> In germany, what you call cheating isnt even considered cheating.
Having taught computer science and HCI courses for ten years at German (Bavarian) universities, I can not agree.
Of course, some professors/groups are more interested in finding and addressing plagiarism than others. However, I have only once encountered a professor who didn't really care about a plagiarised thesis.
In general, addressing cheating is much easier in Germany, as professors and teaching assistants usually may (and have to) take appropriate measures themselves without involving deans and examination offices.
Typically, teaching assistants will check submitted assignments both manually and automatically (usually using MOSS or JPlag, sometimes custom scripts). If plagiarism is found, affected students are called in to a meeting with the teaching assistant to present their side. Unless students can present evidence that they are not at fault, they are given a stern talking and a failing grade. If students do not accept the outcome, they can ask for an appointment with the professor (very few do this). If the professor upholds the decision (which they ususally do), students may escalate the case to the dean. This is done very rarely (I know of only one case).
In my experience, staff at German universities definitely cares about countering cheating. We will certainly never catch every cheater.
However, I would even argue that addressing cheating is easier in Germany, as the process is generally more light-weight than at Anglo-American universities. As students face fewer consequences for admitting cheating (just failing the course, not getting expelled), they usually accept these consequences and try not to get caught again.
I'm not talking about Theses. I'm talking about "übungszettel".
I'm aware of the fact that bavaria takes a bit of a harsher stance on this.
In Heidelberg, nobody gives even the slightest crap about "cheating". But as I said, it isn't considered cheating anyway. Students are expected to collaborate on these things.
> I'm not talking about Theses. I'm talking about "übungszettel".
Sorry for the confusion. While I mentioned theses in passing, my statements were about programming assignments in undergraduate courses where students were expected to turn in individual, original work.
> I'm aware of the fact that bavaria takes a bit of a harsher stance on this.
I'm actually not aware of this fact. In my experience, how cheating is addressed depends much more on the stance of the individual professor than on that of the university or federal state. Extrapolating from your experience at one department within one university to all universities in Germany seems audacious.
Having taught computer science and HCI courses for ten years at German (Bavarian) universities, I can not agree.
Of course, some professors/groups are more interested in finding and addressing plagiarism than others. However, I have only once encountered a professor who didn't really care about a plagiarised thesis.
In general, addressing cheating is much easier in Germany, as professors and teaching assistants usually may (and have to) take appropriate measures themselves without involving deans and examination offices.
Typically, teaching assistants will check submitted assignments both manually and automatically (usually using MOSS or JPlag, sometimes custom scripts). If plagiarism is found, affected students are called in to a meeting with the teaching assistant to present their side. Unless students can present evidence that they are not at fault, they are given a stern talking and a failing grade. If students do not accept the outcome, they can ask for an appointment with the professor (very few do this). If the professor upholds the decision (which they ususally do), students may escalate the case to the dean. This is done very rarely (I know of only one case).
In my experience, staff at German universities definitely cares about countering cheating. We will certainly never catch every cheater.
However, I would even argue that addressing cheating is easier in Germany, as the process is generally more light-weight than at Anglo-American universities. As students face fewer consequences for admitting cheating (just failing the course, not getting expelled), they usually accept these consequences and try not to get caught again.