- UID
- 700528
- 在线时间
- 小时
- 注册时间
- 2011-12-10
- 最后登录
- 1970-1-1
- 主题
- 帖子
- 性别
- 保密
|
22. According to a recent report, cheating among college and university students is on the rise. However, Groveton College has successfully reduced student cheating by adopting an honor code, which calls for students to agree not to cheat in their academic endeavors and to notify a faculty member if they suspect that others have cheated. Groveton's honor code replaced a system in which teachers closely monitored students; under that system, teachers reported an average of thirty cases of cheating per year. In the first year the honor code was in place, students reported twenty-one cases of cheating; five years later, this figure had dropped to fourteen. Moreover, in a recent survey, a majority of Groveton students said that they would be less likely to cheat with an honor code in place than without. Thus, all colleges and universities should adopt honor codes similar to Groveton's in order to decrease cheating among students.
Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.
In this argument, the author recommends that all colleges and universities should adopt honor codes similar to Groveton's in order to decrease cheating among students. To support this recommendation the author first points out that under the honor code system, in the first year students reported twenty-one cases of cheating and five years later, this figure had dropped to fourteen. Then he/she claims that a majority of Groveton students said that they would be less likely to cheat with an honor code in place than without in a recent survey. However, I find this recommendation suspicious on several grounds.
One, the author overlooks such a question: whether the cases of cheating really had a decline? The interval time between the first year and the fifth year was too long to reflect the real situation of cheating. It is very likely that the number of cases of cheating in the middle years was more than 30, the average of cases under the system in which teachers closely monitored students. Thus, perhaps cheating was much more serious rather than alleviated. Therefore, without detailed and accurate data of the cheating cases of each year, the conclusion is unpersuasive.
Two, even if the cheating rates in the second, third and forth year were all lower than that of the year before the new system implemented, such a question is also required to consider: if the cases of cheating reported can reveal the real cheating levels? Perhaps students act in collaboration and shield each other. Though a satisfactory report with low cheating case numbers, the actual quantities of cheating were higher than before. Then, this new system seemd to be counterproductive rather than effective. Therefore, without ruling out this possibility, the author cannot convince me that the new system had a positive impact.
And finally, even if this honor code system was really effective, if this system had some negative effects? The author lacks sufficient information about the influence that this new system brought about. In all likelihood, notifying a faculty member if they suspect that others have cheated would undermine cohesion and create dissension, detrimental to students' physical and psychological well-being. So without accounting for the detailed information about the influence on students, the author cannot reasonably prove the proposed method would be feasible.
Summed up, the recommendation is not on sound reasoning and therefore unconvincing as it stands. To bolster it the author must provide clear and persuasive evidence that the number of cheating cases had a decrease. That the status of cheating problems was really improved, in addition must prove that negative impacts were extremely low or nonexist. |
|
京公网安备11010202008513号 京ICP证101109号 京ICP备12012021号
发表于 2012-3-7 00:46:51
收藏
收藏
楼主
