Note: This is an abbreviated edition of RT because alert Gazette readers deserve a break.
Today’s edition of the Wall Street Journal has a report about the significant increase in cheating in schools and colleges as a result of…well…many things, including the pandemic-induced shift to online classes. I was struck by the lengths that some students are going to in their attempts to improve their academic standings without actually improving their knowledge. Take this quote from the article as an example:
I grudgingly credit those students in the last example for having commendable creativity along with their disappointing ethics. (Unless, of course, the exam was in a drama class, in which case I hope they got A’s.)
Most disappointing to me personally was the revelation that “Texas A&M University had a 50% increase in cheating allegations in the fall from a year earlier, with one incident involving 193 students self-reporting academic misconduct to receive lighter punishment after faculty members caught on…”
Alert Gazette readers will recall a recent post describing some of our recent trip to South Padre Island. Here are some additional photos from that trip, and I will devote a future post to some discussion about these pictures. For now, please feel free to enjoy the brevity of this offering.
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Beautiful pictures Eric. Love the old tree !
As to the cheating, it never ceases to amaze me!!! Cheating has forever been a part of school life. But now it seems to be growing! I was always afraid to cheat for fear of the consequences; I think these students are of an age that getting busted is not part of their thought process. Or they know nothing will happen if they get caught! 193 students?! You know there just had to be a “ring leader”. That could be considered a scandal!
Hope you are doing well! Have a great day!
Ken
Hi, Ken. I’ve been out of town and just saw your comments. I agree that there seems to be a different mindset nowadays that makes cheating seem less serious than it did in our day. Also, technology has made it so much easier. And then you add on the intense competitive pressure of today’s economy…it’s just a recipe for bad things to happen.