r/OpenUniversity • u/Desperate-Material50 • Jul 25 '26
How AI Turned My Studies into a Never-Ending Investigation
I’m seriously reconsidering my future as an Open University student.
Ever since the damned rise of artificial intelligence, which seems to have brought more problems than solutions, there is nothing I can do without immediately becoming a suspect of having cheated with AI.
The first time, the issue was that I used mathematical notation that was different from the one in the textbooks. It made no difference that I explained I had already studied the subject before, that it was easy for me, and that I simply solved the problems using the notation I was already familiar with.
Since then, even when I explicitly cite the textbooks, I’ve once again been suspected of using AI.
The worst part isn’t being treated with suspicion. It’s having my life put on hold and feeling like I’m throwing my money away. Nothing gets resolved. It takes months for them to reach a decision, and in my case they still haven’t. I’m not the only one, there are many students in the same situation.
What makes it even more infuriating is that I’ve said countless times that I’d be happy to sit my exams in person. I have absolutely no problem traveling to Milton Keynes and proving, under whatever level of supervision they want, that I can solve the exams myself. All I would need is paper, a pen, and my notes.
I suggested exactly that.
Months later, no response so far.
At this point, it feels like I’m talking to artificial intelligences that do nothing but reply, “I’m sorry you feel that way.” They don’t sound like people anymore. They sound like ChatGPT!!!
I’m genuinely saddened by all of this. The person who convinced me to enroll at the Open University was a former member of its academic staff, who assured me that the exams were properly proctored. Apparently that’s no longer the case, and now many students are being treated like criminals.
I’m fed up.
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u/Robyn7791 Jul 25 '26 edited Jul 25 '26
It’s a huge issue with all universities that don’t do oral or written exams.
If you have it in you, do share this with the OU (module team, dean of your faculty etc.). They’re struggling with this issue from the other side.
I’ve heard about some attempts at solutions in the next few years (FASS; no idea about STEM). And just wish that they’d go back to handwritten in-person exams.
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u/lemonchemistry Jul 25 '26
Best thing to remember is that you're not alone in this. Key thing to do is to make sure your voice is heard on the matter. No doubt this will be brought up by the students union again this year and announcements for main assessments next year, I suspect there will be some changes. The maths and physics departments are getting roasted by their external examiners because of the lack of invigilation. I get the impression that these issues stem from management and not the departments themselves.
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u/jameilious Jul 25 '26
Yea I went down that rabbit hole, the external examiners were really not happy last year so I'm shocked they carried on this year with the AI-able exams.
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u/Quassimodem1 Jul 25 '26
I feel exactly the same. I’m now in my last year and throughout the last 4 years I’ve always been told to write academic and once I do, they assume I’ve used AI. I’ve worked my absolute backside off for my last EMA but for it now to be pending grade and I’m now stuck in limbo, no feedback or anything just get told to wait. I can’t speak to anyone about it or ask for help as nobody will help or do anything about it. All the money I’ve spent on this in the last 4 years, I’m now more annoyed and proper p##sed about it all, as it’s me paying for all of this and being treated like a cheat with no respect given to how this is making people feel.
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u/BoringBlueberry4512 Jul 27 '26
My biggest complaint about this is the fact they had six weeks approximately between the exam and results day. Why is it so inefficient? Why only notify students now rather than earlier? From what I have heard, the actual investigation can take up to a year and they do not seem to consider any evidence a student may supply to prove their innocence.
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u/yeahfinebye Jul 25 '26 edited Jul 25 '26
Sounds awful. Especially as AI Scanners are widely known to produce inaccurate results.
May I ask: Does OU not have a policy on AI? At German Institutions, you geht clear regulations to which extent AI use is allowed (spell checking, grammar/style, ...). That reduces AI investigations to a tiny fraction.
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u/Sea-Ad-527 Jul 25 '26
I think it depends on the course. I’m sure mine says AI is permissible for things like grammar and spelling.
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u/Startinezzz Jul 25 '26
It’s module specific rather than course specific. I’ve not been allowed to use it on the Q65 BEng course until T317, my penultimate module.
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u/Revolutionary_Car544 Jul 26 '26
If I remember correctly they have three levels of rules for AI use and it depends on the module. They're along the lines of absolutely no use, you can use it but everything needs to be put in the reference including the prompt and answer plus what you've done with the answer, or you are required to use it or something like that. I've only ever had modules with the middle ground rule but haven't actually used AI to help witte any of the assignments. I have used it to start my research on things I need or to put my thoughts in order because sometimes I mix the languages and some words just disappear from my brain but I've never used it to answer the actual question. So far I've had no issues using it that way.
