Okay to use WolframAlpha for homework?

September 18, 2009 10:39 AM

Would it be considered academic dishonesty to use WolframAlpha when doing a homework assignment in math?

My friend is taking a differential equations class, and is stumped on some of the problems, so she looks up the steps to solve them on wolframalpha. If she is attempting the problems before looking them up, and if she is learning from the process, is it considered cheating?

posted by Wordwoman to education (12 answers total)

I often used Wolfram's Mathematica when I was stumped with my math homework in college or didn't want to go through a tedious solve that I knew I could do by hand. Considering that all of the calculus courses I took were taught with us sitting at computers running Mathematica, I considered it fair game. Why else would they teach us how to use such a powerful tool? Was you friend taught earlier courses with Mathematica or a similar math package? If so, I'd consider it ok.
posted by zsazsa at 10:42 AM on September 18, 2009

i wouldn't think so.

when i had college algebra, the prof would give out handouts where he had solved like every 3rd or 4th problem so you could see how it was done if you couldn't figure it out.

in math, it's all about getting to the answer sometimes, not necessarily what the answer is.

as long as she is using to further her understanding and is actually going back and doing the problems, she should be fine.

if she really feels conflicted, she can talk to her prof (or teacher). it's not too much different than a tutor pointing out next steps when you are stumped.
posted by sio42 at 10:42 AM on September 18, 2009

What does her professor say?
posted by Admiral Haddock at 10:43 AM on September 18, 2009 [6 favorites]

I don't think so, as long as she's making an honest effort to learn, and then sits down and figures out exactly where she went wrong. If she's not doing that, then the exams will kick her ass, and it'll turn out that she's only been cheating herself.
posted by chrisamiller at 10:43 AM on September 18, 2009

I did a math degree, and assuming she's actually stumped and not just giving up too easily, then I wouldn't worry about it. Most of my profs went under the assumption that we all knew how to use Maple; some of my courses required us to hand in code (well we could have done it by hand, but cracking RSA by hand is unpleasant) and it's not a big deal. The exam will be the great leveler.

That being said, it's best if she can ask her prof about it - although I'd go through a TA or a class rep if she's worried.
posted by Lemurrhea at 10:54 AM on September 18, 2009

Admiral Haddock has it - the only person whose opinion really matters here is the professor's.
posted by restless_nomad at 10:55 AM on September 18, 2009

chrisamiller has it. When I was in college we had to go to the library and look up the answers to differential equations in BOOKS when we got stumped (get off my lawn!) - nothing new here. But if she doesn't doesn't really understand how the solution is arrived at it isn't much better than copying your homework from someone else: all it accomplishes is getting the assignment done. It's a good idea not to give up too soon as well: the learning accomplished after an infuriating period of banging your head against a wall drills deeper into the gray matter than any other.
posted by nanojath at 10:59 AM on September 18, 2009

The point of the homework is for you to learn/practice solving the problems (not necessarily to turn in perfect answers). I'd use it to help learn how to solve problems I couldn't get and to analyze what I was doing wrong.

It's conceptually no different than a calculus study group for the same purpose.
posted by plinth at 11:13 AM on September 18, 2009

I'd say its fair game.

You're going to have to know how to figure out the answers come exams right? You will have to know how these are done at some point.
posted by bitdamaged at 11:24 AM on September 18, 2009

If she's doing well on quizzes and exams then she must be learning what she needs to . If not then there is an issue here.
posted by white_devil at 11:27 AM on September 18, 2009

It'll come back to bite them come exam time, but I couldn't imagine that it's cheating.
posted by timdicator at 1:01 PM on September 18, 2009

The short answer is that different institutions have different policies about academic dishonesty. Without knowing her specific institution's policies, the best we can do is to speak from our own experience, try to play ethicist or just guess.

As Admiral Haddock suggests, the most honorable course would probably be to ask the instructor. As Lemurrhea suggests, if this is problematic, it's probably possible to ask a TA, grad assistant or somebody else in the department.
posted by box at 1:45 PM on September 18, 2009