Using the internet to do your homework

[devonin]

We've seen plenty of threads in here that are a transparent attempt by people in school to get solutions to homework and other school assignments, in some cases in clever ways, in some cases just posting "Hey I need the answer to this."

Is this outright cheating? is it only cheating when they ask for a gift-wrapped solution? Should students be able to ask for help from outside sources, or should all schoolwork be about nothing but your own work.

In many jobs, especially ones dealing with a great deal of knowledge, the emphasis is less on knowing everything, and more on knowing how to find what you don't know. In that sense, it doesn't strike me as necessarily -cheating- to ask for outside aid, provided you are more asking for assistance instead of an outright solution.

What do you think? Can/should people be allowed to ask for help with homework? Teachers lecture you on method, provide explanations, and assign work to test your understanding, and in general I suspect nobody would call you a cheater if you asked a parent etc to try explaining the problem in a more helpful way, but can we draw a line between 'giving help' and 'doing it for you'?

[TheRapingDragon]

Re: Using the internet to do your homework

As long as you learn something from it and it is beneficial for your knowledge then I see nothing wrong with it.

Back when I was at school numerous times I would use the internet to try and help me expand upon my knowledge of my subjects, gather additional knowledge or generally just try to confirm if my answers were correct or not. It helped me to learn and I naturally keep the knowledge in and then that helped during exams.

Overall I feel it's not cheating to actually do the work yourself or even get help from someone so long as they actually go through it, rather than just giving you the answer with no explanation.

[GuidoHunter]

Re: Using the internet to do your homework

The thing is that there are plenty of help resources to students that don't involve cluttering CT.

It really depends on the content of the question, too.

--Guido

http://andy.mikee385.com

[devonin]

Re: Using the internet to do your homework

The thing is that there are plenty of help resources to students that don't involve cluttering CT.

It really depends on the content of the question, too.

Well, I meant in general, not specifically "Posting in CT on the FFR forums for help with your schoolwork"

I'm asking a more general question about education, schoolwork, and the purposes thereof, and the ways in which people can be seen as furthering their educatino rather than cheating by accessing outside resources. That the catalyst was someone posting in CT was a coincidence.

[spinal_compression]

Re: Using the internet to do your homework

Well it is homework, and homework is there for enforce what you learn at school. By asking for help and getting it you are in turn supporting your memory of that topic.

If we weren't allowed help on homework then what's the point of even giving it. These days teachers are very busy and don't give out of class help and unless you have an older sibling or educated parent then you have to pay for a tutor.

[Windscarredfaith]

Re: Using the internet to do your homework

I ask FFR for help all the time. Lol. I don't think it is cheating when I haven't learned the material, and I have attempted the problem myself. Besides, I give out rewards for the answers too. It's a win-win situation both ways.

[All_That_Chaz]

Re: Using the internet to do your homework

Classes are for building a knowledge base. Finding the correct response by any means necessary is a different concept. If we didn't have classes, no one would know the answers to anything and no one would be able to help you find the answer. In the classroom, where you get the answer matters as much as the correctness of the answer. In a work setting, finding the answer as almost if not as good as knowing the answer.

[Relambrien]

Re: Using the internet to do your homework

Homework is assigned mainly as a way to reinforce what was taught in the class, or to introduce a new subject that will be taught in-depth for the next class. In that sense, looking on the Internet for help is perfectly acceptable, as you are still learning it. It doesn't matter if someone tells you the answer without you finding it, so long as you know it. There, you've learned it, and that's what teachers care about.

It's different for things like math, where it's the procedure, not the answer, that's important. Of course, "cheating" by looking up the answer is not only nearly impossible, but minimally beneficial. Looking up the process (i.e. example problems), however, is acceptable, because you're learning the process by doing so.

In the context of school, all that teachers care about is that you know the answer. Or, in the case of math and certain other subjects, the way to figure out the right answer. They don't care how you figure out the answer or process, they just care that you do figure out the answer or process.

[Reach]

Re: Using the internet to do your homework

It's impossible to stop students from asking other students for help. So if anything the playing field should just be as leveled as possible, with all students having equal access to help resources...except, this is also impossible XD

There's nothing wrong with helping someone through a problem, but the goal should be to help them understand it more than anything. You shouldn't be helping out someone just to give them the answers. This is just another one of those dirty things that goes on that makes the grading system absolutely pointless because there is no way to know who truely earned what.

[slipstrike0159]

Re: Using the internet to do your homework

I think the grading system really only helps students understand that they will receive a higher grade for doing what the teacher wanted in the deadline they wanted and the level of quality of it. Compare it to a job and thats what you have, higher salary for going through the same principle.
I hate to say it but i think school and the grading system is less about kids learning about the subject and more about how to make it in the job world. So really its all about teaching discipline and if you show that you are disciplined and exhibit the traits thereof then you will do better in life financially.

[Wing Zero Custom]

Re: Using the internet to do your homework

It's always best to do your own work instead of turning to plagiarism. The headaches seem a lot less severe.

[Wlfwnd91]

Re: Using the internet to do your homework

In many jobs, especially ones dealing with a great deal of knowledge, the emphasis is less on knowing everything, and more on knowing how to find what you don't know.

100% correct. No one's ever going to know everything, but the important thing is knowing how to find the information you need when you need it. School is important and everything, but beyond the basics kind of pointless to people who are intelligent enough to WANT to learn, but that's besides the point.

I see absolutely no problem with people asking outside sources for help on an assignment. As long as it's not for a paper and they decide to copy and paste what we all say into Microsoft word and go "Here, this is my work!" then it's perfectly fine. If they read through our posts or a web page, or a book, or listen to a parent or friend who understands then they learn the subject just as well as if a teacher taught them, so I don't see it as cheating at all unless they plagiarize.

[Engler]

Re: Using the internet to do your homework

Don't ask anyone on a rhythm game's forum for homework advice, that is for sure.

[archbishopjabber]

Re: Using the internet to do your homework

Homework's purpose is to help you learn for the test. So long as you can do well on the tests who cares how you do your homework if you even do it at all? I always found grading homework to simply be a crutch for hard workers without any real intelligence.

[darkshark]

Re: Using the internet to do your homework

Getting help on your homework and getting the answer to your homework is completely different entirely.

Imagine the internet is just one massive library. Now imagine you found a piece of paper stuck to a piece of gum under your table with all the answers written on it by a kid who took the test 2 periods ago. So things like that on the internet....definitely going to have to say cheating. Going through the different pages of sites to help you find your answers and understand whats going on, even though it is GIVING you the answers to your test/homework, at least you had to read through it and hopefully understood most of it, which is of course acceptable.

Even asking others for the answer would still be considered cheating without some explanation of the answer first.