Re: Are you REALLY a stressed out student?

[gpauley <gpauley@ridgecrest.ca.us>]

Nathaniel Tagg wrote:
 
>The www site to be, if you are a student, and want to freely download
>essays written by other students. All essays are with descriptions and
>the grade which was given. This new concept will expand. The database
>of titles in all subjects is, every day.

>You know, I've never been able to understand this.  ANY competent 
>instructor/teaacher/professor will instantly recognize when a student
>hasn't written his/her own paper.  Styles don't change overnight.
>Students using these pre-written essays, even as a guide, are risking
>academic misconduct which is grounds for expulsion.

>Here's the best part: If I'm a prof. who suspects a student has
>turned in a piece of work that's not his own, it should be a
>relatively painless process to determine whether or not he's
>gotten the essay off this archive.

> Essay-writing services and essay archives have been prolific for
> years all over North America.  Spotting plagurized essays is not
> trivial.. especially with hundreds of essays to mark.  Since this
> repository is only one of dozens, there is no way for a prof to stay 
> on top of them all.
>         This kind of service is not laughable; it is a severe problem,
> both in terms of equity and education.  Anyone who makes use of it
> ethically (and morally) reprehensible in my view.

I've been monitoring this (off topic) conversation for a while now.  I 
AM a college professor (at least an adjunct professor) and I wouldn't 
even bother trying to catch the plagurizers.  My philosophy has always 
been that I'll catch the cheater types on the exam.  If they can buy 
papers and copy homework and still pass my exams, then they've probably 
already mastered the subject and are just in my class because their 
degree requires it.