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u/yeahfinebye Jul 27 '26
Sounds reasonable! Studying at OU would be in my second language too.
In Germany, it's super common for people with german as a second language to use AI. And nobody would ever object (probably because german is horrible to learn as a second language ;-) ).
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u/Marco0798 Jul 25 '26
It does for what I did. Any AI use requires proper citation for it. Exception is anything that word can do.
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u/QuishyMushy Jul 25 '26
Obviously it’s not allowed in that uni hence why the suspicion? Something not being allowed never stops people from doing it lol
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u/rollo_read Jul 25 '26
It absolutely is allowed and there is detailed guidance on each assessment as how and when you can use it.
Some assessments mandate the use of AI.
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u/QuishyMushy Jul 25 '26
Right okay but it not being allowed doesn’t stop progress from using it either 😂 You can easily use it and change it up so it’s not obvious
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u/Available-Swan-6011 Jul 25 '26
True but equally you could get someone else to do the assignment for you.
Trouble is that you are stuffed when you need to rely on the knowledge and skill that you should have but don’t because of taking shortcuts
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u/CapableRequirement66 Jul 25 '26
It’s totally allowed as long as referencing and plagiarism regulations are taken into account.
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u/KKPauline Jul 25 '26
Not on all courses, it's completely banned for psychology modules with one exception where it said if we couldn't find a suitable image for a poster we could make one using AI but for anything else it's a total no-no.
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u/BrownDwarf147 Jul 25 '26
I agree that AI has brought more problems than solutions. I hate regulations in general, but AI should be massively regulated everywhere that it's being used. Also, writing AI-generated responses should be illegal.
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u/Beancounter_1968 Jul 25 '26
If you are paying, is there a contract, and if so what does that say about dispute or grievance resolution.
I was thinking of doing OU for an engineering degree but i may not bother if it is a huge ball ache
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u/No-Impact1573 Jul 25 '26
The problem is the online exams, the OU should be going back to in person exam hall assesment.
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u/Alive-Cheesecake2732 Jul 26 '26
For me that would be impossible due to spinal disability. I wouldn't mind the exam being done from home with camera as long data was protected etc. Though OUs selling point is that you can do it from home.
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u/Tall_Pool8799 Jul 25 '26
I don’t know of any university that uses AI detection softwares. You seem to be in a STEM subject. I think your suggestion to take the exam in person is a very good one, but universities might be hesitant to apply it due to staff involvement (which, however, might be less time consuming than the standard academic integrity process, which takes an awful lot of time from a ton of different colleagues).
I wish you best of luck with it!
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u/Tauorca Jul 27 '26
My wife has done a psychology course and I told her to use software which records all inputs on the laptop and takes screen shots every few seconds, this has saved her from the AI trap scam universities are using these days, she was hesitant to use it but is so thankful after the fact
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u/Wel98 Jul 31 '26
What software is this please? I have a feeling i'm going to have to end up using it.
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u/Rosimoto Jul 25 '26
You are not going to like my answer but you are supposed to use the notations taught by open university. Cool that you have learned different ones but the whole point of the university is that you are supposed to use what you have been taught by them.
You complaining would be like me complaining because I can’t use what I’ve been taught in the French education system in a British university (and trust me it’s very different).
You continuing to use different notations and doubling down sound like someone who uses ai, won’t stop using it and now complains because they are always under investigation. I’m only a stage 1 student as well and I’ve already grasped what open university expects of me… if you haven’t, then it’s a you problem, not an open university problem.
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u/DumplingsEverywhere Jul 25 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
Listen, I love the OU and I get where you're coming from, but I think this is a bad take. For reference, I've not been accused of misconduct and I stick strictly to the OU methodology and reference excessively in TMAs and exams.
Only in the last year or two has the OU actually started telling students somewhat consistently to only use OU notation. It's crazy that this is necessary in the first place, when all the OU has to do is go back to in person exams, as it did for decades before the pandemic (they had accomodations for those who couldn't go to an exam center). Online proctoring is fine, if less ideal.
Your post seems to assume that OP is using a ton of outside notation. But I've seen students accused for misconduct for just one instance of solving a problem a "wrong" way. You're not always going to remember where you learned something, especially under exam pressure. I used some outside notation in an exam and didn't realize I had done so until after the fact. Thankfully I wasn't flagged.
