Sharing study materials online: an ethical gray area
Zara Husaini
Issue date: 3/13/09 Section: Ed-Op
Despite the fact that the term "Facebook" has become synonymous with procrastination, there is a social networking site that will boost, rather than diminish, productivity of college students everywhere. Studyblue.com is a new site that's part social networking, part academic. Much like with Facebook, users are given an opportunity to create profiles complete with pictures and a personal statement - but the main objectives of StudyBlue are to trade and compare class notes, form study groups and utilize fellow students as resources for academic success.
Supporters of this concept are zealous in their defense of the site's morality. Junior English major Gilbert Flores stands by the questionable tagline ("study smarter, not harder"), saying: "Since when is it wrong to cut the amount of time you spend studying in half? There's nothing unethical about finding an effective way of getting work done quickly. I think everyone should join a site like this. It's definitely appropriate for this day and age. And besides, no one is being forced to share too much information. If people want to help each other out, they don't need a web site to do it - but it definitely makes it more efficient." Flores is not yet a member of StudyBlue but supports and appreciates the idea of a site that integrates academic achievement into a trendy form of communication. One of the main concerns about this site comes from faculty members, who fear that students may lose the motivation required to trudge to class if they have the option of simply accessing class notes online - but is this a valid concern when so many professors already post their notes on course management systems like Bb Vista? The use of technology is being incorporated into daily life, even in our classes. With the presence of online classes, quizzes and assignments, it is inevitable that students will turn to the Internet as a convenient forum for sharing materials.
However, some people feel that this technology is unethical and a bit too helpful. Senior psychology major Ami Shah says: "I think the whole concept is sketchy. It's one thing to share notes with one of my friends if he or she couldn't make it to one class, but the idea that they could be published on the Internet is strange and seems wrong. I think this web site allows students to take the easy way out." After all, upon registering for the site, users receive a message with the proclamation, "The more people that join Studyblue.com the better it is for everyone!" Does this statement make it evident that a user's success depends on how many people he or she enlists for help?
Supporters of this concept are zealous in their defense of the site's morality. Junior English major Gilbert Flores stands by the questionable tagline ("study smarter, not harder"), saying: "Since when is it wrong to cut the amount of time you spend studying in half? There's nothing unethical about finding an effective way of getting work done quickly. I think everyone should join a site like this. It's definitely appropriate for this day and age. And besides, no one is being forced to share too much information. If people want to help each other out, they don't need a web site to do it - but it definitely makes it more efficient." Flores is not yet a member of StudyBlue but supports and appreciates the idea of a site that integrates academic achievement into a trendy form of communication. One of the main concerns about this site comes from faculty members, who fear that students may lose the motivation required to trudge to class if they have the option of simply accessing class notes online - but is this a valid concern when so many professors already post their notes on course management systems like Bb Vista? The use of technology is being incorporated into daily life, even in our classes. With the presence of online classes, quizzes and assignments, it is inevitable that students will turn to the Internet as a convenient forum for sharing materials.
However, some people feel that this technology is unethical and a bit too helpful. Senior psychology major Ami Shah says: "I think the whole concept is sketchy. It's one thing to share notes with one of my friends if he or she couldn't make it to one class, but the idea that they could be published on the Internet is strange and seems wrong. I think this web site allows students to take the easy way out." After all, upon registering for the site, users receive a message with the proclamation, "The more people that join Studyblue.com the better it is for everyone!" Does this statement make it evident that a user's success depends on how many people he or she enlists for help?
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