| Show How g g I Lawrence Lawren ce M. M Hinman The Washington Post Recent studies have shown that a steadily growing number number num- num ber of students cheat or plagiarize plagiarize pla- pla in college and the data from high schools suggest suggest sug- sug gest that this number will continue to rise A study by byDon byDon Don McCabe of Rutgers University showed that 74 percent of high school students students stu- stu dents admitted to one or more instances of serious cheating on tests Even more disturbing is the way that many students define cheating cheating cheat cheat- ing and plagiarism For example they believe that cutting and pasting a few sentences sentences sen- sen from various Web sources without attribution is not plagiarism Before the Web students certainly plagiarized but they had to plan ahead to do so Fraternities and sororities often had files of term papers and some tech high term paper firms finns could fax papers to students Overall however plagiarism required forethought Online term paper sites changed all that Overnight students could order a term paper print it out and have it ready for class in the morn morn- and ing still get a good goodnights nights night's sleep All they needed was a charge card and an Internet connection One response to the increase in cheating has been to fight technology with more technology Plagiarism Plagiarism- checking sites provide a service service ser ser- vice to screen student papers They offer a color coded report on papers and the original original inal sources from which the students might have copied Colleges qualify for volume discounts which encourages professors to submit whole classes classes' worth of the papers academic equivalent of urine testing for athletes The technological battle between term paper mills and plagiarism anti services will undoubtedly continue to escalate with each side constructing constructing con con- more elaborate countermeasures to outwit the other The cost of both plagiarism and its detection will also undoubtedly continue contin- contin ue to spiral But there is another way Our first and most important line of defense against academic academic mic dishonesty is simply good teaching Cheating and plagiarism often arise in a vacuum created by routine lack of interest and overwork Professors who give the same assignment every semester fail to guide students in the development of their projects and have little interest in what the students have to say contribute to the academic environment in which much cheating and plagiarism occurs Consider by way of contrast contrast con con- professors who know their students and who give assignments that require regular regular reg- reg ular continuing interaction with them about their pro pro- who stu- stu and require dents t produce work that is isa isa a meaningful development of their own interests These professors create an environment environment environ environ- ment in which cheating and plagiarism are far less likely to occur In this context any plagiarism would usually be immediately evident to the professor who would see it as inconsistent with the rest of the students student's work A strong meaningful curriculum curriculum lum taught by committed professors is the fIrst and most important defense against academic dishonesty The second remedy is to encourage the development of integrity in our students A sense of responsibility about ones one's intellectual development develop develop- ment would preclude cheating cheating cheat cheat- ing and plagiarizing as inconsistent inconsistent incon- incon with ones one's identity It Itis Itis is precisely this sense of individual individual indi- indi vidual integrity that schools with honor codes seek to pro pro- mote Third we must encourage our students to perceive the dishonesty of their classmates classmates class class- mates as something that causes harm to the many students students stu- stu dents who play by the rules I The argument that cheaters I hurt only themselves is false Cheaters do hurt other people peo- peo pie and they do so to help themselves Students cheat because it works They get better grades and more advantages with less effort Honest students lose grades scholarships recommendations and admission to advanced programs Honest students must create enough peer pressure to dissuade potential cheaters Ultimately students must be willing to step forward and confront those who engage in academic dishonesty Addressing these issues is not a luxury that can be post post- postponed p ned until a in more re co convenient e- e time It is a short step from dishonesty in schools and colleges to dishonesty in business It is doubtful that students who fail to develop habits of integrity and honesty honesty hon hon- esty while still in an academic ic setting are likely to do so once they are out in the thereal real world Nor is it likely that adults will stand up against the dishonesty of others others oth- oth ers particularly fellow workers work work- ers and superiors if they do donot donot not develop the habit of doing so while still in school I |
