people involved: me and my colleague. I attend Physics HL, my colleague attends SL. We are tutored by two different teachers.

I was given a task to investigate Hooke' law, and write a Lab Report from that experiment. This was my very first LR. Deadline: two weeks after conduction of research. I wrote a work and gave it to submission. SL group had the same task, but given later. My work was already checked before the deadline of SL. My Lab Report was the best in the group. After "moderation" I started boasting myself: "F*** yeah, 14 on 18 points!". My colleague asked me if I could borrow him my LR, because his deadline was in 1 day, and he didn't knew how particular sections should look like. I proposed him that I would scan my checked LR with adnotations from teacher, so he would not to commit my errors, which would result in better work. He said: "no, no, just send me doc file". I agreed.

But after two weeks, he told me that his teacher had doubts if his work was actually made by him. "So, in case of emergency, you helped me". OK, I responded. But on the Physics lesson, my teacher said that a malpractice occured, and people involved should be aware of that. I told, that i helped my mate in preparation of his LR. Teacher responded: "Yeah, ok, you might have helped him. But I'm not sure if you know that he copied your work". Then she showed our works. It was obvious - he copied whole paragraphs, predicted graph in Design was mine. He didn't even change symbols. He committed the same mistake - data was processed using the first value from the table, not from the graph. It was obvious that he commited plagiarism.

Later that day, he was sorry, he said it was idiotic, etc. He stated that he will avow every accusation so I will be clear. Yeah, I was sad, angry, it did hurt, but I forgave him.

Now let's proceed to the "main body". "School's court of justice" is going to be made up on Monday. I think that I will be interrogated. I want to tell the truth. It's ironic in some way - I often lie to my parents, but I want to be honest during the trial. My question is: Did I commit a collusion or any kind of malpractice? Collusion is permission given by one student to another student to copy his work. I didn't give him any kind of that permission. In fact, he copied my work without my knowledge.

So why did I send him my LR?

-it was already checked, so it was clear it was mine

-it is in the database

-I am aware of the existence of anticheat systems - I am registered on www.turnitin.com

-I trusted him, that he would use it only as a model

Having read first four facts do you any hole, which would provide an incentive to commit plagiarism? In my opinion, it is a perfect system, so I didn't even suspect that he would do such stupid thing.

But the question is the same: Am I involved in an act of colussion?

Edited December 8, 2012 by Marazm

[Guest HayashiEsme]

First of all, I'm really sorry to hear about all of this:( I do think that you shouldn't be faulted for this, I just think the guy's pretty dim for trying to copy your work.

If I were you, I really wouldn't worry about this, and with your friend being happy enough to take all the fault for this, and from what you've posted, it seems like your teacher doesn't fault you for this either. I'd just go into the trial being, like you said, honest and life can go on again:)

I mean, at the end of the day, your school's there to help you get an education, to grow as a person - and nothing more. If being involved in this does pose a threat to your career as a student, I'd be really surprised.

Edited December 8, 2012 by HayashiEsme

[Arrowhead]

Taking it from a strictly procedural standpoint, it would depend on the particular policies of your school student handbook and conduct and the relevant considerations of the IB in general.

You shouldn't have anything to worry about ideally. If your friend follows through on his promise and disavows you of any malpractice or collusions, you will not be involved in any sentencing, but, if the school decides to use you and your friend as an example (which, since you're at the beginning of the programme, they might indeed), you might get a warning, which probably will and should not make it to your final transcript.

If in that situation (which is unlikely), you should have a written submission filed to challenge the warning (or the equivalent procedure in your school).

But I wouldn't worry about it too much and next time you hand over work to a friend, you should specify at the outset that if they plagiarised you would not take to it kindly and furthermore, you're happy to assist them if they really need it (and if you have the time as well of course).

Edited December 9, 2012 by Arrowhead

[Marazm]

Thx for all your replies. After few days i actually know nothing. I wasn't interrogated yet (and I am not sure if I would ever be). My colleague gave me some information:

-as the work was not intended to be sent for moderation, the results of such plagiarism are negligible

-court of justice is rather going to rely on in-school constitution (there is nothing about drop-out or post in the student's briefcase), not the IB (but I still don't know if the court has been introduced to the case)

-I should not worry about myself

[Marazm]

I was wrong, my chemistry teacher was connoisseur in my case. She said that, yeah, I was unlucky. Because I wanted to help somebody, and this person had unclear intentions. What's more, as I sent him the digital version of lab it may be interpreted as a collusion, despite the facts (written above). A day after she gave an opinion I was posted to the headmaster. She wanted me to clearly describe what happened. After giving my testimony, I asked if it was a collusion. Yeah, it was, again, in spite of the facts.