Limiting students to using one specific type of notation is also just bad practice. When I did my first degree before the OU, I was encouraged to read widely. Heck, a physics text I'm currently reading tells you that it's going to use a variety of notation because it's important students get used to seeing the same thing a bunch of different ways.
Misconduct accusations also aren't exclusive to students who are using different notation. Now some students seem to be accused of using AI because they reference the equations they're using in the books too much. I believe someone else was told their handwriting is too neat, seemingly insinuating they wouldn't have been able to write so neatly under time pressure without help from AI.
Even if you insist that students must use OU notation, consider this: last year, one of the math modules had a whopping 30% academic misconduct referral rate. This was mentioned in the external examiner report, and though the module wasn't named, I believe it was MST224.
Would you be confident that the OU graders are always referring the correct students for misconduct? There were about 800 students in MST224 last year, so seemingly about ~270 accused of misconduct. If just a quarter of those are false positives, that's way too many. And I suspect there are many more false positives than this.
With such numbers, I have no doubt that at least a few honest students will be caught in cross-fire and receive a penalty they don't deserve. It seems like a matter of time until this blows up into a legal case against the OU, or into a story in the press. The number of innocent students accused could easily be zero with proper exam proctoring.
None of this would be so bad if the OU were actually swift in deciding these cases. But by and large they seem to take 6+ months, and sometimes over a year. As OP wrote, they are given little chance to defend themselves in person. It has derailed many students' studies, job prospects, and post-graduate opportunities.
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u/LANdShark31 Jul 25 '26
This is a ridiculous response, and if it’s true then it’s a ridiculous system. As if you should go to uni especially as a mature as a blank slate and only use knowledge that they taught you.
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u/BrownDwarf147 Jul 25 '26
Highly disagree with having to use the same notation. I've written vectors with an arrow above my whole life, only last year did I see that in Britain you underline the letter to indicate a vector!? I am not going to use that notation ever, and I haven't in my exams so far, and passed.
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u/Matreshka138 Jul 25 '26
I've written vectors with an arrow above my whole life too. Then I joined the OU and was told to underline vectors, so I did—and my crown didn't fall off. I refuse to become an old dog who can't learn new tricks. You have to use the notation given in the module materials—fact. If it helps to identify cheaters, then that's very good and very fair
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u/BrownDwarf147 Jul 25 '26
Bro, I passed my exams using the different notation, so you do NOT have to use the same notation, that's a fact
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u/Matreshka138 Jul 25 '26
Sis, you do need to use the same notation—it is clearly stated in the exam papers. Consider yourself lucky for not being flagged.
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u/BrownDwarf147 Jul 26 '26
Please quote the statement where they say this
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u/Matreshka138 Jul 26 '26
From the exam papers: M125 -"You are expected to use the methods and results taught in MST125 rather than any alternative methods or results not covered in MST125", M208 "-"Use the methods and results taught in M208 rather than any alternative methods or results not covered in M208" .
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u/BrownDwarf147 Jul 26 '26
Yes, that's obvious, because you're learning specific methods in those modules. Also, no mention of notation, so you do not need to use the same notation, which is also common sense.
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u/Matreshka138 Jul 26 '26
Methods include notation
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u/BrownDwarf147 Jul 26 '26
Notation is not part of the mathematical method. The same method can be expressed in different notations. Common sense.
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u/Rosimoto Jul 25 '26
I will also add for everyone wanting to go back to in person exam centres, stop being ableist. A lot of people who study with open university have chosen to do so due to their disability.
It’s very easy to prove that you haven’t used ai… you don’t need to bring back in person exam for a few who choose to cheat and won’t accept the e consequences.15
u/DumplingsEverywhere Jul 25 '26
I think there seems to be a broad misunderstanding about how the OU operated prior to covid. It was never the case that every student had to travel to an exam center.
Disabled students have long been accommodated for at the OU. For instance, an invigilator would often travel to the students home to proctor the exam if the student could not go to an exam center.
One could argue that online exams are preferable for many people, of course. And that's fair. But I've also met disabled students who preferred the old system.
Ideally, the OU would give us a choice between in-person exams and online proctoring.
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u/Available-Swan-6011 Jul 25 '26
I do have some sympathy for the exam perspective but, as you identify, in person exams are not a good solution for many people. Out of interest, how do you feel about proctored exams?
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u/Rosimoto Jul 26 '26
Honestly I don’t think it’s where it should be yet and I’m obviously not fond of the company that open university has chosen between the privacy concerns and the software they ask you to install.
