Tuesday 9 December 2008

What to do with students?

For an assignment, students had to evaluate a website according to certain questions. One of the questions stated: "Do you think this website is a good source of information on your topic? Explain why or why not."

Following is one of the answers on a returned assignment I received from a student:

I need to explain for Mammamia information. So it is good for me. I should assume that everything I see or read on the Site is copyrighted unless otherwise noted, and may not be used except as provided in these Terms and Conditions without the written permission of Universal. Universal neither warrants nor represents that my use of materials displayed on the Site will not infringe rights to third parties not owned by or affiliated with Universal.

I want to weep...

5 comments:

Mary-Jane said...

Yah...

Lindi said...

sterkte!!!! some how I feel that is why you are here. Not anybody else but you.

Einstein's Brain said...

Oh my, that is pathetic.

Joa said...

What to do with students? For this particular student, I suggest you politely say the following to him/her: "Very interesting comment -could you please explain what you mean or tell me a bit more?" Thereafter keep probing untill the irony becomes aparant. Sterkte!

Skryfblok said...

What disturbs me most about this "answer" is how the student merely copied Universal's Terms and Conditions and expected me to accept it as an answer.

I'm still trying to figure out whether this is cultural or not. After all, the Korean culture is homogeneous and communal; "sharing" is a normal part of society.

What is understood as obvious plagiarism an individually-minded culture, might not be so obvious in a communal culture.