Sharing study materials online: an ethical gray area
Zara Husaini
Issue date: 3/13/09 Section: Ed-Op
The site's terms and conditions section clearly states that members are responsible for the content that they view and add to the site. While moderators of StudyBlue have the right to investigate the site's content, it is not their responsibility to do so. Like the honor code that is so rarely implemented on college campuses, this system certainly leaves room for deception. The real question is: are college students trustworthy enough to render such a device harmless?
It is difficult to predict the eventual outcome of the site. With less than ten users from Drexel, Studyblue.com receives very little traffic from our campus. Many students who voice opinions about this technology are either praising or questioning the site in theory. Because there has been such tepid activity from Drexel students, it is difficult to imagine that any violations could have occurred at this point - any evaluations are simply nebulous theories of what may or may not happen in the future.
Ultimately the ethical repercussions of a web site like this can be anything from decidedly reprehensible to almost nonexistent; it all lies in the hands of the people who choose to utilize it. Students can choose to reap the benefits (organization, social motivation, the chance to ask questions) without slipping into questionable behavior, like trading information about exactly what will be covered on an exam or exchanging class notes for an old paper. Students who argue that Studyblue.com isn't giving students any opportunities to trade inappropriate information that they haven't had for years certainly have a point. Students providing one another with (usually) innocent assistance is no new occurrence, and from the looks of it, this behavior is here to stay.
Zara Husaini is a junior majoring in communication. She can be reached at op-ed@thetriangle.org.
It is difficult to predict the eventual outcome of the site. With less than ten users from Drexel, Studyblue.com receives very little traffic from our campus. Many students who voice opinions about this technology are either praising or questioning the site in theory. Because there has been such tepid activity from Drexel students, it is difficult to imagine that any violations could have occurred at this point - any evaluations are simply nebulous theories of what may or may not happen in the future.
Ultimately the ethical repercussions of a web site like this can be anything from decidedly reprehensible to almost nonexistent; it all lies in the hands of the people who choose to utilize it. Students can choose to reap the benefits (organization, social motivation, the chance to ask questions) without slipping into questionable behavior, like trading information about exactly what will be covered on an exam or exchanging class notes for an old paper. Students who argue that Studyblue.com isn't giving students any opportunities to trade inappropriate information that they haven't had for years certainly have a point. Students providing one another with (usually) innocent assistance is no new occurrence, and from the looks of it, this behavior is here to stay.
Zara Husaini is a junior majoring in communication. She can be reached at op-ed@thetriangle.org.
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