P*#giarism: the Ivory Tower's curse word
TORONTO (CUP) -- The Internet is a glorious thing: it emboldens stalkers, encourages snooping and eases the lives of overwhelmed students who borrow essays off various websites. Composing an essay from scratch seems like an absolute waste of time; it's certainly something that will cut into important social activities. Why would anyone bother? It's just plagiarism, and it is only accompanied by the minor caveat of expulsion from school.
The origins of such student initiative date back to the cave days, where students quickly determined that they could create two assignments in the time of one by hammering at two small rock-tablets on top of each other, rather than one large one each. It was with this discovery that these brilliant cave-students found the time to make fire and other useful inventions we still require today.
The benefits of plagiarism can be found all the way through history, from Plato to Shakespeare. A great opus does not write itself, especially when only one person is contributing to it.
Yet, inside the hallowed corridors of today's educational institutions, the sacred borrowing of another person's ideas is met with hushed tones and furrowed brows. Nary can a syllabus be found without reference to the evils of “plagiarism.” Each student in each class is forced through lecture after lecture extolling university policies regarding those who selectively. Yet it seems the desperation to avoid the pitfalls of copying has struck fear solely in the minds of the institution itself.
Academia has gone to bizarre lengths to ensure that borrowed work can be spotted and discarded with the appropriate flourish and punishment to ensure no damage to any reputation.
Many professors refuse to make themselves vulnerable to the ingenuity of students by removing written assignments entirely from the curriculum. The claim is that they do not possess the time to critique student work and ensure that it is truly original. This must mean that the legions of teacher's assistants are far too busy as well. Or at least have been told that they are too busy to be reduced to such a task.
Yet, one is left to wonder if it isn't student marking that is taking up their time, could it be the fear of letting a plagiarized essay slip through their guard that keeps them up at night?
Turnitin.com, a California-based plagiarism detecting website, has become synonymous with plagiarism since its inception a decade ago. Used by many in the educational field, it has actually prompted universities to go so far as to spend student money on the students themselves -- it is for the good of the classroom, they claim. These powers market fairness for all students in ensuring no one can get away with plagiarizing by assuming that everyone is plagiarizing to begin with.
Yet, like everything else in the corporate world, every endeavour is for profit, and Turnitin.com is no stranger to that fact. The program is an attractive investment for scholarly copy-checkers due to the large database it offers. A database chock full of student work submitted at the demands of the professor under a license paid to Turnitin by the university. Turnitin creates a lucrative database, professors enjoy point and click preservation of their reputation, and students have their work ripped off for the benefit of "others."
Pardon my plagiarism, but for as long as those in charge believe such hypocritical measures will teach their students a lesson, their students will continue to get their lessons from the “glorious” Internet.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
The origins of such student initiative date back to the cave days, where students quickly determined that they could create two assignments in the time of one by hammering at two small rock-tablets on top of each other, rather than one large one each. It was with this discovery that these brilliant cave-students found the time to make fire and other useful inventions we still require today.
The benefits of plagiarism can be found all the way through history, from Plato to Shakespeare. A great opus does not write itself, especially when only one person is contributing to it.
Yet, inside the hallowed corridors of today's educational institutions, the sacred borrowing of another person's ideas is met with hushed tones and furrowed brows. Nary can a syllabus be found without reference to the evils of “plagiarism.” Each student in each class is forced through lecture after lecture extolling university policies regarding those who selectively. Yet it seems the desperation to avoid the pitfalls of copying has struck fear solely in the minds of the institution itself.
Academia has gone to bizarre lengths to ensure that borrowed work can be spotted and discarded with the appropriate flourish and punishment to ensure no damage to any reputation.
Many professors refuse to make themselves vulnerable to the ingenuity of students by removing written assignments entirely from the curriculum. The claim is that they do not possess the time to critique student work and ensure that it is truly original. This must mean that the legions of teacher's assistants are far too busy as well. Or at least have been told that they are too busy to be reduced to such a task.
Yet, one is left to wonder if it isn't student marking that is taking up their time, could it be the fear of letting a plagiarized essay slip through their guard that keeps them up at night?
Turnitin.com, a California-based plagiarism detecting website, has become synonymous with plagiarism since its inception a decade ago. Used by many in the educational field, it has actually prompted universities to go so far as to spend student money on the students themselves -- it is for the good of the classroom, they claim. These powers market fairness for all students in ensuring no one can get away with plagiarizing by assuming that everyone is plagiarizing to begin with.
Yet, like everything else in the corporate world, every endeavour is for profit, and Turnitin.com is no stranger to that fact. The program is an attractive investment for scholarly copy-checkers due to the large database it offers. A database chock full of student work submitted at the demands of the professor under a license paid to Turnitin by the university. Turnitin creates a lucrative database, professors enjoy point and click preservation of their reputation, and students have their work ripped off for the benefit of "others."
Pardon my plagiarism, but for as long as those in charge believe such hypocritical measures will teach their students a lesson, their students will continue to get their lessons from the “glorious” Internet.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
