Synthesis Essay: Competition In Schools

Competition in schools may be the main cause of cheating and plagiarism. Putting in effort to enter a college with a good grade point average or sufficient credits can be difficult, it is why many would prefer cheating from others work. Honor codes could prevent the act of cheating or plagiarism along with building trust within students. Students should feel comfortable in their environment, not having to worry about someone looking at their paper. Which is why I believe an honor code system should be established in every school. Honor codes should be presented to students not as another rule to obey, but as a lesson to be learned (Source B). Writing a pledge of honor on every assignment is excessive, though it is simply reminding the student

While this is true, if an honor code were established, it can be made to accommodate the students, allowing it to be handled by an all-student court (Source C). Having the system be handled by an all-student court can build trust within other students, allowing them to feel comfortable writing their paper without having someone look over their shoulder. However, the success of the honor code, as Source C claim, depends on the expectations that students have and how much the college reinforces honesty. If honesty were to be reinforced, this would raise the academic integrity and honesty in the school. Trust should also be built between students and teachers. Source A claims that a spycam can greatly improve honor code, but students will surely feel uncomfortable and untrustworthy. During a test, relying on peer monitoring can increase that trust between a teacher and their students. Research shows, according to source F, “that significantly lower levels of cheating reported at honor code schools do not reflect a greater fear of being reported or caught.” They’d simply be embarrassed to have other students find out they were