Contents
=> Academic Integrity: Introduction and Discussion Questions
=> Cheating: Two Perspectives
=> In the Next Issues

——————————————————————
Academic Integrity: Introduction and Discussion Questions
——————————————————————

In the quest to get better grades in school, or perhaps to do less work, students sometimes resort to copying from others, plagiarizing from the Internet, or bringing in cheat sheets (spargalki) to exams.

But “cheating” is looked upon very differently in different cultures. That’s especially true in Russia and the U.S. In this issue of “ETs in Russia,” you’ll get some discussion questions, then two explanations about academic honesty. The first comes from Dmitri Arch, a translator in Samara, Russia. The second is by Kevin, your “ETs in Russia” editor.

First here are some discussion questions. They may rile up (excite) your students.

1. What would you consider a form of academic cheating?

2. What is plagiarism?

3. In Russia, what will happen if a teacher sees you looking at someone else’s test?

4. In America, what will happen if a teacher sees you looking at someone else’s test?

5. If, during a quiz, a neighbor in class looks at your paper, will you cover your answers? Will you show that person willingly?

6. If a neighbor asks you for an answer will you give it to him/her? Why or why not?

7. What will the teacher do if he/she sees two students whispering to another during a test? What do you think an American teacher would do?

8. What do you think of the American student who reveals to the teacher that someone else in the class is cheating?

9. Have you ever taken some text from the internet and turned it into the teacher as your own? Do you consider that cheating?

10. Have you ever used cheat sheets (spargalki)? Why or why not? Do you think it’s okay to use cheat sheets? When and why?

——————————————————————
Cheating: Two Perspectives
——————————————————————

A Russian View
by Dmitri Arch

Being obliged to study (and memorize) loads of purely theoretical material of little or no practical value, the Russian student sees cheating as a necessity. Not at all ashamed of cheating in exams on subjects that are of no interest to them, students willingly help each other to prepare shpargalki (miniature copies of lecture notes or lists of formulas to be used secretly at the exam), and eagerly prompt answers to their less fortunate fellows. In other words, Russian students do not see each other as competitors; rather, they join their efforts in challenging the system. Apart from a small number of students who graduated cum laude, there are very few college graduates in Russia who can boast of having never cheated in exams. Many professors close their eyes on cheating, because who would blame a student of English for his or her attempt to cheat in the language history exam where students are expected to know by heart all the regular vowel changes that happened not only in different periods of the history of English from King Arthur’s time till now, but also in the history of Old High German and Gothic languages. The majority of Russian institutions of higher education force upon their students dozens of courses which have no relation whatsoever with their future jobs. And they do so only because they have to comply with the national regulatory requirements, which have not been reviewed for ages.

Russian teachers/instructors do not see such copying as a big problem. One reason is that the Russian evaluation system relies more on verbal, than on written tests, and copying from others’ papers or lecture notes cannot mislead any teacher - so ‘cheating’ won’t get you anywhere. Besides, asking a classmate for help in a particular academic discipline implies admitting your weakness in the discipline; people who admit such weakness normally do not want to pursue a career in any profession related to the discipline; therefore, their “cheating” presents no danger for society.

An America View
by Kevin McCaughey

Cheating is about the worst thing you can do in an American school. If you look at someone else’s exam, if you retrieve a paper from the Internet and claim it as your own, it’s very bad news. If you get caught, there won’t be much sympathy. That doesn’t mean American students never cheat. The stakes are high at universities, and some students think cheating is worth the risks. Statistics show, in fact, that most students do cheat at one time or another. The consequences are very serious though. The student who is caught cheating will fail his paper or test, receive a permanent notation on his academic record, and face suspension or even permanent expulsion from the school.

Russian students are sometimes appalled to hear that if Student Z asks Student A for an answer during a written test, Student A will very likely refuse to help. Why? To understand, you have to think in American. Student A knows the answers. She studied hard. It is likely that Student Z did not study as much. It’s also likely that the two do not know each other well: American students do not travel from class to class together, year after year, as student groups do in Russia. If student Z helps, she is also guilty of cheating, so she is risking a great deal.

Most importantly, we need to take into account deep-rooted American values. Probably the most individualistic country in the world, the U.S. values the rights and efforts of the individual. If the individual does well, he alone receives the rewards. If the individual does poorly, he alone is accountable.

——————————————————————
In the Next Issue
——————————————————————

#101: what have you done?

Copyright 2006 by Kevin McCaughey & I.M. Poosheesty