[adrotate banner="16"]
[feather_share show="twitter, google_plus, facebook, reddit, tumblr" hide="pinterest, linkedin, mail"]
Over the past few years, McMaster has steadily worked on efforts to improve its course delivery. By implementing animations, social media and online modules, McMaster is gradually bringing university education into the 21st century.
This new approach to course structure, called blended learning, aims to flip the classroom. Lecture content is made available online so instructors can use actual class time to explore specific elements in more detail. While McMaster is not currently considered a leader in the development of this method of teaching, Zafar Syed explained that this is starting to change. Syed is the Associate Director of Digital Technology at the McMaster Institute for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching & Learning, the institution that has been the main driver of this change.
“For the past three to four years there's been a concentrated effort to increase the digital footprint that McMaster has, whether that means setting up and supporting an institute like ours here to help faculty with technology integration, or funding courses to be redesigned for blended or online delivery,” he said.
The cost of redesigning a course ranges from $12,000 to $75,000. “That's not to say that one course is better than the other. It just depends on how much media production is necessary,” explained Syed. He added that a course that uses social media or Avenue to Learn in a unique way are additional ways courses can be technology-infused.
Instructors have approached blended learning in a variety of ways. As a cohort, the Biology Department decided to revisit two courses: the first year cellular and molecular biology class as well as its second-year continuation with a greater focus on cell biology. The former was launched in the spring of 2014, while the previous fall saw the beginning of the cell biology modules. According to Prof. Rosa da Silva, the department worked together to update the curriculum by creating a type of narrative structure for the course to follow. “We thought how can we make our first year experience better, how can we add more to the classroom without taking away, and we thought going blended would be the best way, so that we could offer core material online, and then really bring in class the opportunity to diversify material,” she explained.
The blended learning approach is being explored in other faculties as well. Prof. Emad Mohammad, who bridges the faculties of Commerce and Engineering, has worked to make his course Commerce 1AA3, an introductory financial accounting class, customizable. He has implemented a strategy where students read the course material on weekends and explore it through animations and videos. They are quizzed on the material and based on the results, Mohammad tailors his in-class lectures to focus on the areas students struggled with.
“Blended learning works best not because you put some content online, but because of what happens during the face-to-face component."
Both da Silva and Mohammad agreed that the blended approach has helped boost marks in their respective courses. While Mohammad admitted that not all students like the blended approach, he has noticed more A+ grades and fewer failing marks. “The results are indisputable,” he said. Da Silva was also enthusiastic about the effect of modules in her biology courses. “We’re seeing that student grades are going up with blended learning, which is great.”
Both professors also mentioned the fact that despite the improvements in grades, not all students are satisfied with the new approach to lecture content. Da Silva explained that frequently, students in her courses who do not enjoy the mix of modules and lectures have a more difficult time focusing. “Students who have a harder time managing time… are the students that are hating it, they’re not scheduling it in as part of their week to week classes that they should be watching,” she explained.
Despite the enthusiasm faculty have for blended learning, they seem to be moving forward without a concrete plan. Syed and da Silva both mentioned long-term studies of the lasting effect of blended learning courses at McMaster, but neither offered specific ways in which the content will continue to develop beyond constantly improving modules. Syed is looking forward to the opening of the LR Wilson building as a way to encourage more active and blended learning in the Humanities and Social Sciences. “Blended learning works best not because you put some content online, but because of what happens during the face-to-face component. That people are able to engage in content in a deeper and more personal way and not just passively sit and listen to lecture, which they can do in their own time,” he explained.
Although there is more room for the assessment of blended learning’s overall impact, it is clear that McMaster is determined to continue implementing learning technologies into a greater variety of courses.
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
[adrotate banner="16"]
[feather_share show="twitter, google_plus, facebook, reddit, tumblr" hide="pinterest, linkedin, mail"]
Although it is only February, 2016 seems to be my year of introspection and big decisions. I am in my third year of the Arts and Science program and although I chose this degree to get exposure to a variety of fields, I pushed myself into focusing on biology — certainly not my favourite subject — with seemingly no pressure from anyone but myself. Unhappy with my schoolwork, this year I decided to change that. I took a step back and asked myself, what’s so appealing about science? Why is my story so common?
