Academic Cheating And Student Plagiarism Analysis

Susan Blum’s article, “Academic Integrity and Student Plagiarism: A Question of Education, Not Ethics” and “Studies Find More Students Cheating, with High Achievers No Exception” by Richard Perez-Pena both centralize their articles on the causes behind the cheating epidemic in higher education. This is a worthy topic for college students to discuss because college is the point in students’ education where they are the most desperate to maintain high grades in order to receive their degree in the shortest amount of time. While both authors believe that cheating is a colossal issue, they clash in their views of why it has become so prominent.
In Richard Perez-Pena’s article, “Studies Find More Students Cheating, with High-Achievers No Exception,” …show more content…
Blum, she discusses that the failure of institutions to properly teach citation is the culprit of cheating’s prevalence. Initially, Blum declares that new approaches must be taken to diminish academic dishonesty. Treating it as an ethical issue or as a crime have both proven to be unsuccessful, primarily because students have little or no concept of what “academic integrity” is exactly (Blum). Basically, if institutions do not modify their efforts to dissolve this issue, then it will remain unresolved. Blum also states that students put a higher priority on performing well in their courses rather than the moral and intellectual aspects of learning. Blum says, “...students are mostly focused on success and achievement...so, in fact, any process will do.” There are numerous mandatory courses that students take that do not suit their interests, so many carry out any actions necessary to endure these classes. Lastly, Blum expresses that students need to develop the skill of citation throughout all years of their education. Instructors should not expect students to instantly master the ins and outs of citation, especially since this is a skill that teachers themselves struggle to equip their students with (Blum). If educators wish for students to gain the ability to properly cite, then this concept needs to be introduced early and continually developed. All in all, …show more content…
Primarily, both writers highlight that the desire for students to excel in their classes is what provokes them to cheat. Perez-Pena establishes the idea that “...there are students at the top who cheat to thrive” (A14), and Blum further solidifies this claim by stating that “...students are mostly focused on success and achievement...” The two authors also concur that students have no concept of the significance of academic integrity. On the contrary, the writers have opposing views on who is at fault for allowing academic dishonesty to get so out-of-hand. Blum deems sole blame on the education system while Perez-Pena distributes the blame between institutions, educators, parents, students, and even technology (A14). Furthermore, the authors also differ in their choice of sources to reinforce their statements throughout their articles. Perez-Pena calls on experts, statistics, and studies to support his claims while Blum offers insight on an issue that can only be revealed through the experiences of a college professor. Given these points, it is obvious that although the authors may view certain topics differently, they ultimately both agree that academic dishonesty needs to be eradicated before it continues to sweep across all levels of