International Law

I have been meaning to blog about Canada's Ryerson University threatening to expel a student on the basis that his study group on Facebook might encourage cheating for the past week or so, but haven't got around to it until now.  In case you haven't heard of the controversy, PC World offers this summary:

A Canadian university has instilled a culture of fear by threatening to expel a student for cheating because he set up an online study group on Facebook, critics said this week.

Toronto's Ryerson University threatened to expel first-year computer engineering student Chris Avenir last week, arguing that his study group on the Facebook networking site might encourage cheating.

Ryerson decided to lift the expulsion threat, but Avenir will get zero credits for the course work discussed on the Facebook forum last autumn, and the university has put a disciplinary notice on his record.

Shortsighted or Straightforward?

Canadian media analyst Jesse Hirsh said Ryerson's actions send the wrong message to students, most of whom spend a lot of their time on the Internet.

"It sends a clear signal to all the kids that innovation is not only frowned upon but will be punished and that if you use emerging technologies in innovative ways, you risk being expelled from the school," he said.

But James Norrie, director of the School of Information Technology Management at Ryerson, said on Thursday the issue was one of accountability, whether online or offline.

"This is nothing to with technology, how can it possibility create a climate of fear?" he said.

Digital Study Group

Members of the Facebook study group -- Dungeons/Mastering Chemistry Solutions -- said the group was set up to help each other with homework assignments and to understand class lectures and had nothing to do with cheating.

Ryerson, however, said the group offered the potential for cheating on a large scale.

Read more here.  I find this story extraordinary.  I actively encourage my students to work in groups - whether in person or online - and I have even created a Facebook group for my first year law students this year.  Study groups are not only a great way for students to learn, but it also gives them valuable social contacts, which is an important part of what university life is all about.  Furthermore, as the PC World story points out, penalising a student for using Facebook in this way serves only discourage students from engaging with new and innovative technology, whereas we should be promoting a culture of experimentation and innovation in our students.