CU students take advantage of online study sites

(Courtesy photo)

Study websites are becoming a popular shortcut for students, but some wonder where the line is drawn between study aids and cheating.

Students have been using sites like StudyBlue, SparkNotes, Koofers and even the CU-affiliated Buff Notes to study for tests and catch up on class notes with other students. But questions have been raised as to where to draw the line between online studying and unethical cheating.

Chairman of the Honor Code Corey Bruner, a 21-year-old junior business major, said for every student-cheating case there is a procedure.

Bruner said the Honor Code office determines if it is a violation based on whether or not the student is gaining an academic advantage over other students.

“This is one of those gray areas because the Internet technology is relatively new,” Bruner said.

Bruner said he believes the use of study websites like Koofers and SparkNotes is cheating.

“Not all students have access to that and they are gaining that academic advantage,” Bruner said. “So say if a student didn’t go to the class but went online and got the notes anyways, I think that’s unfair and it’s taking the value out of the educational process.”

Catherine Marylander, an 18-year-old freshman open-option major, said she has used the online program Study Blue.

“I’ve only used it for one class so far,” Marylander said. “You go on and a bunch of kids from your class can sign up and make flashcards on the website or post your notes.”

Marylander said she considers Study Blue a study website and not cheating.

“There’s nothing wrong about it because there’s no answer sharing or anything like that,” she said. “You choose your class and you can see other people in it. It’s the same as a study group, just online.”

Bruner said the Honor Code office does not necessarily seek out students or investigate specific online study sites but they take each account on a case-by-case basis.

The Honor Code puts faculty in charge of keeping their class material revamped each year to prevent students from seeking out past notes and exams.

Mary Butler, a CU grad and writing instructor, said she has not yet had to deal with cases of students cheating.

“I actually haven’t encountered cheating that I’ve known of,” Butler said. “But with a writing class I can see where especially members of a fraternity or sorority would have access to old papers.”

Butler said she has had suspicions before when students chose topics that didn’t connect with their interests but she said it is hard to cheat in a class like hers.

“Given how we grade, you’re not going to get a good grade if you cheat because so much of it is process,” Butler said. “When I was a Teaching Assistant we used something called www.turnitin.com where all the papers that students turned in got checked for plagiarism.”

Jacob O Bara, an 18-year-old freshman open-option major, said he remembers SparkNotes being a popular site in high school, and in the manner it was used he considered it cheating.

“I think teachers would obviously rather have you come to class,” O Bara said. “I would say that smart teachers would say it’s a good site but nobody can use it appropriately. They’re not using it in conjunction with the material.”

O Bara said he thinks students using these sites are wasting their money since they pay to attend CU.

Butler said if she ever did suspect a student was cheating she would first give the student the benefit of the doubt.

“I’d rather think there was some kind of mistake or reasoning,” Butler said.  “I would meet with the student to talk about why it is that I had the suspicion. From there I would go to my supervisor and then go forward with normal procedure.”

Bruner said if a faculty member feels a student has cheated or plagiarized, then they will pursue it as such. Consequences range from community service to a reflection paper to attending an ethics seminar. Even suspension and expulsion may be considered, but that it is all taken on a case-by-base basis.

“Once a case is submitted and the faculty turns in an accusation report form then we’re going to go about our normal business,” Bruner said. “We’re going to contact the student and ask them if they accept or deny the accusation.”

O Bara said he thinks the study websites are too difficult for the school to keep track of.

“I think Honor Code should probably monitor the use of these websites,” O Bara said. “But realistically it’s way too much effort spent on something that could not be accomplished.”

Bruner said while cheating is an issue the Honor Code deals with on campus, websites such as Koofers, Study Blue, SparkNotes and even BuffNotes have not been a significant problem.

“Last year from August 2009 to August 2010 we had 200-plus cases; however none of those were through use of one of those websites,” Bruner said. “It’s one of those things that is still so new and it’s hard to track.”

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Carli Auran at [email protected].

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