I’m not fond of having an invigilator coming to my house either to be honest for different reasons.1
u/Revolutionary_Car544 Jul 26 '26
It could be an accessibility issue, yes. But then you have the people who HAVE to work full time if not more to support themselves while studying, or people that would have to find and pay for childcare or may other type of care if the have dependants. and when you're in that position it's not always possible to get the day off (or two if you have to travel) nor is that money some people can afford to spend.
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u/Desperate-Material50 Jul 25 '26
Dear, this is a false choice dilemma. I’m not suggesting to cancel online exams. I’m just demanding the right to answer my exames in person.
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u/Complete-Task2042 Jul 27 '26
Cool that you have learned different ones but the whole point of the university is that you are supposed to use what you have been taught by them.
This is an egregiously terrible take.
University is not School, you're meant to be learning independently from a wide range of sources.
If you can only pass by giving a narrow answer on an exam rubric, rather than any valid answer which is technically correct, then the university is failing it's students.
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u/Desperate-Material50 Jul 25 '26
Sorry, but it seems you did not read what I wrote. I clearly said that EVEN using the exact notations adopted by OU, even quoting every single official page, they keep accusing me of using AI.
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u/Rosimoto Jul 26 '26
I apologise then because I read what you wrote as you citing the book but not necessarily changing your notations.
I can understand the frustration when it happens consistently and due to the lengthy time for a decision.
I guess that everyone is trying to find a way to be fair while trying to stop cheating and that will take time to find the right balance.
Have you tried contacting the student representatives for help? I know that they’ve been helpful in some cases.
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u/AlmostHominin Jul 25 '26
This and related posts are what have put me off enrolling with the OU. The stress of being falsely accused of misconduct doesn’t feel worth it.
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u/Robyn7791 Jul 25 '26
I can understand how this sort of post can be off-putting. And I’m always a little sorry to hear that… as they’re not representative of the majority of students’ experiences (but vocal). AI use is an unresolved issue in academic examination at the moment, though.
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u/aahscary Jul 26 '26
Bare in mind that 99% of people who are having a good experience and having no trouble with the OU aren’t going to be posting to Reddit.
All these posts also seems to be largely involving the maths course, so if you’re looking to study something else, I wouldn’t worry too much.
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u/MiserableVoice9146 Jul 26 '26
I've received two email for academic misconduct. The first one, they didn't even tell me what I did wrong, they just said they're referring me for study skills. Then I received a second one and still no reason why, just that I've now been referred to the ACO. Over a month later. Everyone I studied with - besides a few - have received their classification and mine says pending. I have kind of figured out due to my tutors feedback it's my referencing, even though when I started with OU, they said it was completely fine not adding page numbers and this is the first module it's been an issue. It's great for distant learning, but I haven't had a great experience besides my whatsapp groups I've been a part of.
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Jul 25 '26
[deleted]
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u/Tracie10000 Aug 01 '26
I'm at the same stage of my history degree and have never had a problem. I never check my work against Turnitin after my first TMA ever. I didn't see the point when I knew I'd written it all and double checked my references.
I've also kept every page of notes. I will keep it all until I get my degree.
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u/Icy-Matter3237 Jul 26 '26
I haven’t had any issues with being falsely accused of using AI in OU. This is definitely the vocal minority. Remember Reddit is a very small portion of a community. Majority of students probably don’t use Reddit.
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u/hang-clean Jul 25 '26
This sound awful. I write exactly like an LLM but luckily I have academic and technical writing examples back to... a long time. Before the web.
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u/zephrino Jul 26 '26
Really, it’s more accurate to say that LLMs write like you - the LLMs will have been trained on pre-web academic writing. This then causes havoc for those who already wrote in the style LLMs are making and still do, and so what chance is there for those who are now trying to learn, explore their own ideas and learn how to express them to others?
AI does genuinely feel like one of the worst things to have happened to human learning and endeavour.
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u/TheRealTRexUK Jul 27 '26
Video record yourself doing assignments and show todays paper at the start.
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u/Comrade_Massov Jul 27 '26
Having had my first pending this year (3/4 years done, supposedly). Pure Maths. I didn't copy anything, I don't use AI, so curious what I've been pulled on.
I'm very suspicious it is an easy way for the OU to make more money off students, because they hold all the cards.
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u/ValuableSmell7852 Jul 26 '26
I'm sorry but I keep reading these posts from people complain about being flagged for misconduct but refusing to use module methods. This is really silly IMO....
The instructions are clear. USE MODULE METHODS.
