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@MyBCU www.facebook.com/birminghamcityuniversity #contractcheating 1
Outsourcing Assignments? Exposing The Threat Posed By Contract
Cheating To The Computing Industry
Thomas Lancaster & Robert ClarkeBCS Wolverhampton
Wednesday, 24 April 2013
@MyBCU www.facebook.com/birminghamcityuniversity #contractcheating 3
What We’re Covering…
An introduction to contract cheating, suitable for both IT practitioners and academics
(not
a research heavy talk, but our research has informed the session)
The focus is on:Examples of contract cheatingExtent and areas of contract cheatingIntroduction to the detection of contract cheatingRecommendations for the IT sector
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Who Are We?
Dr. Thomas Lancaster
Senior Lecturer in Computing
PhD “Effective And Efficient Plagiarism Detection”
CD BSc Computer Science
Robert Clarke
Educational Consultant
Visiting Lecturer/Principal Lecturer
30 Years Experience Teaching At BCU
“Detective Bob”
@MyBCU www.facebook.com/birminghamcityuniversity #contractcheating 6
Wouldn’t It Be Nice?
If you could have someone do your job for you?!
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US Employee ‘Outsourced Job To China’“A security check on a US company has reportedly
revealed one of its staff was outsourcing his work to China.
The software developer, in his 40s, is thought to have spent his workdays surfing the web, watching cat
videos on YouTube and browsing Reddit and eBay.He reportedly paid just a fifth of his six‐figure salary to
a company based in Shenyang to do his job.”
BBC News, 16 January 2013 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology‐21043693
@MyBCU www.facebook.com/birminghamcityuniversity #contractcheating 8
Cat Videos?
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=cat+videos
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Hiring Workers Can Be Legitimate
http://www.freelancer.com
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Outsourcing Websites Can Be Useful…
For Companies
Bring in technical skills that you the company lacks
Reduce administrative workloads
Use workers from cost‐ effective
economies
Get more projects completed
For Contractors
Find additional work
Make longer‐term contacts
Access jobs outside your local area
Develop a part‐time income
Get positive testimonials
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Leads To A Competitive Tender Process
http://www.freelancer.com/projects/PHP‐Java/find‐code‐location‐within‐image.html
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Where Contract Cheating Comes In…
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The Problem?
http://www.freelancer.com/projects/Financial‐Research‐Finance/word‐essay‐finance‐trade.html
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Project Description:
2500 words; Due in 5 days;
High quality; Zero Plagiarism;
Send me PM about your background and qualifications and I
will send you file details.
There will be a steady stream of essays, and I look forward to long term cooperation if this one is good.
Skills required: Academic Writing, Business Analysis, Finance, Financial
Markets, Financial Research
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We Also Know…
(as of 23 April 2013)
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What We Have Is Known As Contract Cheating
Contract cheating occurs when a student has original work produced for them, which they then submit for academic credit
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Categories Of University Coursework Cheating
Collusioncopying from students
in same cohort
ContractCheating
work is produced by an external agent
Plagiarismcopying from books
or internet
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More Contract Cheating Sources
Friends and family“Will you help me – you’ve studied this before?”
Explicit Essay Writing Sites“How much will my essay cost?”
Private Tutors“Will you come, teach me and help me to write this?”
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This Is What The BBC Think
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education‐20330590
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The Biggest Problem With Contract Cheating?
If work has been produced using contract cheating methods, it is entirely original
It won’t be detected using plagiarism detection systems, such as TurnItIn
A (labour‐intensive) detective role is required
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Example JPlag
JPlag is a system that finds similarities among multiple sets of source code
files.
JPlag does not merely compare bytes of text, but is aware of programming
language syntax and program structure and hence is robust against many kinds of attempts to disguise similarities
between plagiarized files.
JPlag currently supports Java, C#, C, C++, Scheme and natural language text.
