Classroom Cheating a Serious Problem

The essay “Classroom Cheating a Serious Problem,” by William Rasberry tells the story of a college professors experience in discussing academic dishonesty with his students. He noted a study that claimed that some 80% of the highest rated high school graduates had engaged in cheating and furthermore thought it was a typical practice. This study moved Rasberry to carry out a discussion in his own classroom at Duke University. His students claim to have outgrown the …

…the problem of academic dishonesty is. I believe he wanted people to realize that even the academic elite from virtually any high school is likely to be participating in academic dishonesty. But, I also believe he wanted to show his audience that young kids do have a sense of honor within them. Appealing to their sense of honor and encouraging them to reach a higher ethical standard may be the way to eliminate the practice.