As many of us were taught in grade school, cheating on tests and homework is unacceptable, but copying notes from fellow classmates was for the most part always allowed. After all, copying notes from a classmate who took notes from a lecture given by a teacher is not copying because it is information given by the teacher for the students.
Not permitting students to copy notes from their classmates is unfair. It is not cheating because it is simply copying class notes. Unless the student gets a grade for their class notes, then the student should not get in trouble for copying others’ notes.
Most teachers do not give students grades for class notes because notes are intended to help the student understand the material and not to worry them of having one more class grade.
There are numerous reasons why students decide to share notes. Sometimes it is because the student is sick and couldn’t get out of bed. In other cases, it is because the students got called in to go to work; with this terrible economy, students can’t afford to miss any days of work. Another case may be that students just want to compare notes to exchange ideas, which helps them study.
Whatever the reason may be, not allowing students to exchange notes will affect students tremendously because it is hard for students to just rely on the professor for help with the class.
As well, teachers should have control to regulate these rules. It is the teacher who instructs the class, so why shouldn’t the teacher have a say in all of this?
If a teacher says that a student is allowed to exchange notes with their classmates, then there is no reason why the student should get in trouble for academic “dishonesty.”
Also, many teachers in their syllabus ask the student to not ask them what the student missed if the student was absent because it is much more easier for both the teacher and the students.
There is only one way that this problem can be solved, and that is by giving power to the faculty and letting teachers decided if they would allow notes to be exchanged among students. After all, teachers in our college care about the students and want the students to be successful and most likely, all teachers will allow students to exchange notes because there just isn’t a good enough reason why exchanging notes is considered dishonest.
Notes are a part of a student’s right to learn and to deny such a basic learning necessity is to deny a student’s right to education. Learning is a process and notes help expedite that process. It would be like not letting an architect create a sketch or blueprints and where would they be without those tools?
Cracking down on cheating is always a good idea but there should be more constructive ways of going about.