http://www.switched.com/2009/09/22/ethics-101-5-online-pitfalls-that-destroy-students/ Switched Comments for Ethics 101: 5 Online Pitfalls That Destroy Students http://www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.switched.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.switched.com/2009/09/22/ethics-101-5-online-pitfalls-that-destroy-students/http://www.switched.com/2009/09/22/ethics-101-5-online-pitfalls-that-destroy-students/Sep 22nd 2009 1:02PMhttp://www.switched.com/2009/09/22/ethics-101-5-online-pitfalls-that-destroy-students/http://www.switched.com/2009/09/22/ethics-101-5-online-pitfalls-that-destroy-students/Sep 22nd 2009 1:27PMhttp://www.switched.com/2009/09/22/ethics-101-5-online-pitfalls-that-destroy-students/http://www.switched.com/2009/09/22/ethics-101-5-online-pitfalls-that-destroy-students/
On point #3: "Couple that with the fact that Internet anonymity is really a myth"

Completely wrong.
It's only a myth for silly people who is too lazy (or dumb) to learn how the internet actually works _before_ doing bold things.]]>Sep 22nd 2009 2:42PMhttp://www.switched.com/2009/09/22/ethics-101-5-online-pitfalls-that-destroy-students/http://www.switched.com/2009/09/22/ethics-101-5-online-pitfalls-that-destroy-students/
I'd like to point out that this is NOT the legal definition of theft, no matter how much the record industries would like you to believe so. The key phrase in the definition of theft is "deprivation of property" and what this means exactly in the online world is extremely hazy. The truth is that there is no clear legal consensus on whether this is actually illegal. Then you mention the fines, which seem to have no basis in monetary or other damages, and instead appear to be inflated values selected from nowhere.]]>Sep 28th 2009 6:37AMhttp://www.switched.com/2009/09/22/ethics-101-5-online-pitfalls-that-destroy-students/http://www.switched.com/2009/09/22/ethics-101-5-online-pitfalls-that-destroy-students/
As I was reading your article, you lost me around Wikipedia. As an encyclopedia, it shouldn't be cited from because it is a tertiary source. Yet, studies have shown that Wikipedia is only slightly more error prone than encyclopedias like Britannica or Encarta (which have 3 errors on average per article as opposed to 4 for Wikipedia). If you understand the processes underneath Wikipedia articles, it can be a wonderful and helpful resource for students--and a great lesson in how a collaborative effort can work. It is a community of people who are trying to bring knowledge together in order to teach the wider world about every subject possible. As citizens who seek knowledge, can we really knock all of their work as merely "error prone." Throwing terms like that around is a disrespectful, and it's certainly not accurate.

In addition, sites like Course Hero and Cramster shouldn't be poo-poo-ed merely because of the possibility they create for students to cheat. Students have had the option of cheating since time began, and sites like this wont change the desire to do so. While it has the power to bring cheating to a wider world, it also provides educators a chance to talk ethics with their students--to bring up what is and isn't okay in their classroom in this tech-filled world.

For most professors (I hope!) learning is the goal. While sites like Course Hero could be a "pit fall" they could also be extremely helpful. As we become more and more connected to the world around us, it would be to all of our detriment to ignore when new tools pop up that can help us learn better and faster.

More sites like this will arrive, and when they get here, who will be more productive? Those running around trying to get students to stop looking at their computer screen, or those who are able to use these sites and these ideas to their advantage?]]>Sep 30th 2009 9:03AMhttp://www.switched.com/2009/09/22/ethics-101-5-online-pitfalls-that-destroy-students/http://www.switched.com/2009/09/22/ethics-101-5-online-pitfalls-that-destroy-students/
I believe Course Hero and the like, effectively and efficiently help students study. But I know sometimes note taking might not be as thorough, which means uncovering the vast amount of material on Course Hero can help fill in those gaps. So naturally having more material creates room to be more concentrated and productive on certain subjects. Think of it as another study group and study session. I think sites like these are the future for students and have changed the way students can become deeper and well rounded to succeed in their courses.
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