Introduction
Dameron’s article titled “A man for All Semesters” explores misdeeds of Tomar as well as the indolent nature of learners in higher institutions. The article gives an account of how Dave Tomar made vast amounts of money by helping students to complete their assignments.
Tomar earns a decent living from his work as a freelance writer in a custom essay company. The article explains how Tomar completed loads of papers for learners who were either indolent or not prepared for tasks associated with completion of their college, graduate and doctoral programs. The interest of learners is just to present exactly what the teacher asks for so that they can obtain excellent grades.
Hence, they keep on confirming whether the writer is writing what the teacher requires. Also, Dameron uses some clients served, by Mr. Tomar, to show that these learners are not ready to think on their own at all. Rather, they expect Mr. Tomar to provide them with an excellent piece of work that meets the criteria asked for by their instructors. Besides, the article demonstrates parents to these learners as being key facilitators to the entire process of cheating in institutions of higher learning.
Other aspects that this article explores are relationships between unemployment and academic cheating. Mr. Tomar was happy with his work as he could earn more than most of his peer lectures in prominent universities. Further, the article shows that the current university education in America has many shortcomings. Writing dissertations for the doctorate and graduate learners as well as completing term papers for college learners produces learners, who cannot think or apply education learnt to real situations.
Besides, completing such vital tasks on behalf of learners leaves them with less time to study and learn. This, in turn, compromises the value and significance of education in American universities. As a result, these institutions end up producing graduates who cannot think critically, and whenever they find themselves in a situation that requires complex reasoning, they make efforts to contact freelance writers who can complete these tasks on their behalf.
This article is of immense significance today to instructors, learners, readers and parents. The article demonstrates that current instructors have neglected their work of ensuring that learners present original work in higher institutions of learning. Whenever instructors offer assignments to learners, they have a responsibility of ensuring that learners submit their original work in order to maintain academic integrity.
Besides, this article demonstrates that learners have lost moral values related to education and their parents are paying little attention to their misdeeds. Every time learners receive assignments while, in learning institutions, they should complete these assignments individually, or as required in order to avoid compromising values related to education.
The current economic issues in the United States, particularly in the area of employments, may have made learners develop the act of cheating in examinations Also, parents have a responsibility of ensuring that their children complete home assignments individually rather than presenting these assignments to other people to assist them.
Further, this article is of immense significance to any reader who believes in academic integrity and moral development. This is because this topic seems to compromise these key aspects of education purpose.
As revealed by this account, both undergraduate and graduate schools and learners have fallen into a trap of low quality education and cheating because of little attention by instructors in American institutions.
Summary of Main Points
Dameron’s article highlights the issue of academic cheating. Another key point that is clear in this work is that learners in higher institutions of learning just seek to excel in their assignments as opposed to obtaining knowledge.
Besides, Dameron’s article demonstrates how students cannot think independently. Dameron also demonstrates that learners are extremely conscious while delivering writing instruction as the teacher requires. In addition, Dameron uses Mr. Tomar to demonstrate that the current situation of exam cheating has roots in lack of adequate employment.
The article by Dameron further explains that if the story by Mr. Tomar is true, then the current university education in America has many shortcomings. Also, this article highlights that instructors in American institutions of higher learning have failed in their role of molding characters of learners.
Analysis
The author fulfilled his purpose through this argument. The main purpose of the author was to demonstrate that cheating in American institutions of higher learning is prevalent due to both economic and institutional issues. However, this work has both logical and illogical ideas.
First, the article claims that Mr. Tomar’s clients are lazy and incompetent. While this could be true for most clients, it cannot be generalized. This is because some learners ask for Mr. Tomar’s hand due to sickness, ethnical issues or engagement in other activities that they value as much as education. Hence, this fallacy is illogical.
Second, the article claims that learners are extremely conscious while delivering writing instruction as the teacher requires. On the same paragraph, the article demonstrates that the learner has concern of what the paper will entail.