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Plagiarism and Collusion Detection
Student
assignmentsInternet
Search
Engines
Non‐originality
EngineDatabase of previously
scanned student work
xxx xxxx xxxx
xxx x x x x xx
x x x x x x x
x x x
xxx xxxx xxxx
xxx x x x x xx
x x x x x x x
x x x
Non‐originality
Report
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Plagiarism and Collusion Detection
Student
assignmentsInternet
Search
Engines
Non‐originality
EngineDatabase of previously
scanned student work
xxx xxxx xxxx
xxx x x x x xx
x x x x x x x
x x x
xxx xxxx xxxx
xxx x x x x xx
x x x x x x x
x x x
Non‐originality
ReportDetection of “non‐original”
work relies on being able to
compare an assignment
against other sources.
@MyBCU www.facebook.com/birminghamcityuniversity #contractcheating 31
Plagiarism and Collusion Detection
Student
assignmentsInternet
Search
Engines
Non‐originality
EngineDatabase of previously
scanned student work
xxx xxxx xxxx
xxx x x x x xx
x x x x x x x
x x x
xxx xxxx xxxx
xxx x x x x xx
x x x x x x x
x x x
Non‐originality
ReportDetection of “non‐original”
work relies on being able to
compare an assignment
against other sources.
Work produced by “contract
cheating”
is original –
but it was
not
done by the student.
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The Extent Of Contract Cheating
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Is Contract Cheating Really Much Of A Problem?Freelancer (+ previously
vWorker)main sites we examineeasy to searchgive most details of userstracking sub‐contractors
vWorkerhas “no homework”policybut closed auctions
Kasamba (Liveperson)“tutorial”
site
Student Of Fortune + Transtutors
sells HW solutions
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Extent of Contract Cheating
Country nCases %
USA 459 50%
United Kingdom 239 26%
Australia 101 11%
Canada 61 7%
Other 34 4%
Turkey 18 2%
Total 912 100%
Number of cases of Contract Cheating by Country where the source
was identified(912 cases
from Mar 04 to Oct 06)
The “average student”
posts between 4 and 7 assignments
R. Clarke, and T. Lancaster, “Eliminating the Successor to Plagiarism? Identifying the usage of contract cheating sites”, in
Proceedings of 2nd International Plagiarism Conference, Gateshead, United Kingdom, June 19‐21, 2006
@MyBCU www.facebook.com/birminghamcityuniversity #contractcheating 35
Original Survey of RentacoderThe “average”
student posts 4‐7 assignments
They are not getting detectedThey are getting “value for money”
Source mostly courses in English language Mostly USA, UK, AustraliaOther countries run courses in EnglishTurkey shows up because material is easily Googled
Small number of high number of postingsIdentifies “contractors”
who do post work for others
Usually work from different colleges and subjects
@MyBCU www.facebook.com/birminghamcityuniversity #contractcheating 36
Types of Assignments Posted ‐
Computing Only
Assessing Contract Cheating Through Auction Sites – A Computing Perspective, Lancaster, T and Clarke, R. 8th Annual Conference of the Higher Education Academy for Information and Computer Sciences, August 2007
(910 cases
from Mar 04 to Dec 06)
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Larger RentACoder Study (2007)Mostly computing topics (910 out of 950)Reflects bias in website name (does what it says on the tin)
Programming in C++/Java most common typeReflects the types of assignments we post (40%)
32 “Major projects”
were detected Only 3.5% overall in this surveyBut 9.5% (22 out of 231) bid requests from UK
Average number of postings per student downBecause we are detecting more first‐time offenders?Wider awareness of the problemMore students starting to use outsourcing
@MyBCU www.facebook.com/birminghamcityuniversity #contractcheating 38
EssayBay Study (2010)
Dealing with Contract Cheating: A Question of Attribution; Lancaster & Clarke; HEA STEM Conference April 2012
(627 cases
in 5 months)
@MyBCU www.facebook.com/birminghamcityuniversity #contractcheating 40
EssayBay ‐ conclusionsFirst study of a web‐site dedicating to enabling contract
cheatingRentacoder (now vWorker) 85% legitimate workSite ceased fully functioning in Aug 2010Shows wide range of subjects involvedMaths & Computing only 5%Business Studies main category (25%)Everything from “anthropology to theology”Range of levels of workDifficult to verify (mostly self‐reported by student)Significant number at Masters level (21%)Some PhD requests – mostly research proposals
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Anthropology #06942 (not traced) Topic: a.) Select a topic or issue you would find within a culture (i.e. art forms,
health issues, family relations, hairstyles, food, symbolism, beliefs). Select any topic that you think could capture your interest: warfare, transportation,
