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The race to be on the top has led everyone to believe that cheating is acceptable. However, cheating or plagiarizing not only affects the individual, but the whole society. It is the first step towards the ethical downfall of society. If the concerned authorities do not take measurable steps towards the checking and stopping of plagiarism and cheating, then our future generation will be in a state of complete ignorance.
In a study conducted by the American Association of Colleges and Pharmacy, “data support the study model prediction that the major determinants of student attitudes toward cheating are based on the degree of idealism and relativism evident in the students’ dispositional trait” . Plagiarism is spreading like an epidemic in our youth. Educational institutions have set rules and regulations about the consequences of cheating but it seems that those rules are not quite being implemented. It seems that often times the authorities don’t seem to catch the cheating or even if they do, they don’t take the proper measures because they feel it is something that everyone is doing. Cheating is becoming a social norm in our society.
There are a few very obvious causes for the increase in cheating in our youth. The student of today has greater access to information. It is because of this easy access that they tend to become lazier and simply copy and take credit for other people’s work. The age old advice of “Don’t cheat” has been comfortably evolved into “Don’t get caught” . The boom in technology has made it even easier for students to not to get caught. Lack in belief in your own self forces you to take such drastic measures. The unrealistic expectations of parents and peers are also to blame for the rising cause of cheating.
There are many adverse affects of cheating. It kills a student’s creativity. By cheating someone else’s work, you gradually lose the ability to think on your own. Eventually the biggest effect of cheating occurs of you not being able to make any decisions for yourself. A cheater always remains in doubt and can never trust his opinion. Cheating makes a person dependent and needy.
Educational institutions are now trying to come up with a fool proof method to stop the need of cheating. “TPTs are teaching techniques that allow for all students to demonstrate, at the same time, active participation and cognitive engagement in the topic being studied.” This way a student learns faster and better. It is important for parents and teachers to join hands in setting realistic goals for students so that they do not feel the need to cheat. Students should be given the faith that they excel in their own special ways. The ultimate goal should not be to pass but to learn.
Works Cited
Ann Lathrop, Kathleen Foss. Student Cheating and Plagiarism in the Internet Era: A Wake-up Call. Libraries Unlimited, 2000.
Himmele, Persida & William. Total Participation Techniques (TPTs). 24 October 2013 <http://acadiatechinfo.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/60481382/beleive%2Bin%2Btpts.pdf>.
Marilyn D. Saulsbury, BSPharm,J. Brown, Simone O. Heyliger, and Ruby L. Beale. "Effect of Dispositional Traits on Pharmacy Students’ Attitude Toward Cheating." American Journal of Pharmaceutical Eductaion (2011).
