tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2555123713188257297.post3520876840939074717..comments2023-12-14T21:55:11.213-05:00Comments on Mitchell Langbert's Blog: Universities Teach CheatingMitchell Langberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00722335216553899790noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2555123713188257297.post-56923267177670680862010-12-21T05:45:31.813-05:002010-12-21T05:45:31.813-05:00Yes, plagiarism is common. Based on recent informa...Yes, plagiarism is common. Based on recent information I have been obtaining from Blackboard's Safeassignment program, I would guess about 15-20% of students plagiarize parts of their papers by copying sentences or paragraphs from websites ranging from Cliff Notes to "information please" type sites. <br /><br />I was dismayed when my college refused to purchase Turnitin because, argued the library administrator, the paper pooling supposedly violates the students' right to privacy. That is worse than a nonsensical argument and amounts to a bald justification of cheating. The thought that anyone gives a rat's a** about a student's paper and would invade their privacy is ridiculous. <br /><br />Luckily, Blackboard, which is indispensible to run online courses which, in turn, are major student draws, has a very good built-in check system called Safeassignment. <br /><br />Students are not kicked out of the university for cheating where I work. If the administration is willing to pursue the matter they may fail the student in the particular course.Mitchell Langberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00722335216553899790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2555123713188257297.post-68968352349477332142010-12-20T17:31:06.354-05:002010-12-20T17:31:06.354-05:00The only multiple choice test bank assessments I u...The only multiple choice test bank assessments I use are online quizzes, and they are low stakes because they are worth only 10 percent of the course grade. Do some students cheat on them (by collaborating)? Probably. But in the ten years I've been teaching, the most common form of academic dishonesty I've encountered is plagiarism. Students hand in papers that were written by another student in a past semester, or copy extensive material (or the entire paper) from the Internet without attribution. I estimate I've discovered 20 cases over the years. Such cases are easy to prove since I require students to submit e-files; students fail the class and are usually kicked out of the university as well. I also devote one entire class session in my lower division class to ethics and academic dishonesty.howzerdohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2555123713188257297.post-59496074114891242282010-12-19T06:26:27.491-05:002010-12-19T06:26:27.491-05:00Dear Anonymous: In re-reading your comments severa...Dear Anonymous: In re-reading your comments several spill over into defamation and so I have deleted the unbalanced discussion. If you wish to discuss sensitive issues concerning my career, feel free to contact me at mlangbert@hvc.rr.com and we can set up an in-person meeting. We can also discuss your career, which I doubt amounts to much.Mitchell Langberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00722335216553899790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2555123713188257297.post-53777278631309770502010-12-17T19:53:49.489-05:002010-12-17T19:53:49.489-05:00I remember in H/S, our Senior term paper had to be...I remember in H/S, our Senior term paper had to be on a great novel, from a list given by a VERY difficult English teacher. (A Nun!) I chose Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment".<br />We were cautioned that she would absolutely know if anyone cheated, so not to even consider it.<br />I suffered through reading that book, with a notebook to keep track of each character's numerous names and pet names. Another student, the class president, also chose "Crime and Punishment". He chose to copy Cliff notes verbatim. He made no attempt to hide what he had done. He received an "A", and I received a "C" with an admonition as a straight "A" student, that I should have been on a par with the male student.<br />I had that same teacher review a book of poetry I had written a few years later, and I actually thought about telling her what had happened, but declined at the last minute.<br />I have never regretted "earning" my grade, but have often wondered if the "A" recipient ever regretted cheating.....I have often wondered where his life lead him, and if he has continued to cheat.<br />My "C" grade prepared me for a much greater challenge in my adult life, and I KNOW I once again made the right decision.....despite what it cost me.<br />My heart aches for you, Mitchell. Some of those students who tried REALLY hard to do well on that test will suffer now......HOPEFULLY, it will help them later.Mairihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12835022724045480221noreply@blogger.com