Dishonesty in the Classroom
How do we avoid it?
Intro
Dishonesty is everywhere, but the two main forms are cheating and plagiarism. These are found commonly throughout academic settings, professional settings, and life in general. They are dangerous habits that can snowball into a destructive situation. They need to be minimized now in order to have a successful lifestyle later.
Cheating in the classroom
Stress and workload from teachers can lead to cheating in the classroom. Whether it's stealthily copying down another students homework, or have wandering eyes during a test, it's still considered fraud. Cheating comes in all shapes and sizes but steps can be taken to minimize the abundance of it in the classroom. Making the penalty of cheating clear to students is one of the ways cheating can be avoided. Saying a statement similar to "Any form of acedemic dishonesty will result in an F grade in this course" (Academic Integrity & Dishonesty: A Handbook About Cheating & Plagiarism) is a very simple way to pressure students into working diligently. A non punishable approach could be given to the students. The simplest way to do this is to inform them of the kinds of cheating.
Plagiarism in the classroom
Plagiarism is a complex problem because students don't always understand how to identify it. "In essence, plagiarism is 'stealing' intellectual material. It can take many forms." (Avoiding Plagiarism and Cheating: A guide for students at Swinburne University of Technology p.5) Some students don't realize that they plagiarize. They just don't know how to convert someone else's idea into their own original words. An easy way to avoid this problem is to have teachers explain what it is to the students. It's the students job to make sure they communicate with their teacher if they do not fully understand the assignment. Normally, students wait until the last possible minute to start a project and this causes them to stress and steal ideas from others. So instead of running out to the store to buy posterboard at 4 in the morning, scribbling down plagiarized notes, and frantically pasting stolen material, students can perform good work habits and begin the project immediately after it is assigned.
Famous Cases of Plagiarism
If students practice dishonesty and plagiarism during school, it will surely follow them later on in life. There are many consequences as a result of cheating and they can be catastrophic. Having positive work habits during school is important because it will lead to success. A famous case of plagiarism is Bolton's song "Love is a Wonderful Thing". It was too similar to another famous song "Love is a Wonderful Thing." by the Isley Brothers. Bolton was forced to pay the original artists 5.4 million dollars for copyright infringement. (http;//www.strose.edu/academics/academic_integrity, Artical 3218). Now imagine a student growing up with cheating habits, and something like this comes their way. Now is the time to cut plagiarism, not later.