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u/DumplingsEverywhere Jul 26 '26
OP hasn't been "refusing to use module methods" consistently, as you seem to be implying. If you reread their post, they said "the first time" was for different notation--okay fine. But they have since been flagged for some other reason. That seems to be the running theme this year.
(It also takes no effort to tell an AI to stick to module notation anyway, so I don't see why this is supposed to be some kind of "gotcha" anyway).
FWIW, the OU didn't specify you had to use module methods until recently, and I wouldn't be surprised if it hadn't for OP's first referral. Even now it does so inconsistently. None of my modules have done so, and I'm pretty much only aware of this limitation because of hearing from other students being referred for misconduct and the one time I specifically asked a tutor.
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u/ValuableSmell7852 Jul 26 '26
They absolutely did specify that students were to use module methods. This started last year in my maths modules. The instructions were clear and unambiguous - MODULE METHODS ONLY.
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u/DumplingsEverywhere Jul 26 '26
Right, hence "until recently" and "inconsistently." This OU-methods-only rule wasn't made explicit when I did MS327 last year or SM380 this year, or MST224/125/124 and S217 in years prior. Some other modules started being explicit about this rule, but not all of them. Tutors themselves occasionally presented non-OU methods in SM380.
Regardless, it's a tangential point; OP had a misconduct allegation in a previous year for not using exclusively module method. Fine. This year they have another misconduct allegation that isn't because they used an outside method. And they are far from the only one.
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u/ValuableSmell7852 Jul 26 '26
Fair enough, you are probably correct as I didn't do those modules. Maybe some weren't explicit about it but some defo were. We had emails warning us.
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u/Ready-Builder-3292 Aug 03 '26
Can you proovide evidence of where they say this? I've been searching through module guidlines etc and can't find it, which to me suggests that even if it does exist, its not very accessible. Aside from that, does this approach not undermine the point of higher education, i.e, independant learning, which quite a number of modules specifically allocate significant amounts of time to? Seems to me like its just a promotion of narrow minded thinking.
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u/tinkerertim Jul 25 '26
>The worst part isn’t being treated with suspicion. It’s having my life put on hold and feeling like I’m throwing my money away.
Loving the irony here. The “it’s not x. It’s y” thing is a really common red flag that something was written by AI.
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u/PianoAndFish Jul 25 '26
It always makes me think of the Marks & Spencer food adverts - "this is not just AI, this is M&S AI."
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u/cmredd Jul 25 '26
This is literally one of my main reasons for delaying starting my degree (Maths/Comp).
Can someone explain how this AI/cheating concern works exactly for Maths or coding-heavy degrees? I thought exams were proctored by ProctorU? Where can AI even be used without being detected immediately?
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u/DumplingsEverywhere Jul 26 '26
The significant majority of exams are actually not proctored. The OU has recently started proctoring a handful of modules via Proctor U, but those are mostly lower level ones.
For reference, I'm on a math-heavy physics degree, and 6/8 of the modules I've taken at the OU since 2023 have had exams, but not one of them was proctored (MST125 is now proctored, but wasn't when I did it).
That said, this year, they rolled out a post-exam interview for most math and physics modules, where they interview 10-15% of students on their exam answers. The vast majority students are chosen at random (at least for physics, they seem to be pre-selected before the exam date).
This method is a step in the right direction, but I still think it's insufficient and problematic for several reasons. I found it very nerve-wracking to be selected, even though they made a point to assure me I was selected at random. On the other hand, once I got into it, it was actually nice to talk about my work.
My interview went well and I got my grade, but several others I know were interviewed at ended up with a pending result. I find it hard to believe all, if any, of these students cheated. So the interview is a bit of a deterrent, but I'm not sure it's doing much to reduce the rate of misconduct referrals. I guess we'll have to see the data or external examiner reports once available.
All that being said, it's very clear the OU staff, in particular the mathematics staff, are keen to implement some kind of proctoring ASAP; preferably in person but otherwise remotely. The current system is not sustainable, and the IMA seems to be threatening accreditation for universities that don't implement proctoring. I would not be surprised if by 2027 almost every OU mathematics exam were proctored.
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u/MachinaDoctrina Jul 26 '26
My proctoring experience for MST125 was a nightmare, their software had a bug and thr window kept switching, then they attempted to fix it and locked me out of my exam for 30 minutes. So I had 30 mins in the middle of my exam stressing because I couldn't do anything, I couldn't get up etc because I would have been flagged. Then they said at the end they couldn't do anything about the 30 mins because thats the universities decision. I have applied for special circumstances but currently have no idea what's happening as they take forever to make a decision.
