“Lessons from a Plagiarist” – Dustin Wax
May 29, 2009
Plagiarism is one of the unavoidable topics that must be talked about in higher education. Instead of discussing how common it is and/or how to detect its occurrence, according to Dustin Wax, there are significant lessons that can be learned from someone who plagiarizes. Wax, an instructor and published author, believes that there are five overarching ideas “we can all learn from plagiarists.”
Here are the lessons that Wax feels people can learn:
1) Never do anything that would embarrass you if anyone knew about it.
2) Never underestimate the intelligence or resourcefulness of others.
3) Own your actions.
4) It’s never too late to seek a second chance.
5) Sometimes, the most important lesson you can learn is failure.
Matt Hill, a respondent to the article, offers some insightful thought, saying “Much education is about imparting knowledge; it often fails to teach people how to think. If your educational establishment is rife with student plagiarism, I’d wager that the students haven’t been taught how to think for themselves.” In the web page you can read other interesting comments that many people have made in response to Wax’s ideas.
Entry Filed under: Higher Education,Reflections on Teaching,Scholarly Communication. Posted in Higher Education ,Reflections on Teaching ,Scholarly Communication .
