Short Cuts to Success – Legal or Illegal?

The young man is only 18 years of age. And at this you age, in his first year at Ryerson University, he is in hot water. He may well be expelled over the interaction of studying together. He would have been okay if he had not asked someone else for help…and if his Prof had not caught wind of his study group on Facebook…

The March 6th 2008 article in the Toronto Star states…quote…
Study groups may be a virtual trademark of the Ivory Tower – but a virtual study group has been slammed as cheating by Ryerson University.

First-year student Chris Avenir is fighting charges of academic misconduct for helping run an online chemistry study group via Facebook last term, where 146 classmates swapped tips on homework questions that counted for 10 per cent of their mark.

The computer engineering student has been charged with one count of academic misconduct for helping run the group – called Dungeons/Mastering Chemistry Solutions after the popular Ryerson basement study room engineering students dub The Dungeon – and another 146 counts, one for each classmate who used the site.- end quote…

It seems innocent at the first reading of what the students did…but the Prof had given each student individual questions with instruction to work on these alone from what I can gather.

There was an attempt to do the short cut to success route. By sharing the problems with others with the intent to get some fast help for your homework was wrong. . So say the accusers.

The arguments that the students use in defence of what they did was – they didn’t understand and they sought help. It is just like any ‘study hall’ or ‘study group’ others use. They say that the University itself uses these kind of groups all the time…which makes even what the University does – illegal. Interesting.

The issues that Mr. Avenir faces with his Facebook group is one thing to consider. The other thing that is much bigger is the general idea that it is okay to use short cuts to get what you need – and especially when you do not have the time to get what you need done.

Short cuts to success are used by everyone – we all agree. And I am sure that all of us have used short cuts. The question that is faced by the Facebook folk supporters and the University administrator folk – is this form right or wrong. Mr. Avenir is facing 146 charges – one for each student in the Facebook group and he was its administrator.

A way back when…
When school didn’t have computers and the world was simpler, we had “Cole’s Notes” available as a short cut to knowing what is important in a book that you needed to read before the course was over. Someone had summarized the key elements in the very long and boring book in your course. The idea was that if you read it you would do better in your course.

“Cole’s Notes” were a short cut.

In University when we didn’t understand the ramblings of an absent minded professor in our classes, he or she would offer the “Lab” in Mathematics or Physics for example – and one of the Prof’s underlings would re-teach what the Prof had to say earlier – given ‘hints’ as to how to do it – or what the Prof had not said and also what might be on the exam questions.

The “Lab” was another short cut.

Each Sunday morning I preach a sermon that is a “short cut” for the congregation. The ones that actually read the Bible and know the story are stirred by what they hear. Others that do not read the Bible or know anything about it – are short cut people…what they hear in 30 minutes of my droning on behind the pulpit…is enough for them…

People tend to be too busy to do the normal, steady input into their lives. In the movie theatre they offer the “trailers” – short, exciting clips of movies to come…. “Trailers” are short cuts. But watching the “trailers” will never let you see the whole idea of the movie.

The Prof at Ryerson wanted her students to get the whole idea…think for themselves, so that she as their teacher could get to know if they really know what is going on with the concept that she taught. I can see her point clearly and I can see how the Facebook Group short changed each other.

Short changes do not work…
I just began a new book last week. It has 973 pages in it. It is a deeply moving book written by a good author that keeps you wondering what will happen on the next pages. It is hard to put down each time I read more.

If some one tried to give me the “Cole’s Notes” version of this book I would never have been enthused with what someone said about it. If they would have told me that it is filled with one man’s ideas and it will take you at least one to five minutes to read each page… requiring between 11 to 81 hours to read it… I would have quit or found a short cut. (It is a ‘savouring book’ and I will be more than 81 hours in the reading… and it feels good.)

My point…
Facebook by its definition is a short cut. It takes less time to type on it… it is a very fast way to do an old fashioned idea or “email”…no commitment to spelling or spell check… just a few good or funny words… that will do… don’t sign it … just hit send…

Email is a short and fast way to get a letter to someone… just type it… then hit send… no walk to the Post Office…no stamps… no one week’s wait to get the old letter to the recipient… no waiting to have them write back…

But then a letter was so much faster than travelling to someone’s place in another city – and talking with them. You just write it down, choose an envelope, insert, lick, stick and stamp it.. and put it in the post box…

Short cuts are used by all of us… a TV remote…a fast food restaurant…an electric light switch… on and on and on and…

The simple fact is that short cuts are not always good for us. They do not allow growth, conditioning, strengthening, or opening of our thought process and the opportunity of a future.

The worst kind of short cuts is the terrorist, taking his own life and the lives of others – for a quick entrance to Heaven…so he is told. We all know that is a lie. But why do we personally make choices to do the short cut thing – when we know that it is a lie also?

Thanks to Mr. Chris Avenir(and Ryerson University) I have had to rethink this one again.

But Chris…I need to share this one last thought with you… later on when I, as an employer, am looking for a good Engineering Graduate, I am going to be looking for a guy or gal that really knows their stuff. I will not be able to keep some one that has to keep getting their answers from Facebook… the building that they build, the Chemical Engineering that they will have to lead… cannot depend on short cuts. Sorry buddy… I will be asking for your class records and some recommends from a Prof or two…

Chris I wish you the best… and I wish you hundreds of hours of study. Go for it bud!

~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~

Resources
http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/309855
(Chris' Photo from The Star reference above...)