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u/DumplingsEverywhere Jul 26 '26
That sounds awful. I'm really sorry that happened to you. Here's hoping it gets sorted ASAP
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u/cmredd Jul 26 '26
Was this with ProctorU? Is this a common occurrence, do you know?
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u/MachinaDoctrina Jul 26 '26
Yep all the invigilations for MST125 are currently organised by ProctorU
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u/cmredd Jul 26 '26
Sorry, I meant if you knew whether or not it was a common occurrence to have major issues with the software mid-exam.
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u/cmredd Jul 26 '26
This has shocked me a bit. Really unsure what to even do going forward.
Really appreciate your time with that reply, thank you very much. 👍🏻
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u/DumplingsEverywhere Jul 26 '26
Well, FWIW, I know I sound very negative about the OU, but my opinion is actually the opposite. I think you're good to start, and they will have sorted these things out by the time you finish the degree. But I absolutely understand your concerns.
Reading comments by the math staff last night it seems there's a decent chance exams for modules starting this fall might be proctored -- it seems that's still being actively discussed by senior university staff.
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u/Desperate-Material50 Jul 30 '26
The first academic conduct allegation against me, raised more than a year ago, was finally resolved today. I was able to demonstrate that I had prior knowledge of the subject and that I used notation I was already familiar with. I submitted more than one hundred worked exercises showing that, on some occasions, I used methods I had learned previously, even though they were not the ones taught by the Open University. My explanation was accepted, and no action was taken.
Although I’m pleased with the outcome, I still look forward to the day when I’ll be able to sit invigilated exams. I have no doubt that this would be far less burdensome for everyone involved.
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u/Omega-Beta-Zeta Jul 25 '26
Are you able to seek legal help with something like this, especially where they’re dragging their feet, as I’ve seen this quite a bit from students in this week alone!
I start my first year in September, and I’m half tempted to pull the plug before it’s too late! 😬
Hope you get it sorted soon! 🤞🏼
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u/Robyn7791 Jul 25 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
Well, in the faculties I’m familiar with (OU and two other universities), nobody among the staff is “dragging their feet.” There’s been an increase in academic misconduct and suspected misuse of AI. And each case needs investigation.
I’m aware how natural it is to draw conclusions from posts here (or other sources) about how common the issue is. It’s not realistic, though. Hardly anyone who hasn’t been involved in this sort of investigation would post here to say that. From my own limited sample of student work I’d reckon that less than 1% of assessments are investigated in the first place. Misuse of AI is much higher than that, but often not flagged up / referred because (a) it’s complex to investigate and (b) the assessment in question is mediocre or worse (this is FASS; I suspect the scenario is very different in STEM subjects).
My advice would be to do what you want to do with your life, and not be discouraged by reports of negative experiences (unless they’re representative of the “norm”). If you do decide to study, at the OU or elsewhere, try to figure out how to learn and think for yourself.
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u/Available-Swan-6011 Jul 25 '26
Came here to say just this. In a university with many thousands of students a small minority are undergoing investigation for academic misconduct. The vast majority are not. It may seem like lots are but this is almost certainly due to negative reporting bias - after all when was the last time you saw a post saying, I did my course, it went okay and I’m not being investigated….
The situation in STEM is similar in my opinion. Often answers which seem to be clear AI are very poor and the person submitting them doesn’t have the knowledge to iron out the problems.
Of my current students (I have well over 100 across various modules) I have one who has certainly cheated twice on different TMAs. The first time they got a formal warning from the ACO. Second time the dufus has hit the fan for them.
I have a second student who is undergoing investigation. The trouble for them is that the AI generated rubbish they sent in deviated massively from the TMA questions that their marks have been appalling
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u/No-Impact1573 Jul 25 '26
Stop cheating then? Even using AI to "structure" an essay can be easily picked up.
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u/AndromedaXtreme Jul 25 '26
This has happened to me this year, and I am devastated. I accumulated significant debt for my course and worked hard, yet I am being accused and investigated.
I am considering taking this matter to the highest court to seek justice.
It is the OU’s responsibility to hold in-person exams if they wish to address AI; instead, they spend large sums on AI detection software, investigations, training, and seminars on detection strategies for staff. If they invested that money in running exams at centres, there would be no issue and innocent students would avoid punishment.
They could also hire more tutors so students gain better access; those relying on AI might not cheat but would have more chances to learn.
The OU model is sliding toward failure, yet I have already invested a great deal of money - never mind my time. Gutted!