Hello, the article (link above) on buying 'academic' essays I feel is worth reading.
As lecturers, we always insist on honesty in our teaching practice, integrity in our marking which should be equitable and fair and in return we expect the same strong principles in our students when submitting work.
There is, I believe, a clear line between academic dishonesty and using the work of others as a framework, guideline, signpost, call it what you will.
The one thing to remember is, that you are credited for citing the work of another, and done properly, can have very positive results. Original and creative thought doesn't come easy to many learners after all, but you are not always asked for that when being assessed. Always consider the possible outcomes which are inherent when plagiarising. When processed properly, it really isn't worth the risk at all, I think we can all agree on that!
As always, get tapping on those keys and don't be afraid to communicate your thoughts, they will always be valid and respected.
All the best,
Mark
As sad as it is , I really don’t think there is much that can be done on the wiping out of “contractual essay writing”. These people are horrendous and frankly the people who would pay up to £1700 for a dissertation don’t deserve that degree , or to pursue a career in that subject. However the websites are functioning successfully and without detection most of the time so if people can get away with it they will use it. I don’t think making it illegal will help either. When someone’s having an essay crisis it would be all to easy to spend £30 and have that crisis taken out of their hands. It’s unbeleivably dishonest but I think the only way to tackle such problems is at the source and as the article suggested, freezing the assets of the companies involved.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how widespread this is! I had heard of this type of cheating before but had no idea it was to this level.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely believe there is an urgent need to tackle this and to make a strong example of those caught and of those companies involved. It is fraud and it is criminal.
As someone who aspires to go to university and work my socks off I am disgusted by the notion that there could be individuals in the same position as me who take the easy route. It undermines the whole principle of a degree and belittles the genuine hard work put in by the majority of students.
If someone had to buy a dissertation or a PhD thesis I would have no qualms about jailing them and id double the sentence for those where their dishonesty has advanced them into a position of trust, such as allowing them to take a job as a doctor, teacher or any other profession that influences others.
I personally can't imagine any circumstance where I'd even consider doing this; I'd feel pressure, shame, embarrassment etc as much as anyone would to fail but I would never cheat.
To be willing to cheat at this level means you need to be willing to deceive your friends/family and colleagues for the rest of your life and to snatch opportunities from those who genuinely achieved things through their own merit and are more deserving. It is never worth it.
Major crackdown needed to ensure the integrity of the education system, and in fact for everyone's safety and security!
Good afternoon both, I had been expecting you! Thank you for these insightful comments, both framed well. It is worth reassuring everybody, that there ARE stringent policies, procedures and strategies in place for the would be plagiarist and in almost every case, they WILL be found and punished appropriately. I think knowing that rules and regulations are in place gives all students a sense of relief, and that the 'system' is as fair and equitable as it can be. I too believe tackling the issue at the source is important, but of course, the source don't feel they are in the wrong or doing anything remotely smacking of criminal activity, which naturally creates another problem! As my final points on this, just remember this. Hard working, honest and clear thinking learners will often triumph within academia (which is strangely what the converted school I live in is called!) If your conscience is clear that you have done your best and you have put 100% in, what is the worst that can happen? A spot of remediation? Reassessment with feedback from the lecturer to guide you? I would say that this result is far better than the options faced to the plagiarist who almost certainly will get caught. Honesty prevails in life I reckon, whatever the context.
ReplyDeleteHi Mark,
DeleteI appreciate the reassurance it's being taken seriously although I don't think we'd have doubted it in our particular college/class. ��
I think the vast majority of people agree it's immoral to cheat yet it is obviously a growing market and while I absolutely take on board your comments about the awareness of the issue in educational institutions and the teaching professional there is always the worry that the market is surpassing that.
As with any lucrative activity those that walk the fine line tend to find loopholes and technology beyond the means of those operating within the law (who are usually fighting for funding) therefore to combat widespread plagiarism and commercialised cheating there needs to be an understanding of how widespread it really is and harsh penalties for those who participate.
I have a bit of a fear of remediation to be honest, in my day it was a pass or a fail and that was it. Maybe it's the old school 'pass first time'' mentality driving the new wave of cheating!
Absolutely, and the phrase that pays is, 'Don't Cheat!'
ReplyDeleteFor all members of the class, this is a good opportunity to address remediation in my Unit and teaching actually.
Remediation, incidentally, should NEVER be seen as a negative thing, nor should it be seen as a fail, or failure in any way. It simply means that not everything has been passed and some tightening up needs to be done so all criteria for assessment has been met.
In the case of the reading assessments, this will be marking each question and either saying it is fine, or needs some additional comment, whether that be in the form of quoting, addressing certain parts of the text, clarifying information or providing some supporting detail. That is how the continuous assessment process works, and is actually really helpful to everybody's learning (in theory!)
Cheers, Mark