Re: [Phys-l] Cheating, a great argument against online courses.

["M. Horton" <scitch@verizon.net>]

The test issue is not what you said.  You talked about turning in fraudulent 
papers.

I have nooooooooo idea how your NBA metaphor relates to any of this.  And 
you completely missed the MIT point.

You said that online university degrees are useless because someone can turn 
in a paper that someone else wrote.  I pointed out that the same thing 
happens at in-person schools like MIT as well.  According to your original 
logic, if online degrees are useless because of fraudulent papers, then 
in-person degrees are useless because of fraudulent papers too.  I didn't 
say that MIT has any online courses.

I know I'm not going to change your mind, but I am friends with the 
principal of an online school in my area and all of the students are on web 
cams with headphone/microphones during lessons.  They have software on the 
computer that takes their picture during tests through the webcam, doesn't 
allow any other windows (i.e. internet) to be opened during the testing 
session, and ends the test if there is no activity for a certain amount of 
time.  The teacher can see if the student leaves the computer, opens a book, 
etc.  Don't throw out all online education just because one school is bad. 
Sure, there are degree mill online universities.  But there are degree mill 
in-person universities too.  Both Walden and UoP have in-person schools.

It appears to me that your distaste for online schools is more emotional 
than logical or you would have seen how all of your arguments apply to both 
types of schools equally.  There is cheating in both and there are both 
types of degree mills.

I'd be curious to see if there's research comparing cheating in online 
courses and traditional courses.

Mike


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "William Robertson" <wrobert9@ix.netcom.com>
To: "Forum for Physics Educators" <phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 8:37 AM
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Cheating, a great argument against online courses.


> First, I thought I made it clear that assignments in math and similar
> subjects were especially suspect in online courses. Yes, you can turn
> in a paper done by someone else in person, but to take a math or
> physics test in person for someone else is much more difficult.
> Second, if I told an NBA scout that he should think long and hard
> before recommending his team draft someone five feet six inches tall,
> should he come back with, "So, you're telling me Mugsy Bogues was a
> terrible NBA player?" Does MIT produce a large number of online
> degrees? Could I possibly have been referring to the thousands of
> degrees handed out each year by places like Walden and University of
> Phoenix?
>
> Bill
>
>
> William C. Robertson, Ph.D.
>
>
> On Nov 16, 2010, at 7:36 AM, M. Horton wrote:
>
> > Is turning in a paper written by someone else unique to online
> > schools?
> > Doesn't this happen in in-person schools too?  I don't think that's
> > justification to take a degree from MIT with a grain of salt.
> >
> > Mike
>
> _______________________________________________
> Forum for Physics Educators
> Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
> https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l
>
> __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus 
> signature database 5624 (20101116) __________
>
> The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>
> http://www.eset.com


__________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 5625 (20101116) __________

The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.

http://www.eset.com