McMaster students may be more biased towards the sciences since our university is best known for its scientific research. With so much campus space designated for science students, it’s understandable to crave being part of that community. McMaster made a proactive choice when deciding to build L.R. Wilson Hall, a space for liberal arts students to feel the same sense of togetherness and appreciation that science students experience. Perhaps it will encourage students to embrace their interests and not feel pressured into a stream that doesn’t suit them. Perhaps not.
The way in which many students generally speak about the humanities is relatively simplified. When we talk about the humanities, we should be talking about philosophy, art history, French, communication studies, and linguistics, to provide a few examples. It is misguided and inaccurate to reduce a program to nothing but writing essays and calling that “easy.” Not everyone can communicate effectively enough to get a point across in an essay, just as not everyone is able to work well in a biology lab. Yet, we need both types of people. Part of the reason science is so appealing could be attributed to the seemingly infinite options it presents. But if science can be divided into chemistry, physics, biology, and technology, then let’s not forget to acknowledge the diversity within the humanities. Regardless of the fact that studying the humanities can lead to very successful careers, there is a pressure to avoid them at all costs. Maybe that’s because it’s convenient to pursue the sciences to avoid the usual questions about what on earth you’re going to do after graduation. If you’re in the sciences, you tend to get off easier because there’s always med school, right? However, if you’re in the humanities, people often forget the boundless options that exist because they forget how vast a field it is.
Studying science gives the illusion that there’s an obvious answer as to what you will be doing next. There’s either research or medicine, and that’s all. That, too, is a dangerously singular way to think, and yet, this seemingly clear path could be what attracts so many students. Tunnel vision is an interesting thing when it comes to education. On one hand, you may love it because it steers you in a defined direction. On the other hand, you could hate it because you may find that direction doesn’t fit you. The important thing is to take a step back once in a while and ask yourself what you find appealing about your field of study. If nothing comes to mind, it might be time to explore a bit more.
Studying science gives the illusion that there’s an obvious answer as to what you will be doing next.
The reality is that this pressure we feel to study the natural sciences isn’t solely because of McMaster’s reputation, but rather, the wider growing obsession with scientific and technological advancement. While it is important for us to study science and develop technologies to better our world, it takes all sorts of people to better society. We fail to recognize that this growing culture of praise for science and technology is giving us tunnel vision when it comes to our education.
At the end of the day, university education has become the new baseline for future career prospects. The majority of us, no matter what we go into, will have to continue our education. Therefore, if you find science to lack the appeal it’s hyped up to have, then you should explore other fields of study. It would be short-sighted to limit yourself so early in your education and feel pressured to pursue something that has just as many prospects as other fields of study. As a fellow Marauder, I urge you to remain open-minded about other faculties and programs and take courses outside of your comfort zone. You’ll never know what you’ll find intriguing.
Photo Credit: The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
By: Lauren Beals
Many students on campus have developed a relationship with T-13. The home of first-year math exams and chemistry tutorials, this supposedly temporary building has been a student staple for over 40 years.
But room 127 is creating a new type of legacy. Recently outfitted with upgrades including projectors, white boards and student seating on wheels for easy movement, 127 has transformed into an active learning space created for student interaction.
The changes mark one step in a larger movement away from passive learning and towards the active learning missing from many university classrooms.
Arshad Ahmad, McMaster’s Associate Vice-President of Teaching & Learning says that there are many drawbacks to traditional lectures. “It really is an old-school thought. [Lectures] were an efficient way of conveying information when information was not accessible, but now the information is very accessible. If a student can go online and read the information they are not going to find it very interesting in class,” he explained.
Unlike traditional lecture halls, 127 provides students with the opportunity to apply knowledge and collaborate with peers to solve problems.
Projector screens along all four walls allow instructors to display multiple resources, while white boards encourage students to actively work out practice problems. A central screen and command system also preserves instructor control over the busy classroom and its technology.
