SparkNotes and Google are a student's best friend and worst enemy. They can help with checking homework problems or explaining a difficult text. However, they cal also get students into trouble. Students rely on these sites way too much, and it becomes quite obvious on quizzes and tests who knows the material and who does not. I think the line needs to be drawn at when students completely rely on these sources and do not add any of their own ideas into their work. I believe it is fine to complete the work given to you and then use these resources to check your work. But, if you are wrong, then make the changes necessary and do not copy and paste things from these websites.
Students cross this boundary line all the time; why do they do that? It's the easy way out. They don't have to think. They don't have to work. We are the generation of instant gratification. It takes too long to think about the difficult question and it is so tempting to find the answer in .025 seconds from Google. It is sad how easy it is to cheat because of the Internet. On the other hand, it is amazing all the new possibilities available now because of the Internet. Somehow we need to find the balance...
I appreciate the internet as well, but plagiarism and Sparknotes are issues that come along with it. I think it's because Google makes everything so easily accessible that nobody wants to put in the effort anymore.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post! The Internet can be a very useful tool but only to a certain extent.
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