When I was in high school I was taking a comptuer programming class. I had the highest grade in the class. Some students offered me $20 to take a dive on the final exam (the teacher would scale the highest grade up to 100.)
I ended up intentionally answering about 1/3 of the questions incorrectly. I still ended up with an A in the class, I got $20, and the grades of the other students were able to be scaled up a bit so they would pass.
Seems to be win/win. Is this ethical or not?
2007-02-22 08:06:09 · 13 answers · asked by Vegan 7 in Education & Reference ➔ Primary & Secondary Education
If you consider it unethical please explain why you think so.
2007-02-22 08:15:12 · update #1
Some interesting arguments thus far.
1. A student has an ethical obligation to do the best s/he can on an exam.
(I don't agree, but this is certainly arguable.)
2. This gave them an unfair advantage over students in this teacher's other classes, and, in fact, gave them a higher rating than they had earned.
This would be true only if there were someone like me throwing off the scale in the other classes. If not then doing my best on the exam would give students in my class an unfair disadvantage.
For those concerned about my angst, worry not. I do not consider it to be unethical (else I would not have done it.) I have my own set of ethics, it is just interesting to see in what ways they diverge from others.
2007-02-22 08:47:44 · update #2
Gee -- I wish you had been in a couple of my college classes where I made a "D" because the tests were always "aced" by some geeks like you.
So I have a D in calculus and a D in statistics -- and otherwise almost all As and Bs.
Keep on Divin', brother.
2007-02-22 08:58:58 · answer #1 · answered by psoup 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No! This was not ethical, nor was it a win / win situation, because you compromised yourself and your standards and they received grades they didn't deserve. The other students should have failed or passed based on their own knowledge or lack thereof, not based on yours. That's the whole idea behind a test. Also, it seems to me that the teacher would have known something was fishy, although they probably couldn't prove it. When the best student in the class suddenly dives to nearly failing, which is what you essentially did because 2/3 of 100% is only 67%, they know something is afoot. If nothing else, you probably lost about 50 points in that teacher's estimation of you, both as a student and as an ethical human being. And don't think that teachers don't communicate with each other about their students and their behavior, because they do, and sometimes very vociferously. I know, because I taught for a while myself. Rumors of this incident may have spread throughout the entire faculty without you ever knowing about it.
2007-02-22 08:59:56 · answer #2 · answered by MathBioMajor 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's unethical. Here's why: you secretly took money to permit others to benefit.
This gave them an unfair advantage over students in this teacher's other classes, and, in fact, gave them a higher rating than they had earned.
In the end, here's the score: your teacher was hoodwinked; the students were given credit where no credit was due; and you feel uneasy about the whole ugly business (otherwise, you would never have posted your question).
I hope you'll resolve to be honest in the future.
2007-02-22 08:18:00 · answer #3 · answered by silvercomet 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Technically, that is cheating. . .But I think it was more cheating on the part of the other students. Although you did the action (that was cheating) they were trully the unethical ones for asking you to degrade youself. It may seem like a win-win situation, but you hurt yourself (slightly less than the other) and the others in the class in the long run.
2007-02-22 08:14:46 · answer #4 · answered by angel_of_the_united_states 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hey u werent 20$ is a win win and u still got an a. u found a way around the system cudos for u. Your now my new hero :)
dont fret its done with id have done the same though
2007-02-22 08:15:10 · answer #5 · answered by deep 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not ethical. Everyone is there to learn, and the tests are to score what they have learned, apparently on a curve as everyone who was in the same class would have been taught in the same way. You were not honest.
2007-02-22 08:14:37 · answer #6 · answered by jboatright57 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The good out of it for you; you wanted to be a good samaratin for your classmates (which is good). The bad part is you did cheat. Remember God does not "color code a lie", nor does God "measure a lie". White lie, black lie, inch of a lie, or a foot of a lie. It's all the same. A lie is a lie with a period. No ifs or buts. You seem like a very nice person to put others before you, I know God can easily forgive you. God bless you!
2007-02-22 08:22:05 · answer #7 · answered by Debs 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it was dishonest, but what's done is done. it is a win/win sit, but like someone pointed out above me, it's unfair to the students in the teacher's other classes.
dont hurt yourself for the sake of others, i guess.
2007-02-22 08:23:43 · answer #8 · answered by goo. 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i dont think its cheating completely because your not exactly cheating off another paper of computer but your just not trying your best thats not cheating.
2007-02-22 08:15:13 · answer #9 · answered by Marissa 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds to me like you are trying to justify yourself that you didn't cheat.
2007-02-22 09:39:53 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