Vent of Frustration

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Seems lately I only get major PITA's for online course professors.:mad: I've got sociology and western philosophy online this quarter.

Now Mr. Philosophy wants all homework turned in with the expressed rule of not pleagerizing (sp) the book. This includes definitions. Uh, ok. I get it for the essay questions we're required to answer. I mean, the point is that we're supposed to be showing him we understand it, not just looked it up. But doing that with definitions is a bit tougher. Sort of diffucult to put definitions into your own words when you've never even heard of it before. Honestly, turned out the same way for the darn essays. I did alright for some, but there were two that were talking about this circular type logic stuff and I could just ever so barely make sense of what the book said let alone come up with my own words for it.:faint:

Mrs.Sociology is the same way.

Now to me, this is going just a wee bit overboard in the whole pleagerizing theme. I mean, you're supposed to be getting your information from the darn book. It's the source of info they gave to you for this purpose.

I understand the whole, please use your own words, thing. Honestly I do. And normally I agree with it. Cuz you can sit down with any book and never read a word of it and answer questions straight from the assignment. I do it all the time unless I'm having touble in something. Gives me more time for other homework/study.

But stating that taking info from the book and using it as answers for your homework is pleagerizing.......... and that all penalties apply. Well, to me, you've just gone too far. Ok. Count points off for the student not using their own words. But we can get kicked out of school for pleagerizing.

So, I've been sitting here doing my homework like mad tonight. We have an ice storm on the way......and usually that means no internet/no phone. (I have a wire outside that gets wet and phhhttt) So I'm determined to get it in so I don't risk having to turn it in late.

It took 8 hours!!!:mad: Not because it so necessarily hard, but most of that time I was trying to think of how to reword everything I'd read. ugh!!! Philosphy book made this tougher as while explaining certain things it must have re-worded them 3-5 times.:ashamed: I started feeling like I was chasing my own tail.

Ok. All done. Please someone tell me this isn't just me........But are they getting a bit anal about this?
 

tiredmommy

Well-Known Member
I think it's because of the internet.... too many people putting their name to copied & pasted material, try looking up words in a thesaurus. I think there's even thesaurus.com. :)
 

klmno

Active Member
It sounds like maybe someone at school has gotten busted, so this is the hot button for the semester now. I'd find it a bit pressing, too, when it comes to defnitions from the textbook. Shoot, maybe google some of them and just write bits and pieces from the textbook and the google search, in your own words.
 

klmno

Active Member
Ok-doke- so I just posted that then read TM's thought that this is a result of the internet searches.

Scratch my idea Lisa- it could lead you to the jail in handcuffs. LOL!
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
LOL klmno Not handcuffs, just expelled.

Yeah. I know the internet plays a huge role in this. And I know that copying/pasting is a big thing. We had 3 students or so expelled from our english class last quarter after they did it twice in the same class. (how dumb can you get?)

What really gets me about this is the *all penalties apply* part. Seems ridiculous to find yourself kicked out of school because you copied your answer out of your textbook.

But geez.....if they're going to include your textbooks......:faint: 95 percent of the student body doesn't stand a chance.
 

Shari

IsItFridayYet?
Write it in german???

Entirely different words.

Ok, sorry, being a smart mule....I agree. A bit over the top.
 
F

flutterbee

Guest
But, technically, doesn't plagiarizing include using someone else's thoughts and ideas? I mean, we can get really picky if we want to. :devil:

Sorry this is such a struggle.
 

goldenguru

Active Member
Technically, plagiarizing is using someone else's thoughts and ideas WITHOUT giving proper citations for those thoughts and ideas.

Daisy - ask your online profs to clarify the expectation.
 

WhymeMom?

No real answers to life..
This is the sad thing about online courses, they don't know you from adam, eve or the man in the moon.......... Personally if I were the professor I would be happy you took the time to look up the definitions to read the book or cut/paste the answer. This in my mind is just busy work anyway and the real understanding is when you take a test, can you put the definitions to practical applications........ This however means that major scores are based on limited tests and you have few chances to score busywork points..... and the prof has to know how to ask questions that don't come straight out of the book.......In other words it takes much more time and thinking to create the class online...... Guess I would try to go in and talk with the prof and say in your answer the book stated this definition on page so and so, to me this means--------(and put it in your own words) If you credit the original information it wouldn't be plagiarizing, would it?
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
gg I've asked. That's what he told us. (he's a bit odd about this sort of thing) He's sticking to it. But yet also said if we found our answers elsewhere we risk getting it wrong if it differs from the book.

I think he'd rip out his hair if we credited the book lol Although I was sorely tempted. Mrs. Sociology isn't quite a stick in the mud about it. In the end he may not be quite so severe as he implies. I'm waiting to get my assignment back to see. I'm about to go "check in" today anyway.
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Shari, LOL!

Do you write in MSWord? Highlight some of the words and go to "Tools" and "Thesaurus." See what comes up and insert it if it fits.
Just a thought.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Terry that's a good idea and I'm gonna use it next time! :D

LOL Heather, that's what easy child said to do. She had him for philosophy too. Said he wasn't quite as bad in the actual classroom. (now she tells me)

Well, evidently I didn't plagiarizie the darn thing. I got my grade back a bit ago and it was an A. That came as a surprise. Cuz when I was explaining that circular logic stuff.....please, I was having trouble keeping track of what I was trying to say. I thought for sure I'd mixed it up and get it wrong. lol

Circular logic gives me a headache. :faint:
 
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