Even without cheating, the focus on grades only encourages studying to perform on test instead of learning for the sake of learning. It might not be practical for large classes, but one-on-one oral exams between students and professors or TAs might be more difficult to cheat on and provide more accurate indications of what students have actually learned than traditional testing methods. If the university cannot suspend traditional grading and testing, the single most important thing might be to provide a mandatory ethics course to freshman in conjunction with employing a very strict one-strike policy for cheating.
Do you agree or disagree with Professor Couser, author of the "Dear Plagiarist" article? Why? What are two main points he is trying to communicate to students in this article.
I agree with the correctness of all of Professor Couser's individual points. However, I disagree that this letter is necessarily the best possible response to achieve the desired outcome. The two main points he is trying to communicate is (1) You have no right to complain about your grade; and (2) I am right because I can prove that you plagiarized. Those two points, as correct as they may be, will not result in changing the student's attitude about cheating. He will likely respond by referring to Professor Couser as an "asshole" and he will be more careful to cheat or plagiarize better next time. Professor Couser could have probably helped the student more by asking him what he hoped to accomplish by taking the shortcut and asking him what the point of going to school or taking a course is if he knows he's not really learning anything by going through the motions to cheat for a grade. That conversation might have led to a more honest self-reflection on the part of the student.
