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Original poster

NEA - ChatGTP

59 replies

Cliff1975 · 21/03/2023 16:54

So, my DS2 who is in year 13 has just completed his History NEA. We have had a letter home from school to say he has been using Chatbot GTP and this will be reported to the exam board. Does anyone have experience?

OP posts:
user18 · 22/03/2023 06:39

I’m struggling to see how he would have produced a decent thought piece of coursework using it anyway. It’s assessed using very strict criteria and the marks are awarded for particular things. It’s not the case that a good coherent essay showing lots of knowledge scores the top marks.

The problem with NEAs is they are marked in school and then moderated by the exsm boards. If the essays moderated are found to have been marked too generously, ALL of the essays in that school are downgraded. It’s therefore essential that school spot any issues such as cheating. I suspect therefore that your child will be withdrawn from the A Level. The NEA is 20 percent of the grade.

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 22/03/2023 06:31

Using it to "research" is a bit difficult to believe, honestly speaking. That isn't really its purpose. Did he reference it as a source in his work? I'm guessing not.

I don't know what the exam board will do. I'm pretty sure it won't affect his other A-levels.

I get that he has been struggling but if he has cheated and got caught, then I'm afraid he needs to face the consequences.

Original poster
Cliff1975 · 22/03/2023 06:24

My other question is if the school didn't want them to access it why haven't they blocked it on school IT?

OP posts:
Original poster
Cliff1975 · 22/03/2023 06:22

So a teacher saw that he had it open on a school laptop. The school IT department has looked at the laptops being used by the history and geography A level groups and looked at their search history, they have sent us a print out of times he has used it over a three day period. He admits using it for research but says he has used it in the same way as any other website for research. Apparently others are being reported too. I asked school what about if students have used it at home, they said well we wouldn't know then - which is exactly my point. If the exam board do say he has plaigerised what action are they likely to take? Will it just cancel his NEA, his whole History A Level or all of his A Levels? He has been struggling in sixth form and to be honest I am worried that they are making an example of him so that the exam board think they are rigorous whilst they will let it go for other higher performing students. Does anyone know how long the exam board will take to make a decision. This hanging over us is awful for him and us as parents.

OP posts:
GreenLeavesRustling · 21/03/2023 17:06

There are programmes that can apparently detect it but I would be very surprised if a school was routinely using them.
more likely DS has told someone and word has got back to teachers. Perhaps he is being made an example of. He certainly won’t be the only one. It would also be extremely difficult to prove, I suspect.

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 21/03/2023 17:00

Middletoleft · 21/03/2023 16:59

Not that difficult apparently as the universities are on the ball with software to detect it.

Not schools I realise but presumably the software is easily available.

Ah, OK. The last I heard, it couldn't be picked up by Turnitin etc, but maybe that's all changed now.

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 21/03/2023 17:00

I don't know what an NEA is but I'm surprised that the school is able to detect the use of ChatGPT. What does your ds say?

Nobody will have any experience specifically relating to ChatGPT, I don't suppose, because this will be the first year that students can access it. However, if they can prove it, I imagine that it would be treated like any other case of intentional plagiarism/cheating.

Middletoleft · 21/03/2023 16:59

Not that difficult apparently as the universities are on the ball with software to detect it.

Not schools I realise but presumably the software is easily available.

GreenLeavesRustling · 21/03/2023 16:56

This is very new tech, it is hard to detect. I’m surprised if a school have been able to identify work done by ChatGTP.

Did he use it?