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October 18, 2006, 03:45 PM ET
Are Professors to Blame for Plagiarism?
Sure, professors could blame ethically-challenged students or the dread effects of the Internet for the recent rise in campus plagiarism. But if those professors really want to know who is responsible for rampant cheating, they ought to look in the mirror, says Ruth Lynn Deech, director of Britain’s Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education.
Speaking at a conference about plagiarism, collusion, and cheating in higher education, Ms. Deech argued that professors have created "a culture of expectation" in which students "take whatever is put in their hands, be it a handout or a PowerPoint presentation," according to The Times of London. Today’s students are especially prone to cut-and-paste plagiarism, she said, because "indulgent lecturers" have let high-tech tools dilute the collegiate values of academic inquiry and rigorous research.
Should professors shoulder some of the blame for their students’ plagiarism? Or is Ms. Deech downplaying students’ personal choice in the matter? —Brock Read
Categories: Student-Life, Teaching
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