watashiwa Essay - 1713 Words

Chapter I The Problem and Its Scope There was a time when cheating was rare in schools, but today the whole â€Å"importance of learning† aspect has been eliminated. Instead, everyone is focused on making the top ten percent of their class or being valedictorian and we seem to have forgotten school’s purpose. School exists so that we will be educated, not so everyone can cheat their way into being successful. Education, which has become vital for the survival for any civilization must be dealt with care and dexterity as his education later mould the personality of a person who dwells among millions of people and can influence their lives. The 21st century has highlighted the need of the reforms so that a normal human†¦show more content†¦And generations of research has shown that a major factor in unethical behaviour is simply how easy or hard it is. A recent study by Jeffrey A. Roberts and David M. Wasieleski at Duquesne University found that the more online tools college students were allowed to use to complete an assignment, the more likely they were to copy the work of others. The Internet has changed attitudes, as a world of instant downloading, searching, cutting and pasting has loosened some ideas of ownership and authorship. An increased emphasis on having students work in teams may also have played a role. â€Å"Students are surprisingly unclear about what constitutes plagiarism or cheating,† said Mr. Wasieleski, an associate professor of management. Howard Gardner, a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, said that over the 20 years he has studied professional and academic integrity, â€Å"the ethical muscles have atrophied,† in part because of a culture that exalts success, however it is attained. He said the attitude he has found among students at elite colleges is: â€Å"We want to be famous and successful, we think our colleagues are cutting corners, we’ll be damned if we’ll lose out to them, and some day, when we’ve made it, we’ll be role models. But until then, give us a pass.† Numerous projects and research studies have shown that frequently reinforcing standards, to both students and teachers, can lessen