Academic Dishonesty
Academic Dishonesty
“To cheat or not to cheat, that is the question.” This modified statement, borrowed from the soliloquy in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, aptly denotes the ethical dilemma faced by all students. The majority of students endeavor to conduct themselves in an upright manner. Yet the harsh reality is that many learning institutions, from high schools to universities, are becoming rife with academic dishonesty. The advent of technology has created a tantalizing environment that has greatly enhanced the lives of many people, especially students. An unfortunate consequence is that some of these technological advances are being used to foster scholastic dishonesty. Modern technology has created a tempting environment for academic dishonesty, as well as providing mechanisms for preventing this behavior.
Education is an important aspect of life in most cultures; especially is this true in Western society. Students enrolling in colleges and universities are driven to succeed and generally put forth their best efforts toward that end. Unfortunately, there are some people who attempt to circumvent the standards for academic behavior by resorting to such activities as cheating and plagiarism. These actions have been exacerbated by the misuse of technology. Therefore, it is critical that learning institutions take decisive action to curb these dishonest practices for the benefit of those students behaving in an ethical manner
The expression “academic dishonesty” covers a broad range of issues, but some of its common forms are cheating, plagiarism, and collusion. These practices are considered an attack on the integrity of an educational institution and esse ...