Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!ubvax!ames!lamaster
From: lamaster@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Hugh LaMaster)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: Victims of Cheating
Keywords: Cheating isn't victimless
Message-ID: <12406@ames.arc.nasa.gov>
Date: 27 Jul 88 15:18:58 GMT
References: <88Jul26.135123edt.776@neat.ai.toronto.edu>
Reply-To: lamaster@ames.arc.nasa.gov.UUCP (Hugh LaMaster)
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
Lines: 40

In article <88Jul26.135123edt.776@neat.ai.toronto.edu> gh@ai.toronto.edu (Graeme Hirst) writes:

>In article <2935@utastro.UUCP> nather@utastro.UUCP (Ed Nather) writes:
>>But who is cheated?  Who is the "victim" of this "crime?"  Only the
>job, then the following people are victims:

>(1)  The student with a genuine but lower grade, who might otherwise have
>     got the job.

>(2)  The employer, who will pay this person a year's salary or more before
>     finally firing him or her.

>(3)  Future applicants from the same university, whom the employer will
>     now presume to be badly educated.

>As long as college grades are used by others as a measure of competence,
>then students who cheat to raise their grades are defrauding anyone, such
>as a future employer, to whom they show those grades, and this is the
>main reason why they cheat in the first place.

I agree with with Graeme Hirst completely:  Anyone who undertakes the
responsibility of handing out grades also undertakes the responsibility
of handing them out fairly.  And anyone who laughs off the problem of
cheating is directly causing injury to honest students.  And teaching
another lesson: "You had better cheat, because it is a requirement for
success in my class."

I have to observe, however, that Universities with large, impersonal
classes are asking for trouble unless they go to extra lengths to prevent
cheating.  I think the solution is to have classes small enough and
professors interested enough that students and professors develop a
personal relationship during classes.  (I know, dream on ...).



-- 
  Hugh LaMaster, m/s 233-9,  UUCP ames!lamaster
  NASA Ames Research Center  ARPA lamaster@ames.arc.nasa.gov
  Moffett Field, CA 94035     
  Phone:  (415)694-6117