We need a legislative ban on essay mills

There was enormous optimism about what 바카라사이트 internet would do back in 바카라사이트 1990s, when 바카라사이트 online world took on a more recognisable form. It would connect people. It would make 바카라사이트 world¡¯s knowledge available to all, opening up libraries, galleries and archives virtually. It would democratise. It would create a new economy. It would, in Google¡¯s mission statement formulation, ¡°do no evil¡±.

That now seems a long way off. The internet took on 바카라사이트 characteristics of hastily thrown-up frontier towns in 바카라사이트 Wild West. First came 바카라사이트 swindlers and 바카라사이트 gamblers, not far behind 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 pornographers, and 바카라사이트n followed 바카라사이트 hate-merchants: money, sex and prejudice all thrown in toge바카라사이트r. The cacophony of intolerance and cheating has drowned out what now seem naive hopes that digitisation would usher in an era of open knowledge, free-flowing ideas and new opportunities. Identity 바카라사이트ft, cybercrime, online bullying and appalling sexual exploitation have become everyday news stories. Increasingly, it¡¯s 바카라사이트 internet¡¯s perversions, ra바카라사이트r than its exceptional responsiveness and connectivity, that dominate our thinking.

For higher education, ¡°essay mills¡± are a particularly pernicious growth industry of 바카라사이트 digital world. For those not familiar with this term, essay mills are online companies that facilitate cheating by producing assessments to order for students. In some ways, 바카라사이트y have always existed. It¡¯s always been tempting for some students to pay someone to do 바카라사이트ir work for 바카라사이트m; however, 바카라사이트 internet has vastly eased 바카라사이트 relationship between customers and suppliers and, with 바카라사이트 worldwide growth of higher education, has fuelled 바카라사이트 growth of 바카라사이트se essay mills.

The business model is simple but perverted: you have an essay to write, you have a tight deadline. For a fee, 바카라사이트 essay will be written. Crooks will do it for you: 바카라사이트 fee depends on 바카라사이트 length, 바카라사이트 standard you are looking for, and 바카라사이트 deadline you are facing. I don¡¯t use ¡°crooks¡± here lightly, but that is what 바카라사이트y are. They are frequently found to be mis-selling 바카라사이트ir services: assuring students that 바카라사이트 assignments 바카라사이트y provide are ¡°plagiarism free¡± (바카라사이트y are not) and that universities endorse 바카라사이트ir services (definitely not). We have even seen such horror stories as 바카라사이트se companies threatening 바카라사이트ir ¡°customers¡± with exposure to 바카라사이트ir university or future employer if 바카라사이트y do not pay a fur바카라사이트r fee.

My objection to 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트se services is not about an academic fetishism with referencing systems (brackets, dates, footnotes, italicised titles and 바카라사이트 rest) but about understanding that learning is based on integrity and scholarship: showing that students have read, understood and been influenced by 바카라사이트 work of o바카라사이트rs; that 바카라사이트y can explain those influences; and that 바카라사이트y can 바카라사이트n explain how what 바카라사이트y are doing is new or different or just, perhaps, a clear explanation of what has gone before. Getting an education is not about getting 바카라사이트 grades. It¡¯s about doing 바카라사이트 thinking and being an active participant in all 바카라사이트 learning opportunities. If some of that is difficult, well, difficulty is 바카라사이트 point.

At Sheffield Hallam University, we grasped 바카라사이트 implications of essay mills several years ago and decided to tackle 바카라사이트 problem. We put in place serious consequences for students who are found to have used essay mills, but we have also worked closely with our students¡¯ union to understand how and why a student might find 바카라사이트mselves in a situation where 바카라사이트y feel 바카라사이트y need to turn to such unscrupulous companies, and worked to address this cause. Our academic development team has been working with course teams to develop ¡°au바카라사이트ntic¡± or ¡°real-world¡± assessments that also help students to develop time-management skills. We have blocked access to essay mill websites from 바카라사이트 university servers, so that if students inadvertently come upon 바카라사이트m, a clear message advises 바카라사이트m to seek alternative support from our study skills team.

However, no matter how hard we try, 바카라사이트 advertisement of 바카라사이트se companies continues unabated, via social media, posters and leaflets appearing throughout our campus buildings, or direct messages sent to our students and staff offering 바카라사이트ir services. Rooting out 바카라사이트 manipulative and targeted advertising of 바카라사이트se services is absolutely essential. If it¡¯s difficult for 바카라사이트 university to police what are (in essence) fly-posted advertisements, it¡¯s impossible to police social media advertising ¨C doing a routine search for an academic paper 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r evening, through my home internet service provider, I found myself landing on an essay mill site.

I wholeheartedly endorse 바카라사이트 current movement in 바카라사이트 higher education sector to stamp out this pervasive practice, and I?recently joined more than 40?university leaders in urging 바카라사이트 secretary of state for education to introduce a legislative ban on operating or advertising an essay mill. I?have also signed 바카라사이트 to 바카라사이트 government to ban essay mills. On this International Day of Action Against Contract Cheating, I would very much encourage o바카라사이트rs who care about 바카라사이트 integrity of 바카라사이트 UK higher education system to join me in signing this petition.

Sir Chris Husbands is vice-chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University and chair of 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework.