Memo for Terry Chou’s Progress Report

To: Dr. Erika Paterson, ENGL301 Professor
From: Terry Chou, ENGL301 Student
Date: March 14, 2022

Subject: English 301 Progress Report on Addressing the Issue of Academic Misconduct in CPSC 110

Intended Audience:

UBC Computer Science (CPSC) 110 Teaching Team, including course instructors led by Professor Gregor Kiczales, the course coordinator, and teaching assistants.

Purpose of the Report

The purpose of this report is to investigate and address the problem of academic misconduct in CPSC 110 at UBC. Specifically, the report aims to provide actionable recommendations to the CPSC 110 Teaching Team, which can promote a culture of academic integrity and reduce academic dishonesty in the course.

Significance of the Report

Academic misconduct is a serious issue that affects the integrity of the academic community and can have negative consequences for individual students and the reputation of the institution. CPSC 110 is a crucial foundational course in computer science at UBC, and academic dishonesty has been increasing, posing a threat to academic integrity. Addressing academic misconduct in this course is essential to maintain academic standards and facilitate a positive learning environment.

Report Objectives

• To identify the most prevalent forms of academic misconduct in CPSC 110.
• To investigate the reasons behind the increase in academic misconduct in recent terms.
• To investigate the effectiveness of providing additional training or workshops to the TAs to detect suspected academic misconduct.
• To provide recommendations to the CPSC 110 Teaching Team on how to address academic misconduct in the course.

Methods:

Primary data collection via an online survey given to TAs of the CPSC 110 Teaching Team. Attached is the link to the survey questions being used to gather data for this report: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0vqZ2FeKpubcXKC

Secondary sources will include researching different approaches to address academic misconduct in similar courses.

Formal Report Outline

Attached is the link to the formal report outline:

https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl30199c2022w2/2023/03/13/formal-report-outline-terry-chou

Research Plan

To conduct a thorough investigation and provide actionable recommendations, I plan to:

• Develop ethical survey questions to avoid personal or sensitive questions.
• Identify various types of academic misconduct in CPSC 110 and gather relevant examples.
• Conduct online surveys to collect information about the incidence of academic misconduct and its impact.
• Use secondary research such as literature reviews to supplement primary sources.
• Analyze data to identify patterns and trends related to academic misconduct in CPSC 110.
• Synthesize the findings to provide recommendations to the CPSC 110 Teaching Team.

Writing Schedule

Attached is my writing schedule for the coming months:

• March 15: Post Progress Report of the Formal Report
• March 17: Send the survey to current CPSC 110 TAs if approved
• March 19–24: Conduct literature reviews on the issue of academic misconduct
• March 24: Complete data gathering and compile the survey findings
• March 25: Analyze data and begin drafting the formal report
• March 29: Post the draft of the Formal Report
• April 3: Receive peer review and make necessary edits
• April 9: Complete final revisions of the formal report
• April 12: Submit the formal report

Thank you for taking the time to review and please contact me if you have any suggestions or inquiries.