Is it fair to do other people's homework for them?

Answer 1

That depends. If someone is asking to just directly do the work, then it really isn't fair to anyone. The person helping does not need the practice, and the person receiving the help does not learn the subject.

On the other hand, if instead of directly doing the homework some level of though is put into showing how to do it, why it is done that way, and some other insight, it becomes a bit more reasonable. That moves more into teaching. The student may still be left with doing the problem, but may understand how to do it better than before.

Along these lines, several explanations from different people can be a good help.

Answer 2

Not only is it not fair, it doesn't help the students whose homework is done for them. It annoys me when someone posts a question and a dozen people supply an answer. It would be much more helpful if they explained how to get that answer and let the student go through the process, so they can apply it to the next question instead of hopping back on the net to ask what the answer for that one is.

Answer 3

I happily refer people to selected hardcopy books, ALL the time----figure if they really want the info, they'll go read them (certainly not cut-and-paste jobs)--it's no different than being a librarian, IMO.

Will also suggest certain sites to check on occasion, but not for the real "easy to find" stuff. (I'll share specialized knowledge.) More likely to suggest a Google search, with "check out the following phrase combinations and see if that helps; look for .org, .edu, and .gov indicators for best reliability"

Don't have any trouble in terms of helping students clarify thoughts, or maybe giving them a simple kickstart ("Help! Need topic for presentation!"), or helping them narrow down a topic area. Papers can be scary when you're 13 or 14, and the subject area is "World War II."

Can't judge math helps any---NOT my field--so can't say whether working out problem helps student see the sequencing, or if it's shortcut to having to actually having them do the work.

I figure goofoffs will get clobbered, come next exam time, or when an in-class writing assignment is due---and their previously "great" essays are no longer available to them online. Karma rocks!

Answer 4

I'll give you a prime example of how it directly negatively impacts the person who receives the "help." I teach at an international school. All our classes are taught in English. Science, math, history, P.E., art, music, etc. We offer English for native and near-native speakers of English, and English for students who are still learning the language. If a student has a native speaker write his or her assignments for her in this class, the student might be moved into the course for native or near-native speakers and will never receive the instruction in the language that they so desperately need to become more proficient. This student is permanently handicapped because he or she will never be able to communicate effectively in English on his own.

This is a very simplistic explanation of why it is not good to cheat on homework, but it is an accurate one.

Answer 5

Many times the instructor is overworked and can't give the individual attention needed, the parents are too busy or simply don't know how to teach and the text book if there is one is difficult to follow. When a kid asks a homework question here that I can answer, I don't just give an answer, I attempt to explain in simple terms how that answer was derived. I've had kids e-mail me later thanking for explaining something they just couldn't understand from their teacher, but now they get it.

Answer 6

I choose who I help...It's not about being able to convince me. It's about who did the reading and and just needs a little clarification. I don't lay out all the answers for them either. I try to point them in the right direction and help them over a few bumps so they'll get more out of the homework.

Answer 7

The purpose of homework is to learn something from it. Having someone else do it defeats the purpose. It's hard to have someone else take your exams. And all those A's and B's mean nothing if you fail those. Learn from your homework, not your mistakes. Those will come soon enough.

Answer 8

It's not fair to them. They need to learn what is being taught. If someone else is doing their homework for them, it is cheating them out of knowledge that they need. I hope this helps.

Answer 9

No. It's not fair to the one who does the work, the person who needs to do the work and others in the class.

Answer 10

no its not fair but if you ask for help is it fair if a teacher does not help you when you are the student? therefore i think taht it is fair that oyu shoudl be able to ask a question when you need help such as in algebra or in physics/chemistry and if your in homeschool its exeedingly hard for a person to compleatly understand some things when noone is there to teach them math especialy!!