Ethical Dilemma regarding HW Help?

Question

I have a concern regarding homework help.

My issue is students who are posting their homework questions word for word, and asking us to answer it for them.

I am a TA at my university. If any student came to my office hours to ask me to answer a question for them, I'd laugh. I have no issues answering questions which students have attempted to answer. For example; helping to reword a thesis, exploring ideas, or aiding the student to answer a problem on their own (such as providing resources).

However, to come on this site, re type the question, and even ask us to give them examples is audacious!

I would like to know what you think.

I will not be giving the "best answer" selection to who agrees with me, but who provides the best argument. Thanks.

Answer 1

When I answer homework questions on here, I usually try to provide help or explanation and not the answer. Occasionally, a simple answer is the easiest but I try to explain where/how I got the answer and I leave it open ended a bit. If I can tell that someone is just trying to find an easy way out of their homework, I won't answer. So, I suppose I agree with you. But I don't think this is any different then calling a friend from school and asking them. Instead of students asking someone who might not understand it either, they have a better chance of getting answers from people who know what they're talking about. That's why I stick to the categories that I know something about- usually English Lit or History. I could easily google the answers, and provide them but I don't think there is any educational value in that. If I answer questions that I have personal knowledge of, I can provide background and explanation.

Personally, I will never ask a homework question on here because in my field, English Lit, that is dangerous ground. Plagiarizing scares the bejesus out of me, so I try to avoid it so that I am do not cross that line.

So I suppose I agree and disagree with you. I think that it can be helpful to the students who use it properly, and there are several of them out there. The kids that are just stuck and need a little help are the ones I try to deal with.

Answer 2

I neither agree nor disagree with you. Yes, sometimes it's ridiculous that someone would post a question and follow it up with "show your work". Those types of questions I will not answer, because it's obvious they're not trying at all. Sometimes, though, teachers don't explain things in ways the student can comprehend so they'll seek help and/or advice elsewhere. It's up to the individual as to whether to answer these questions. I certainly don't mind helping these kids out from time to time if I feel that the information can be useful to them, and not as a way of just doing their homework for them.

Answer 3

i disagree. a student may come on this site because they really do need help and thats why they're asking for examples, so they can learn. however, i do agree with the fact that some students take advange of the opportunity and ask people to do their homework for them. however, the people who answer the questions are to blame too. they should not give out the answer but simply try giving them hints and point them in the right direction.

Answer 4

I am a teacher and I have answered a few on here.
The only way anyone can ever understand anything is by having it explained to them either by a teacher, in a book or online.
Its the pupils responsibility to make sure that they fully understand an answer that they submit as their own and its a teachers responsibility to value the answer that they have given and to check whether they do understand it. If they do understand why should they not submit it... they have learnt something! If not, then its just plagiarism.

And if any teacher is worth their job, they would be quickly able to see if a pupil has truly understood

Answer 5

I agree. Especially, in the time they take to ask the question on Yahoo! Answers, they could have been looking for answers elsewhere on the internet (such as doing a google or wikipedia search, to start).

Answer 6

I agree with you 100%. We are not helping any student by providing them with answers to their homework. Some even have the nerve to ask us to write essays for them or to summarize the plot of a novel for them. Besides the fact that they are learning nothing by our providing answers, they are passing off those answers as their own thereby creating a real ethical problem for all concerned: one for us because we are aiding and abetting cheating and one for them because they are, in fact, cheating.

Chow!!

Answer 7

I agree with you totally. morally they should not be asking questions that they should be learning on there own. But they are the ones not benefiting from their education. Students have always cheated, and now it seems there is a new form of cheating, let's just hope that they are getting something out of this and remember it.

Answer 8

Well its similar to the advent of .mp3 files corrupting album sales for singers and songwriters. Technology will continue to make life easier whereas it should then be the responsibility of centers for higher learning to enact more stringent protocols to compensate.

Answer 9

There's no such thing as ethics in this world anymore. It's what can I get for me at any & all costs.

Answer 10

I DO AGREE WITH YOU. IF THE STUDENT POSTS THE QUESTION AND GETS ANSWER FROM SOMEONE ELSE, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO LEARN ANYTHING?