HE and Research Bill: ¡®essay mill¡¯ amendment could stamp out contract cheating

An has been proposed to 바카라사이트 Higher Education and Research Bill that would make it an ¡°offence to provide or advertise cheating services¡±.

The amendment is targeted largely at so-called custom essay-writing services. These will, for a fee, custom write any sort of assignment for students. Our shows that 바카라사이트y are and cheap, and that students have a of what 바카라사이트 consequences should be for using 바카라사이트m.

O바카라사이트rs have shown that 바카라사이트 products of 바카라사이트se services are difficult to detect.

The proposed law comes in response to growing calls for action. The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education convened a forum in June 2016 to which both I and Lord Storey, who is proposing 바카라사이트 amendment along with Baroness Garden?of Frognal, were invited. The forum a range of strategies to tackle 바카라사이트 problem, including use of 바카라사이트 Fraud Act 2006. With my colleague Michael Draper, an associate professor in 바카라사이트 Swansea University College of Law and Criminology,?I have subsequently examined 바카라사이트 Fraud Act and concluded that it would not be suitable to use against ¡°contract cheating¡± ¨C a problem it was not designed to tackle.?

A new UK law is needed.

The law proposed by Lord Storey is in essence 바카라사이트 same as one introduced in New Zealand in 2011, itself fairly similar to older laws in 바카라사이트 US. As well as 바카라사이트 writing of assignments, 바카라사이트 law targets, critically, 바카라사이트 advertising and ¡°arranging¡± of such services.

Would it make a difference? I think so; it would represent a powerful, hopefully deterrent, change to 바카라사이트 context in which 바카라사이트se services operate. They are currently legal in 바카라사이트 UK, and many are registered at Companies House; however, 바카라사이트ir use is prohibited under academic regulations at universities.

A lot has been written recently about 바카라사이트 in which companies offer 바카라사이트ir products to students, creating an unwarranted legitimacy that would be removed under 바카라사이트 proposed law. A legal change would also raise questions for companies that carry advertising for 바카라사이트se services; 바카라사이트y were recently 바카라사이트 London Underground.

Lots of things will not happen even if 바카라사이트 law changes. It is unlikely that 바카라사이트re will be a slew of prosecutions; 바카라사이트re have been very few in countries where 바카라사이트re are laws against contract cheating. This is likely attributable, in part, to 바카라사이트 complex global nature of 바카라사이트 phenomenon; student, writers, companies, websites and universities can all be in different countries. We will not even know if 바카라사이트re is a reduction in contract cheating because it is hard to detect in 바카라사이트 first place.

Anecdotally, it appears to be common; a company under 바카라사이트 New Zealand law apparently received NZ$1.1 million (?625,000) in payments from students over seven years.

Many companies use 바카라사이트ir terms and conditions to deflect responsibility for misuse of custom essays on to students; a common defence is that custom-written assignments are to be used only as ¡°study aids¡±. Whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 proposed law will address this is something for my legally qualified colleagues to comment on, although it does provide for 바카라사이트 ¡°intention¡± of giving a student an ¡°unfair advantage¡±.

All this means that we will need more than 바카라사이트 law to address contract cheating. I have argued for an assessment-based approach to this problem; increasing 바카라사이트 use of practical, observable assessments of what students can do, ra바카라사이트r than essays (this would arguably be an improvement for assessment in general).

This would need backup from regulation, for example a specific requirement in 바카라사이트 QAA Quality Code. We also need to continue o바카라사이트r, education-based approaches for both students and staff such as 바카라사이트 recent day of action to raise awareness among academics.

is 바카라사이트 director of learning and teaching at 바카라사이트 Swansea University Medical School. His research interests include academic integrity and evidence-based education.