Copying Excel Files

[SweetHome]

Let me set up the situation:
I am a teacher, I have a student that I suspect has turned in files from another student. I have checked the properties and file creation dates and they appear different. However, upon opening the files, the selected cell is the same (and often off in a random spot). I am 100% sure they are cheating. Is there another way I can detect that they are copied files? For reference, I gave them a file to begin with, and they are supposed to edit it.

 

[jbeaucaire]

The home work thing is frequently a difficult "proof" situation. As a teacher myself I had to make some tough choices on this one. I decided people helping each other is commonplace. And it's not always bad.

But if you want to be sure the student learned the lesson, simply open the sheet and ask him to explain the process he went through so you can understand it. As long as he can prove he learned the content and can replicate it as needed, the homework part is less problematic if they "study grouped" it.
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Alternately, give each student what "appears" to be the same workbook, but hidden in a cell somewhere is some personalized piece of information. If they copy the workbook or worksheet as a whole the key data would get changed and you would know who it came from.