Of course, straight copying (stealing) is bad. There are
students that never show up to class and then cheat to get their degree. But
they don’t really bother me- they’re never going to do anything impressive with
their lives anyways. They can have the jobs they’ll get just by having a degree.
When they mess up, they’ll be fired.
The problem I have with the current definition of cheating is that it is too broad. Most everyone I’ve met that ‘cheated’ didn’t do it because they were lazy, but because they truly didn’t understand the material, even if they’d tried to figure it out. They are often afraid.
Afraid of not getting the minimum grade they need to pass the course. My school has a rule that if you fail a course twice, you are kicked out. A student has worked hard for years, learned in every course, and may be kicked out of school because they do not understand the material in just one. They are afraid of not graduating- because if you don’t graduate, you will ruin your life (since everyone seems to tell them that if you don’t graduate college, your life will be mediocre, no matter your personal will and skill).
One student works with another to help them understand. To help them overcome their fear- a fear that not only keeps them from further learning in that course, but further learning in life. Both students are now cheaters.
Should this be considered the fault of the student? Or should it be considered the fault of the teacher not connecting to the student in a way that they understand? What if the teacher thinks that they cannot help the student no matter how they try? But what if, instead, a student may see what the teacher cannot?
Perhaps the consequences will hurt the student that tries to help another; perhaps it will hurt both. That does not make it wrong to do. Perhaps the student will never know what it is they are really being helped with. Perhaps they will simply see the course as the grade they need and move on. Perhaps neither student sees what it may be that they’re overcoming.
Both students are caught- both students are kicked out of school. Maybe because they talked to the wrong person. Maybe because they were too open. Maybe because they were too trusting. Maybe they just went about what they were trying to do in the wrong way. They did something that they knew wasn’t ‘right’ by the current rules. They knew it was ‘wrong’. Maybe they never realized the deeper meaning behind their actions. Maybe they did.
What if the instance is made public as an example to everyone else at the school? What if everyone at the university sees what the student has done and sees it as wrong? What if everyone at the school condemns both students as ignorant, uncaring, cheating fools? What if everyone in the world does? But, what if (just) one other student sees what was done in a different way? What if they understand what the true meaning of the cheating students actions were, even if the way the students went about achieving it was wrong?
Perhaps that other student will decide to help another overcome their fear in the future. Perhaps they will tell another of their viewpoint and the idea will spread. Perhaps they will become a teacher and share their viewpoint with more students in the future. Perhaps they will become a leader. Perhaps they will change the world.
The problem I have with the current definition of cheating is that it is too broad. Most everyone I’ve met that ‘cheated’ didn’t do it because they were lazy, but because they truly didn’t understand the material, even if they’d tried to figure it out. They are often afraid.
Afraid of not getting the minimum grade they need to pass the course. My school has a rule that if you fail a course twice, you are kicked out. A student has worked hard for years, learned in every course, and may be kicked out of school because they do not understand the material in just one. They are afraid of not graduating- because if you don’t graduate, you will ruin your life (since everyone seems to tell them that if you don’t graduate college, your life will be mediocre, no matter your personal will and skill).
One student works with another to help them understand. To help them overcome their fear- a fear that not only keeps them from further learning in that course, but further learning in life. Both students are now cheaters.
Should this be considered the fault of the student? Or should it be considered the fault of the teacher not connecting to the student in a way that they understand? What if the teacher thinks that they cannot help the student no matter how they try? But what if, instead, a student may see what the teacher cannot?
Perhaps the consequences will hurt the student that tries to help another; perhaps it will hurt both. That does not make it wrong to do. Perhaps the student will never know what it is they are really being helped with. Perhaps they will simply see the course as the grade they need and move on. Perhaps neither student sees what it may be that they’re overcoming.
Both students are caught- both students are kicked out of school. Maybe because they talked to the wrong person. Maybe because they were too open. Maybe because they were too trusting. Maybe they just went about what they were trying to do in the wrong way. They did something that they knew wasn’t ‘right’ by the current rules. They knew it was ‘wrong’. Maybe they never realized the deeper meaning behind their actions. Maybe they did.
What if the instance is made public as an example to everyone else at the school? What if everyone at the university sees what the student has done and sees it as wrong? What if everyone at the school condemns both students as ignorant, uncaring, cheating fools? What if everyone in the world does? But, what if (just) one other student sees what was done in a different way? What if they understand what the true meaning of the cheating students actions were, even if the way the students went about achieving it was wrong?
Perhaps that other student will decide to help another overcome their fear in the future. Perhaps they will tell another of their viewpoint and the idea will spread. Perhaps they will become a teacher and share their viewpoint with more students in the future. Perhaps they will become a leader. Perhaps they will change the world.
