14 weeks after the 1st class, I've just had a student come to see me asking for an account so he and his 3 friends can complete the assignment I set in February ... Theories: (1) They've really been working hard at home using a laptop as he maintains, or (2) they've done no work (despite assuring me they were comfortable with their group and had started planning the project in our meeting before Easter) and plan to copy the work off someone or (3) they already have copied the work/paid for it to be done/made a deal with satan. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to the viva they've signed-up for next week!
Seriously: You might ask "should I not have policed the accounts better and identified the stragglers, chivvied them along, checked to make sure they were attending and coping with the work, given them a shoulder to cry on and generally changed their nappies for them?" This is a fewkin level 3 module! They've been here for 3 years (at least!) and I think I'm justified in leaving these supposedly older/maturer/wiser students to sort the basics out themselves ... I give them lectures, lecture notes, weekly exercises, lab sessions with twice the usual number of available tutors, exercise walk-throughs, group meetings and discussion forums. Anything else? Oh yes: Respect! I respect the fact that they are final year students and leave the "nannying" to level 1 and (sadly) level 2. So, in the words of a colleague: If you're a student, tattoo this on your heart/eyelids/mobile phone "If I don't turn up, I don't deserve to fucking pass!" (Apologies for the swearing ... it's been an annoying couple of days!)
Update 13th May: Quelle surprise... The above dimwits group could not explain a single (important) thing about their code in their 10 minute viva/presentation that turned into a 45 minute remake: "Desperately Seeking Reason" starring me as the person giving the "lost ones" every opportunity to prove me wrong & show some understanding ... alas, it was not to be! We're all off to another plagiarism inquiry instead :-(
Update: What a waste! 1 hour wasted writing to the students to invite them to a hearing, 1 hour wasted (2 staff) interviewing them and 1 hour wasted writing to inform them they're guilty and will receive "zero crates" for the piece of work their "cousin" did for them. <gloom>