Ahmad thinks that students want to learn actively from an early age. “It brings out the best in people by giving them the opportunity to show motivation and interest,” said Ahmad. “If you ask a parent how their child completes a project, it isn’t just by sitting and watching them. They are moving around, they are doing things, that is how they learn.”
Despite the advantages, the spread of active learning across campus requires more renovations, smaller class sizes and the commitment of instructors to reshape course structures. Students must also prepare to embrace group work and more frequent problem-based evaluations.
“There are definitely a lot of real challenges associated with this type of learning, that is for sure. But we need a cultural shift where this type of learning is the norm. This needs to be the norm. Students and teachers need to demand this type of learning,” said Ahmad.
Currently, room 127 can be requested for use by student groups by contacting student Conference and Event Services. Faculty can request academic booking by contacting the registrar’s office.
“We need a cultural shift where this type of learning is the norm.“
For students who wish to pursue active learning in other ways, Ahmad urges them to speak with professors and peers about how they learn beyond the course outline. “You would be surprised how many people are willing to have that conversation,” he said.
[adrotate banner="16"]
[feather_share show="twitter, google_plus, facebook, reddit, tumblr" hide="pinterest, linkedin, mail"]
By: Sabrina Bene
Laptops have become the norm in lecture halls as more students bring them to take notes in class. Some professors believe that they have become a distraction rather than a tool to help students learn. I believe that despite this, electronics supply students with unlimited possibilities to enhance their learning experience in lecture. With technology constantly advancing, students are able to increase the amount of information obtained, and apply it in various ways.
The restriction of electronics would have more negative effects than positive. A laptop allows students to follow along with what the professor is saying, while allowing them to quickly jot down important information. Allowing laptops in lectures allows the student to clarify information that may have been confusing. Students are able to follow along with visual data provided by the professor, and are given a chance to interact with the material. For example, the program “TopHat,” which has been introduced in select classes on campus, requires students to bring their laptops to lecture.
If a student does not own a laptop for financial reasons the program provides them with one to follow along. Programs such as TopHat create a positive learning environment for all students and enhance the students’ abilities to clearly understand what is being taught. Electronics also supply students with quick access to the internet where a student can follow along with a PowerPoint on their own monitor, while also searching anything they may need clarification on. A student can quickly google words or phrases they may not understand if they feel uncomfortable asking in lecture.
Despite these advantages, laptops can also cause distractions. While in lecture many students have a bad habit of checking Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, disregarding how distracting this can be for others. This is also detrimental for the person using social media, as it is nearly impossible to browse Facebook while focusing on lecture as well. To reduce the negative impact of laptops rules can be put in place to minimize distractions. For example, students who want to bring laptops can sit at the back of the lecture hall to avoid disturbing others. Additionally, laptops can be banned from tutorials so that more students are able to fully pay attention to what is being discussed. Professors can also try to supply programs like ‘TopHat” where the lecture becomes more interactive, encouraging the student to pay attention rather than browse social media.
It is also important that we accommodate electronics in lecture as they can make material more accessible for students with disabilities.
For example, Pear Note on MacBooks and One Note on PCs allows students with processing disabilities to synchronize information by recording lectures while taking notes. The student can then go through their notes, highlight a concept they didn’t understand in the lecture, and the software repeats the material from that point in time. This helps to increase comprehension and the quality of notes. If laptops were to be banned entirely with the exception of students with disabilities, then they could be uncomfortably singled out.
The use of electronics in the classroom can have both negative and positive effects. To eliminate the negatives professors should consider if the course requires electronics or if the material is largely verbal or written. Professors should also consider how their decisions affect students with disabilities and decide on the most appropriate way to accommodate them, creating a positive environment for all students. Through my own experience I find that the use of electronics can be extremely helpful, as it provides access to all lecture material that you can follow while listening to the lecturer. While I do believe that laptops are a distraction, I do not believe they should be banned because the positives outweigh the negatives.
Photo Credit: Brett Jordan
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
By: Steven Chen
As the rustling shuffles of students reawaken the campus this fall, McMaster aims to bring new flavour with the launch of the Master of Public Health graduate program.