political systems, money, styles of dress – there is no limit. b.) Once you have selected a topic or issue, select a living culture and discuss your selected topic or issue within that culture. For instance, you may be interested in the rise of
diabetes in indigenous people such as the Kayapo, or the educational boundaries of women in the Middle East. Or you may compare and contrast
two cultures with the same issue, such as the role of adolescence in the United States and China, or the comparison between the Amish consumption
and labor to that of their neighboring cities. Be sure to choose
a culture(s) appropriate for a study within cultural anthropology (a study of
living
people). Thesis: Develop a clear thesis statement/topic sentence. This will become the
point or perspective you will compare or discuss in the paper.
@MyBCU www.facebook.com/birminghamcityuniversity #contractcheating 42
Theology #06360 (not traced) The paper should focus on the discrete aspect of Karol
Wojtyla/John Paul II's anthropology or ethics. This is a reflection paper that analyzes his book "Love and
Responsibility" and Wojtyla's sexual ethic. Choose some aspect of "Love and Responsibility" (such as the
personalistic norm, the nature of love, or chastity etc) to write about and then also demonstrate the issue's
relationship to anthropologyI am not the smartest student in the class so please make
the paper believable (a 80%‐90% grade range)
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EssayBay Analysis by Source Institution
76%
Only 24% of postings traced back to their originating institutions
“Attributability”
of assignments is a key factor
@MyBCU www.facebook.com/birminghamcityuniversity #contractcheating 44
Business studies # 06724 (not traced)
Take Home Exam
An Innocent Abroad: Fred Bailey in Tokyo Case Study Analysis based on Cross Cultural
Management view point (using Hofstede's Cultural Indices and MBI Frame work)
Google finds About 181,000 results
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Stages of Detection and AttributionAssignments
Posted
SourceAttributed
StudentIdentified
1 in 3 postings detected
1 in 3attributed
1 in 3students found
1 in 27 cheaters
dealt with
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Methods of AttributionGoogle search Text in the body of the postingText in attachmentsMay also use TurnitinAlias used by studentAlso used on social networking sitesGives details of locationPhoto used by student Usually relies on trace evidenceuse text editor to examine filesMultiple postings may be neededBy same student over a period of timeBy different students at same timeMay need to use several itemse.g. module code + location
@MyBCU www.facebook.com/birminghamcityuniversity #contractcheating 48
Closing the Loop The “Holy Grail”
is to get hold of the original the student bought
Contact the auction sitethey will claim client confidentiality without a court orderBid for your own assignment (“Doin’
a Dan”)
but could be “entrapment”; evidence could be “tainted”Post the assignment yourself and select the same coderexpect a similar solution to be providedPay the coder to hand over the originalunlikely to succeed –
unless student is in dispute with coder
If the coder is a student at another institutioncontact the HoD and persuade the coder to hand over the items
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A New Success? ‐
Assignment Briefs on Turnitin
Small %ages can
be significant
matches occurs
when student
paper contains
parts of
assignment brief
We recommend that staff upload
assignment briefs to Turnitin as soon
as the assignment is released to
students
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Students Can Be Sophisticated
VB.net Help Rentacoder
Bid Request Id: 456292
I need help with VB.net i will be having a online quizz quizz its not a programming or something like that
it will be multiple choice questions and this online quiz will be 50 MINs
and it i will start at 9.30 PM
please check the time at http://www.worldtimeserver.com/current_time_in_US‐TX.aspx
so i will chat from MSN
and i will ask question with the multiple choice and you answer the questions
the topics will be ( but there will be no programming questions like do the program or something like that all will be multiple choice questions) if you are know about all this topic please bid with confident
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Does Anyone Lose Out With Contract Cheating?Student
– they have not gained the skills for the
jobUniversity
– perception of poor quality students
Employer
– wasted recruitment costSociety
– perception that students are not hard
workers, as portrayed by the mediaProfessional Bodies –
ethical considerations, risk
to accreditation
@MyBCU www.facebook.com/birminghamcityuniversity #contractcheating 53
Not Victimless ‐ Example 1ASSINMENT TITLE:
Models of death and dying and grief and loss enhance our understanding of and guide the delivery of palliative care practice.
