respond to discussion 2MR

Respond to discussion

Robert

Wikipedia and homework help sites like Course Hero and Chegg should not be used in the classroom due to concerns about reliability, academic integrity, and critical thinking development. Even though it is a respectable source of information, the point that Wikipedia could be edited by anyone makes the information found therein questionable. A 2005 Nature study put out a comparison between the Wikipedia encyclopedia and the Encyclopedia Britannica and showed that the former contained a higher proportion of mistakes even on scientific matters. Although not all inaccuracies carry consequences, it is dangerous to use Wikipedia for any academic work in the fear that some false or misleading facts will be used. Such websites as Course Hero and Chegg on the other hand encourage students to engage in dishonest behavior due to the suspected availability of all completed assignments. Academic integrity is paramount in promoting trust, equity, and responsibility among learners. Such sites help students to avoid the necessary workload that is meant to facilitate their learning which is detrimental to the core values of academic integrity and fairness.

Furthermore, excessive dependence on the above tools is counterproductive in embracing one’s thinking and intellect. Modern educational practice today focuses more on skills such as solving problems, analyzing, and conducting research independently than before. Thus, when students look for websites that give out answers straight away without going through the course, they lose out on opportunities to engage with and apply concepts studied. As digital literacy develops, it becomes important that students learn how to evaluate the information and build their knowledge instead of only taking in information.

To sum up, although Wikipedia, Course Hero and Chegg bring some comfort to their users, the users of these sites should be aware that this is an unproductive way of learning. They reduce the degree of trustworthiness, promote academic fraud, and stifle learning which is the development of critical thinking. Educators should guide students to use quality sources and rather emphasize building capacities for research and analysis to ensure better learning outcomes.

Ralph

Due to the lack of author information, Wikipedia articles cannot be held to an academic standard. Since articles are considered works-in-progress, the content contained inside is subject to continuous revision. (Miami Dade College, 2022). Articles often adopt a more balanced tone after their first publication after veering back and forth between opposing opinions. You may learn a lot about those different points of view by seeing the conversation that takes on behind the scenes. (Miami Dade College, 2022).

Articles may be vandalized for several reasons, such as amusement, being a prank, or because the subject matter is contentious. Articles may be written with a more broad readership in mind or with a more technical tone and perspective, depending on the author's intention. (Miami Dade College, 2022). This may be good or bad depending on your demands, but it indicates inaccurate data.