Led by McMaster University’s Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, the MPH program applies the department’s rich expertise in health policy analysis and research within the practical field of public health.
McMaster’s interest in public health came shortly after the SARS outbreak of 2003. Professor Holger Schünemann, chair of the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, lead the development of the MPH program over several years along with Professor Julie Emili, program director of the Public Health and Preventive Medicine Program at McMaster. The program is directed by Dr. Fran Scott, an alumni of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine.
The Master of Public Health program concentrates on advancing the education of students by offering a flexible, practical, meaningful and evidence-based approach to addressing public health challenges in local communities and beyond.
“The MPH program is very much going to be integrating community engagement in its courses,” said Scott. “There is also the practicum, which is a four-month placement at a public health or community agency. The students will bring their own expertise but they will also learn from the agency about how to work with the community.”
Additionally, the program sets out to encourage students to contribute to the community. “We are encouraging students within the program to take on leadership roles,” she said. “By providing them these practical opportunities to take on challenges, they will refine their skills in cultural competency, communication, advocacy, analysis and articulation of evidence.”
Applicants for the MPH program’s inaugural class had to meet a broad range of criteria, such as previous work experience and having career goals aligned with the program’s objectives.
“We are definitely looking for people that are self-directed…Teamwork skills are necessary because a considerable amount of the program revolves around peer learning,” said Scott.
Considering McMaster’s long-standing global reputation for innovative learning, the Master of Public Health program aims to distinguish itself from other Canadian programs by featuring a unique approach to the area of public and population health.
“We are starting locally and extending the material to the provincial, federal and global levels,” said Scott. “In this way, we offer an education that complements the Master of Science in Global Health, although much of what we teach are similar skills.”
The MPH program also offers the option of doing a thesis project along with the practicum. “Not many [master’s programs] do across Canada, most of them are practicum-based, but because we have a lot of research here at McMaster, we really wanted to create the next generation of research initiatives and collaborations,” Scott added.
With the first classes of the MPH program starting this week, Dr. Fran Scott has made it a priority to deliver a quality education for all her students.
“We wanted to start with 25 full-time students, since it helps to ensure a quality experience,” said Scott. “We do not wish to have agencies take on several students, we want them to take on just one student and make it a really good experience.”
“Public health in Ontario is continuously changing… and I expect for it to change in terms of its organization, the problems it will focus on and the resources it will have,” said Scott.
“We want very much for the students to be aware of this and we are hoping to teach them that kind of flexibility so that they will be able to respond to these changes when they graduate.”
By: Eva Clark-Lepard
The Ontario sexual education (sex-ed) curriculum has not been updated since 1998. At that point in time, “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion topped the charts and butterfly clips were actually fashionable. This was six years before Facebook, eight years before Twitter and 13 years before Snapchat. This was two years before current ninth graders were even born. This curriculum included information on body parts, STDs and puberty. It advised teachers to mention abstinence and decision-making skills.
This September, a new health and physical education curriculum document has been introduced to classrooms all around Ontario. This curriculum includes new additions, such as the mention of gender identity, sexual orientation and a focus on diversity. The curriculum consists of required material complemented by various teacher prompts, so as to assist teachers in answering any questions the class may have.
Despite the similarities between the two curriculums, the 2015 sex-ed curriculum has certainly caused a stir. While there are a large variety of complaints with regards to the curriculum, the recurring complaints are the following: that the curriculum’s inclusion of the topic of consent will allow children to consent to sex, that the topic of gender identity will cause children to question their own gender and become confused, that the curriculum will encourage LGBTQA+ identities rather than regarding them as “sinful” and that the inclusion of the words “oral sex” and “anal sex” in regards to STD/STI transmission will cause rampant promiscuity.
These grievances and many others have been the driving force behind many public acts of protest. These include various rallies at Queen’s Park with signs emblazoned with the phrases “Kathleen Loser” and “Let kids be kids—just say no!” More recently, only half of the students at Thorncliffe Park Elementary School in Toronto attended class on Sept. 8, while graffiti bearing the phrase “Shame On You” appeared on the school days later.
