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Different perspective though, from an academics point of view that does make an effort to reach out to students and teach them well this cheating would be dishe

by robryan 16y ago

Different perspective though, from an academics point of view that does make an effort to reach out to students and teach them well this cheating would be disheartening.

_delirium 16y ago
I can see that, but I'm an academic myself, and somehow it doesn't bother me much (it does bother many of my colleagues). I guess I'm most strongly motivated by providing assistance and resources to people who want to learn, so whatever happens with the people who don't want to learn doesn't bother me that much. I'll enforce whatever rules I have to, to the extent the institution provides me a means to do so (and requires me to), but it just isn't a big motivator for me. I would prefer the proportion of students who are there to learn to be higher (it'd be a more enjoyable and motivating environment), but I don't think being more of a hardass on cheating is going to solve that problem. It's probably true that there are students who, while tempted to cheat, would be great students if they were scared away from that temptation by vigorous enforcement. My guess is that number is fairly small, though. I think most of the people who cheat are the kind of student who doesn't really want to be in this major at all, but feels they need to get this degree to get a job. I think vigorous enforcement with those students, even if it successfully stamps out cheating, will just result in a bunch of students grudgingly doing the work because they now have no choice. But that kind of student still isn't that fun to teach, so my motivation to expend more effort than I have to on converting "cheaters" into "grudging teeth-gritters" is pretty low.
- robak 16y ago
  So, it doesn't bother you as an Academic to have students at an University who do NOT want to learn... ? That's the problem with the US - everybody cares about the money and money only. That's why the system funded by taxes seems better - academics are there to teach people who want to learn. Doctors are there to provide health care. Doesn't this just sound more... hmmm... normal for the lack of a better word?
- jacques_chester 16y ago
  I'm sorry to be a pain, but by not punishing the cheating 'free riders', you are pushing the cost of those free riders onto the good students. The value of of the good students' education is eroded by poor quality of the cheaters.

by robryan 16y ago

Different perspective though, from an academics point of view that does make an effort to reach out to students and teach them well this cheating would be disheartening.

_delirium 16y ago

I can see that, but I'm an academic myself, and somehow it doesn't bother me much (it does bother many of my colleagues). I guess I'm most strongly motivated by providing assistance and resources to people who want to learn, so whatever happens with the people who don't want to learn doesn't bother me that much. I'll enforce whatever rules I have to, to the extent the institution provides me a means to do so (and requires me to), but it just isn't a big motivator for me. I would prefer the proportion of students who are there to learn to be higher (it'd be a more enjoyable and motivating environment), but I don't think being more of a hardass on cheating is going to solve that problem. It's probably true that there are students who, while tempted to cheat, would be great students if they were scared away from that temptation by vigorous enforcement. My guess is that number is fairly small, though. I think most of the people who cheat are the kind of student who doesn't really want to be in this major at all, but feels they need to get this degree to get a job. I think vigorous enforcement with those students, even if it successfully stamps out cheating, will just result in a bunch of students grudgingly doing the work because they now have no choice. But that kind of student still isn't that fun to teach, so my motivation to expend more effort than I have to on converting "cheaters" into "grudging teeth-gritters" is pretty low.

robak 16y ago
So, it doesn't bother you as an Academic to have students at an University who do NOT want to learn... ? That's the problem with the US - everybody cares about the money and money only. That's why the system funded by taxes seems better - academics are there to teach people who want to learn. Doctors are there to provide health care. Doesn't this just sound more... hmmm... normal for the lack of a better word?
jacques_chester 16y ago
I'm sorry to be a pain, but by not punishing the cheating 'free riders', you are pushing the cost of those free riders onto the good students. The value of of the good students' education is eroded by poor quality of the cheaters.