Plagiarism is really "self-teaching?"

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussions' started by AV8R, Apr 5, 2004.

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  1. AV8R

    AV8R Active Member

  2. pugbelly

    pugbelly New Member

    I suppose there may be some truth here. That being said, self-teaching should still be ethical. Shouldn't it? Copying material may help the student to learn, but it is an unethical way to learn.

    Pug
     
  3. Guest

    Guest Guest

    There used to be a school of thought that anything published that isn't original is plagerism. Strange, I think.
     
  4. MarkIsrael@aol.com

    [email protected] New Member

    They twisted the director's remarks to get a headline. She actually said, "Pupils can change the language and grammar and put it into their own words, but if they are going to that sort of effort they are essentially self-teaching and are learning the subject anyway. They would not be able to make extensive alterations without an understanding of the subject."

    She was talking about children, not university students. If you ask a first-grader to write an essay, would you penalize him for looking up the topic in an encyclopædia and paraphrasing what he finds?

    What I don't understand is why these "examining bodies" are grading essays not written under invigilated (proctored) conditions. When I was at school in England, prep (homework) was marked by the master (teacher), and the exam boards marked only the final invigilated exams.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 5, 2004
  5. agilham

    agilham New Member

    Ah. But that was before the cancer of assessed coursework corrupted the UK exam system ;-(

    Quite a few examinations now have a significant component where the sprog hands in a portfolio of their work which can amount for over a quarter of the final mark. The temptation to cheat can occasionally be overwhelming, just as it can be at the university level.

    Angela
     
  6. nosborne48

    nosborne48 Well-Known Member

    Didn't Tom Lehrer sing a nasty little song about this?

    "Plagerise! Don't let his work evade your eyes! Remember why the good lord made your eyes, so don't shade your eyes! No! Plagerse plagerise plagerise!" (Remembering always please to call it "research".)
     
  7. Mike Albrecht

    Mike Albrecht New Member

    Several years ago my wife (a freelance writer) got accused by another writer of "plaglarism by parapharse", see used the words medical and docotr in a book about raising physically disabled kids. The court they submitted it to, laughed them out of the court house.
     

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