Critically analyse this statement with reference to the provision of palliative care to individuals with a life limiting illness and their families.
Would you like to be treated by this nurse?
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Not Victimless ‐ Example 2Radar system designThe design of Air‐Traffic‐Control radar system. The proposed
system should have the capability to detect common civilian aircraft within a range of 100km.
The proposal should consist of detail description of the radar subsystem which includes antenna system, transmitter, receiver
and data acquisition unit. All necessary calculations based on the specification provided, system block diagram, component level
block diagram, and all the components used in the design must be included in the proposal.
Could you rely on this technician?
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Not Victimless ‐ Example 3Nuclear Engineering
this a assignment for do shielding for fast reactor i need the materials, shape, attenuation coefficient and
size of the shielding and dose analysis around the reactor. this for health physics or nuclear engineering
Do you want to live within 5 miles
of this person?
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Not Only Assignments She posted work‐related items as wellSystems Development paperSelect a sample system for
development that would benefit a
business of your choice. Prepare a
plan for determining the feasibility
of the systems development.
Present and explain both business
and system planning documents
and/or templates that allows you
to state the objectives, goals and
tactics. Explain how they are used
and show examples. Please
comment on how you would
present risks and mitigation
strategies to users.
1400‐2450 words.
UOP assignment
DB helpI need help with an exisiting database form. The form
needs to be searchable by patient name. And the
follow‐up visits section shows 3 slots they would
rather have one that shows ALL the follow‐up visits.
Let me know if more info is needed. The database
information is CONFIDENTIAL. Thanks
1600 “live”
oncology records
from hospital in
California
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Other Requests to “Outsource”Completion of “pre‐interview”
on‐line aptitude tests
Fake letters from an employer supporting a student project
Make up entries for a Personal Development Profile
Alter the marks on a Transcript of Study
Produce fake “course completion”
certificates
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And It’s Not Just Contract Cheating…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk‐england‐somerset‐22269573
“University of Bath student jailed over tutor bribe bid”
“A failing student who tried to bribe his tutor while carrying a loaded air pistol has been jailed for 12 months.
Yang Li, 26, placed £5,000 in cash on the professor's table but when he was told to leave, the gun fell from his pocket…”
BBC News – 23 April, 2013
@MyBCU www.facebook.com/birminghamcityuniversity #contractcheating 60
The Future?
The challenge of contract cheating needs to pull together students, academics and industry
Real case studies and industry assessments are valued inside the classroom
Universities struggling against increased on‐line, distance learning and franchise activities
An increased number of contractors providing solutions opened up through the Internet
More robust (and automated) models of detection neededStill need to increase awareness (“My students don’t do
this!”)
@MyBCU www.facebook.com/birminghamcityuniversity #contractcheating 63
For More Information
Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contract_cheating
Contract Cheating Special Interest Group (support by the Higher Education Academy):
https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi‐ bin/webadmin?A0=CONTRACTCHEATING
Slides Available At:
http://www.slideshare.net/ThomasLancaster
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Our Contact Details
Thomas Lancaster
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://thomaslancaster.co.uk
Twitter: @DrLancaster
Robert Clarke
Email: [email protected]