These two ideas are contradicting as one idea seeks to demonstrate that these learners only care about following instructions given in order to pass exams, whereas the other idea demonstrates that learners have a concern on details of the paper as they know what should be contained in the paper. Hence, these two statements are contradicting and seem to be illogical.
Third, the article speculates that learners are always learning and studying little than the system requires. A study referring to the trend of studying and learning, in higher institutions, by Marks and Philip Babcock indicates that there is a tremendous decline in the time spent by learners on their studies. This study made reference to students’ behavior between 1961 and 2003. This argument seems to be illogical as it draws from inductive arguments.
The fact that there is a tremendous decline, in the time that students spend on their studies, does not necessary mean that learners are always learning and studying little than the system requires. Besides, the last date that the study made reference to was 2003, 0r 9 years ago. The fact that a situation existed 9 years ago does not necessary means that the same situation exists. All these arguments seem to be informal fallacies.
Response
The first issue that I support is the perspective on academic cheating. The practice of academic cheating is prevalent in most American institutions of higher learning (McCabe, Trevino, & Butterfield, 2001).
Whereas laziness among learners is among key factors that stimulate academic cheating there are other factors that contribute to the same. Some of these factors include enrolling learners who are not fully qualified, language, or ethnicity and lack of proper time management skills. From my perspective, all these factors must be considered in reducing cases of cheating in American institutions.
I also agree that instructors in American institutions of higher learning have failed in their role of molding characters of learners. Instructors contact their learners on a daily basis and thus, have a responsibility of molding characters of their learners.
This can be achieved through edifying learners on the significance of completing their individual tasks and taking stern actions against those found to engage in cheating. Besides, instructors can minimize cases of cheating through conducting one on one editing on all work presented by learners as completed assignments.
While this process may appear tedious due to the vast number of learners in university classes, it can be achieved. Also, instructors are aware of their learners’ capabilities particularly in expressing themselves or writing in English, and they should match the level of assignments presented to their knowledge about learners. When a learner who is not fluent in English presents work that is extremely coherent in language, teachers should become conscious of possible cases of cheating.
On the other hand, I disagree that learners in higher institutions of learning just seek to excel in their assignments as opposed to obtaining knowledge. While some learners engage in cheating due to the quest to excel, others engage in cheating due to ethnical and instructional issues (Kevin, 1992).
For instance, Saudi Arabian learners studying in American universities may experience difficulties in completing assignments in English language. Considering the stress that American institutions pay to correct grammar use, this learner may be left with no alternative other than seeking someone who can complete the task on his or her behalf.
Regarding this, I feel that instructors should stop paying too much attention to grammar use when dealing with learners who are on the process of learning English. Rather, instructors should just focus on the meaning that such students seek to express and mark their assignments different from those who use English as their first language.
Also, I disagree that the current situation of exam cheating has roots in lack of adequate employment. From my perspective, there are several ethical businesses that people can engage in and obtain revenue rather than engaging in business that may lead to moral decay and devaluing of educational systems.
In conclusion, this piece of work can be said to be valid or invalid depending on the perspective that one takes. This piece of work can be said to be valid as it demonstrates that cheating in American institutions of higher learning is prevalent due to institutional issues. The article also points out that the current university education in America has many shortcomings as it mainly centers on performance rather than moral and cognitive growth. However, the paper does not adequately address how economic issues lead to academic cheating.
In my perspective, this piece is valid as it succeeds in demonstrating that both undergraduate and graduate schools and learners have fallen into a trap of low quality education and cheating, because of little attention by instructors in American institutions. Instructors are, in the best position, to curb the act of academic cheating as they understand their learners’ faults and capabilities.
References
Kevin, D. (1992). Student cheating: A defensive essay. The English Journal, 81 (6), 72-73.
McCabe, D.L., Trevino, L.K., & Butterfield, K.D. (2001). Cheating in academic institutions: A decade of research. Ethics and Behavior, 11, 219-232.