Question

As assignment deadline came closer, Sundaresan was approached by Abbas Warram, who chose to work in a team of three members. He informed Sundaresan that Venkamma, his team member, distressed by the death of her grandmother, could not work on her bit of the assignment. Abbas requested for a deadline extension so that she could finish her part of the assignment. By then, many students who were working alone had already submitted their assignments.
Which of the following actions by Sundaresan is the MOST appropriate, given the circumstances?

• A. Disband the team and ask each student to work individually
• B. Warn Abbas that such issues should not be flagged to the professor and should be handled within the team
• C. Give extra time to Venkamma to work individually and ask the other two to stick to the original deadline as a team
• D. Extend the deadline for the team while imposing a one-grade penalty for the deadline extension
• E. Give the students a deadline extension, but add an extra assignment for the team as a new requirement
• A. Convert the assignment into a non-graded assignment because both the individuals and the teams worked on the same assignment
• B. Treat both individual work and team work equally
• C. Reduce marks for those who worked in teams by 10%
• D. Give 10% extra marks to all those who worked individually
• J. Divide the total marks awarded to a team by the number of team members
• A. Punish both the teams by giving F-grades
• B. Award an F-grade to both Aashi and Aanvi, and spare others
• C. Ask both the teams to work on an extra assignment to avoid an F-grade.
• D. Spare both the teams as such a confession is rare
• O. Punish Aanvi with an F-grade and spare others

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Identify the Problem 
Abbas requested a deadline extension because one of his team members, Venkamma, faced a personal crisis. However, many students working individually had already submitted their assignments on time, despite handling the full workload.

Step 2: Consider Fairness
- If Sundaresan grants an extension only to Abbas’s team, it creates unfair advantage over individuals and other groups. 
- Extending the deadline for the entire class would be unfair to those who already submitted before the deadline. 
- Penalizing the team immediately is harsh, since two members have completed their part responsibly. 
 

Step 3: Team Responsibility
Working in a team means shared responsibility. If one member faces difficulty, the other members are expected to redistribute the workload. This is a core principle of teamwork: \[ \text{Team members must adapt and cover for each other’s shortcomings.} \]

Step 4: Ethical Decision
The professor should not intervene in internal team management issues. Abbas’s request for an extension is inappropriate. The appropriate response is to remind him that such matters should be resolved within the team, not by seeking special consideration.

Step 5: Conclusion
Therefore, the MOST appropriate action is to warn Abbas that such issues should be handled internally within the team and not flagged to the professor. This maintains fairness across the class and reinforces accountability in teamwork.

Final Answer:
\[ \boxed{\text{Warn Abbas that such issues should be managed within the team and not flagged to the professor.}} \]

Answer 2

Step 1: Identify the Core Issue 
The concern raised is about fairness in grading between students who worked individually and those who worked in teams. The assumption is that individual students deserve extra marks since they bore the full workload.

Step 2: Analyze Fairness
Academic grading must be based on quality of work, not on whether the student worked alone or in a group. If extra marks are given solely for working alone, it introduces bias and undermines the principle of equal evaluation.

Step 3: Evaluate Possible Consequences
- If extra marks are awarded → unfair advantage to individuals, devalues teamwork. 
- If marks are reduced for teams → punishes collaborative efforts, which is not correct. 
- Equal treatment ensures that grading focuses only on academic merit.

Step 4: Apply Academic Integrity Principles
The principle is: \[ \text{Marks should reflect the quality, originality, and completeness of work, not the number of contributors.} \] Thus, the only fair action is to assess all submissions on the same scale, regardless of group size.

Step 5: Conclusion
The most appropriate action for Sundaresan is to treat both individual and team work equally while grading. This ensures fairness, consistency, and avoids bias in academic evaluation.

Final Answer:
\[ \boxed{\text{Treat both individual work and team work equally}} \]

Answer 3

Step 1: Identify the Ethical Problem 
Academic dishonesty has occurred because identical exhibits and charts were found in two teams’ assignments. This is a case of plagiarism/collusion, which directly violates academic integrity principles.

Step 2: Analyze Aashi’s Admission
Aashi admitted that she shared the material with Aanvi. Even though her intention was to help, the responsibility lies on both teams because the work submitted was identical. Academic guidelines do not allow personal circumstances to justify copying.

Step 3: Evaluate Fairness
If Sundaresan punishes only Aashi and Aanvi, then the other members of Team 13 still benefitted from copied content, which is unfair to other students who followed rules. Allowing resubmission or giving warnings would dilute the seriousness of the violation.

Step 4: Apply the Principle of Equality
University/college academic policies usually state: \[ \text{If plagiarism is detected, all members of the teams involved are equally responsible.} \] This ensures fairness and deters future violations.

Step 5: Conclusion
Therefore, the MOST appropriate action for Sundaresan is to punish both teams equally by awarding them F-grades. This upholds academic integrity, sends a strong message against plagiarism, and maintains fairness among all students.

Final Answer: \[ \boxed{\text{Punish both the teams by giving F-grades}} \]