Why? Because while you send your work via internet, you actually get get rid of your copyrights (which is forbidden by the IB). If you send sth to the Internet, it's usually impossible to remove it from the Network. And somebody may use your work in the future, somebody who lives on the other continet, but anticheat system will recognize the plagiarism. But as these lab reports were very first, trial, and they weren't intended to be sent to moderation, IBO would not be introduced to the case. And thus, IB laws weren't used, but school laws. However, in case of plagiarism, student has 1 from the work, lowered grade from bahavior, reprimand from the headmaster in presence of parents, and he writes the work again. In case of collusion, student isn't given a chance to write the work again.

Now I get zero points from Lab report. Headmaster said, that this particular law is not fair, because, to some extent it wasn't my fault. And secondly, why the "bad student" (my colleague) has that chance, and "unlucky one" (me) not. The law is going to be changed, and now I have that chance. The IB-coordinator who was present during interrogation said also, that it is difficult to write sth new on the very narrow topic which is Hooke's law, so I should not start writing a lab, because he is going to speak with my physics teacher. Maybe I will be given another task.

So actually, it could turn out to be worse. The fact that this was a trial lab helped me very much. However, now my really good Lab Report has turned into a "**** of paper". Of course, I have real chance to write even better lab, which would be again "the first and trial Lab", but may be difficult to gain again 6 points for Design and 5 for Conclusion. However, I have also real chance to gain more than 3 pts for DCP.

[Arrowhead]

I was wrong, my chemistry teacher was connoisseur in my case. She said that, yeah, I was unlucky. Because I wanted to help somebody, and this person had unclear intentions. What's more, as I sent him the digital version of lab it may be interpreted as a collusion, despite the facts (written above). A day after she gave an opinion I was posted to the headmaster. She wanted me to clearly describe what happened. After giving my testimony, I asked if it was a collusion. Yeah, it was, again, in spite of the facts.

Why? Because while you send your work via internet, you actually get get rid of your copyrights (which is forbidden by the IB). If you send sth to the Internet, it's usually impossible to remove it from the Network. And somebody may use your work in the future, somebody who lives on the other continet, but anticheat system will recognize the plagiarism. But as these lab reports were very first, trial, and they weren't intended to be sent to moderation, IBO would not be introduced to the case. And thus, IB laws weren't used, but school laws. However, in case of plagiarism, student has 1 from the work, lowered grade from bahavior, reprimand from the headmaster in presence of parents, and he writes the work again. In case of collusion, student isn't given a chance to write the work again.

Now I get zero points from Lab report. Headmaster said, that this particular law is not fair, because, to some extent it wasn't my fault. And secondly, why the "bad student" (my colleague) has that chance, and "unlucky one" (me) not. The law is going to be changed, and now I have that chance. The IB-coordinator who was present during interrogation said also, that it is difficult to write sth new on the very narrow topic which is Hooke's law, so I should not start writing a lab, because he is going to speak with my physics teacher. Maybe I will be given another task.

So actually, it could turn out to be worse. The fact that this was a trial lab helped me very much. However, now my really good Lab Report has turned into a "**** of paper". Of course, I have real chance to write even better lab, which would be again "the first and trial Lab", but may be difficult to gain again 6 points for Design and 5 for Conclusion. However, I have also real chance to gain more than 3 pts for DCP.

Well that's certainly disappointing news, but I hope this doesn't turn you away from helping friends/colleagues in the future. It is an admirable quality, just be a little tight-gripped with your work and be careful whom you give it to.

Honestly, if I was in your place, I would have thrown a fit. I would have drafted a formal submissions, explained what exactly a collusion is and shown how I was not involved. In fact, if you want me to help you draft an appeal to the conviction, I'm happy to do so. This entire affair seems unfair and just left a bad taste in my mouth.

PM me with the facts and we can put together a scary-looking legal document imploring the school to reconsider its decision. Since Winter Break started for me today, I actually need a new project until next week when I start my dissertation. Let me know if you want to do it.

[Marazm]

No, no. I agree with the sentence. In fact, the headmistess convinced me that what I've done was a collusion. I like her explanation and I know that every expert in IB will state the same about my act. But anyway thx for an offer.

[Marah]

Hhello my name is marie and something bad happen to me and i dont Know what to do

not running round the bush i made an ia with topic optimization which got approved by my math teacher however three months later i showed my ia of math to a friend (which already had an ia) to check my english however some days later she change her ia to the same topic i had. i warned her to change as ther could be collusion however she said it was alright later on the teacher told us we had similar work same contents and formula used and someone needed to change and as i was the first on it she was suppos to but she is refusing in risk of getting both our work into trouble

i dont know what to do with the deadline soon is not fair i am suffering that while she is the one who tecnically got inspired from my ia to do hers. Any help???