Guest Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Hi, not sure if this has ben discussed before bit how do you all feel about the sale of assignments for open university courses on ebay. Is it cheating or a good study resource,what are your views? Thanks Gill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 I wouldnt have thought it was a good idea. Arent you in danger of devaluing the course and undermining the integrity of the participants? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 I don't think it's a good idea, although having said that, it's sometimes really useful to read someone else's assignment so that you know you are going down the right road. It's like the SEF, it would be really useful to see a mock up of one completed so that I know I'm doing it right. I think it's important to be aware that what someone has written is not necessarily right, and I'd be wary of someone who I didn't know 'from adam' who told me that their work got 86% or whatever. On balance, it's not a good idea - how can you possibly put a price on the blood, sweat and tears of an assignment! I have happily shown my assignments to people who have asked to read through so they can get the gist of things; plagiarism software exists for tutors nowadays too, so a bald 'copy' is a bad plan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 I don't think they are a good idea at all. I would worry that I would sub conciously copy something!! And how do you elieve that they got the mark they said? I know that all my assignments are totally all my own work, with no influence form anyone else and that gives me a great sense of achievement. I know someone who bought every single TMA available for E123 and E124 when I was doing it too and I couldn't look her in the eye, feeling she had cheated. (she was very good at bragging how she managed to complete every assignment without even reading anything!!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 i agree with the others, not a good idea at all. It does help to read other peoples assignments to check you are on the right track.But wheres the achievement if you just copy or use someone elses work. Dont be tempted its really not worth it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 it's REALLY not - why blow the financial stake you have in your course by showing someone else's learning - or lack of it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 The OU actually state it is NOT ACCEPTABLE on the website, and will take action against anyone found selling assignments in this way - wonder how they would deal with a student who bought them? They're just as guilty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 well yes they are - if people didn't buy them, there'd be no market for selling them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 I think its terribel that assignments are for sale on ebay! one way around this could be if the OU changed their modules slightly each year. Which I think is what they are in the process of doing, I think E123/124 are being phased out in 2011 or something and replaced by a different course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wolfie Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Is it cheating or a good study resource,what are your views? It's cheating in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 We have all of our work put through plagerist (sp) sites electronically and that links with other Universities around the country...how embarassing would it be to be caught out ...I couldn't do it, yes it is helpful to read others work to get some ideas or discuss assignments on here but to actually buy an assignment I think is just wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 I too think it is wrong, students can discuss with fellow students whether they are on the right track or not without needing to see a 'whole completed' assignment. I would say that part of the 'adult education' experience is building your own confidence, to be set a task and having the maturity and confidence to 'get on with it' learning from your own mistakes as you go. The work is also a reflection of you as an individual and your perspective on the tasks context etc in line with your own personal experiences, this is what knowledge is all about surely. So yes, to me it's cheating, and who are you cheating? well, just yourself. Not sitting on the fence with this one am I. Peggy p.s. Curious, did you find these assignements on ebay or were you just told about them, just trying to imagine how you would find such a thing for sale? Off to ebay now to have a look. :wacko: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 It's cheating in my opinion. and mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Our tutors read out examples from last years students work to give us ideas and tips, I also gave in last years research assignment to a tutor so she could share it with her students again for ideas and possibly to show them it could be done! They were rather daunted I think, however this was the tutors sharing this stuff and no one procuring (?) it through other methods Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 I totally agree with everthing said above, i thought it would be an interesting topic of discussion, i would be cheating myself if i copied somebody elses work. I read the warnings from ou but someone at work mentioned it the other day, so i went on ebay to have a look, but whatever we say there are alot of people buying them, cant see how they have learnt anything by doing this, i have learnt loads over last few months Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 I think that buying assignments is cheating - if you are not prepared to put in the hard work you shouldnt do the course. I spent many long hours reading books and websites, making sure I got as much info as I could for my DPP. I then spent ages sorting all the info and turning it into an assignment. Sort of devalues all our hard work if assignments can be bought without any effort involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 It is cheating and there is a huge penalty to pay. If you are caught you may be asked to redo an assignment with a totally different title or you will be taken off the course. Universities have ways of checking. You can use parts of a bought assignment if you reference it! However, if it was that easy everyone would do it. As has been said it devalues the course and also the students who work extremely hard to achieve their grades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 This is something I get quite cross about. I once had a student copy one of my handouts word for word into her assignment and she was very surprised when I challenged her about it and couldn't really understand why I felt it was unacceptable. One of my fellow students once openly said that in one assignment she'd 'made it all up' and I felt very aggrieved at this at the time (and hey, still do or otherwise I wouldn't be mentioning it! .) It is easy to select your theory and then make up 'evidence' to either confirm or contradict it, and I had worked very hard to do it properly. However ultimately I know that I worked hard for my certificate and that the grades I got were as a result of my own efforts and hard work. I don't see how the buying and selling of assignments can be justified on any level. However that is easy for me to say because I enjoy study and have not been pressurised to do the degree/EYPS in order to meet my employer's demands. I do recognise that someone under pressure to achieve good results in order to keep their job might be tempted to take the easy way out. I guess it is the decisions we make when no-one is looking that illustrate our character best of all. Maz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Maz, You are right, we need to be true to ourselves, otherwise what have we got? Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 You are right, we need to be true to ourselves, otherwise what have we got? Well possibly a better grade than you might have without cheating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 I can not believe they are still there I found the assignments when i was looking for text books when i started my course in sept 2007, if they are still on their now somebody somewhere is buying them. I told my husband about them in jest and my children were disgusted as they thought i was going to cheat. For a while after that it became an adult joke about buying..... on ebay! Needless to say i did not buy them and it is definately cheating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 I can not believe they are still there Well I did go and have a half-hearted search in response to this thread but couldn't find any! But then again I find the world of eBay thoroughly bewildering! Maz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 Maz - i have a child doing too much coughing too sleep, whats your excuse for still being up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 Maz - i have a child doing too much coughing too sleep, whats your excuse for still being up? I'm buying Masters assignments from ebay... Actually I'm printing off invitations to our Mothers' Day lunch for tomorrow... and all the other things I should have been doing earlier! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 there is never enough time in the day, i will leave you to get on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 there is never enough time in the day, i will leave you to get on Now if we could buy time on ebay, that would be a real boon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 I guess it is the decisions we make when no-one is looking that illustrate our character best of all. Hear Hear!!! I want to say that to my so called friend's face who cheated. Sums how I feel up about her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jester Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 (edited) When I was doing my dissertation we were shown one from each grading from previous students, it helped to get an idea about how it should be structured but we weren't allowed to take them home. I think in turn it's similar to looking at past exam papers to get an idea of the structure of questions etc. My uni had a policy re plagerism and copying and if people were caught doing it they got thrown out, no questions asked. As my mum always says- how can you learn if you cheat? Edited March 9, 2009 by Jester Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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