The resistance to the new sex-ed curriculum is multifaceted. Many are simply misinformed, believing some of the statements described above. Others believe that sex and homosexuality should not be discussed at all. Furthermore, some believe that the values represented in the curriculum do not represent those of their family. As an individual who wants to teach sex education and research reproduction for a living, I’ll try and address these three areas of complaints.
Firstly, to those parents who believe that their children will be learning how to perform oral sex in grade eight, I beg of you to please look closer than what your friend told you or what you read in a catchy 140-character tweet. The entire curriculum is online, please read it and realize that this curriculum is only going to help keep people safe and healthy. Just to clarify, this is what Health and Physical Education Curriculum does say about oral sex: “engaging in sexual activities like oral sex, vaginal intercourse, and anal intercourse means that you can be infected with an STI. If you do not have sex, you do not need to worry about getting an STI.” It goes on to say that students thinking about having sex should seek out healthcare professionals who can provide important information about protection.
Secondly, to the Ontarians who are sex-negative (the belief that sex is harmful or shameful) or homophobic, I’m sorry that the government of Ontario is trying to help raise your kids to have more meaningful relationships, less shame about their bodies and less hate for the members of their communities. Hopefully the kids that don’t skip those lessons will still create a community that celebrates diversity and body positivity for your child to grow up in.
Lastly, to those who believe that the sex-ed curriculum goes against their beliefs and values. I respect that Ontario is a diverse province with different religious and cultural belief systems. I respect that these systems may classify homosexuality as a sin and condemn various types of relationships and sexualities.
However, the values infused into the sex-ed curriculum are not random; they are the values of Canada. It has been legal for LGBTQ+ individuals to get married in Ontario since 2002 and there are Gay-Straight Alliances in middle schools. This curriculum is founded on the basis of kindness to our neighbours and the celebration of diversity—diversity of sexual orientation, of hair colour, of religious affiliation. In the words of Edward Keenan, “those values remain worth teaching.”
Photo Credit: CBC
[adrotate banner="16"]
[feather_share show="twitter, google_plus, facebook, reddit, tumblr" hide="pinterest, linkedin, mail"]
By: Ashley Constant
McMaster still is a big part of my life. I still bus to campus every day for work, and most of my friends are still students, yet I can no longer claim the identity of being a McMaster student.
Instead, I guess I have to accept the title of McMaster alumni. This past June, I graduated with a B.A. in English with Honours. Now I’m trapped in that terrifying space between spaces—no longer a student, but not quite an adult member of the work force.
University acted as a pause button between being a childish high schooler and the aforementioned adult—a taxing, expensive, mentally draining pause button. However, it gave me four years to figure out who I am, and provided me with all the tools to do so. And by all accounts, I should know by now. That’s what people tell you about university—it’s the place where you are supposed to plan out the rest of your life. Yet, somewhere between moving into Wallingford Hall and walking across the stage at my convocation, I forgot to give my future much thought. I guess I just assumed that when the time came I would just know, much like the idea we get it in our heads that once we reach adulthood we’ll magically know how to do taxes and how to avoid watching six episodes of a TV show in a single night. Or maybe everyone was given the secret at some point and no one bothered to tell me. That’s certainly the impression some particularly well put-together students give off.
I suspect this feeling came from the fact that while I was a part of a very broad field of study, most of my friends came to McMaster for specific fields of studies that are streamlined to cater to a specific career. Their security appeared to rub off on me. When people would ask me what I was planning on doing after school (and people would stress the “after” part almost as if to put forth the idea the last four years would be for nothing if I didn’t have an answer to this question), I would shrug and say “I have four years to decide!” Then it became three, then two, then years turned into months and suddenly I was handed this great piece of paper declaring that I could pick out themes of long, drawn out texts and could adequately write papers on the subject. Nowhere on that thick, luxuriously printed certificate could I manage to find a map explaining what my future held.
The next four months were spent mentally beating myself up because I had failed, hadn’t I? While I had this amazing education, I didn’t have a plan. But as I moped and watched people around me live their seemingly successful lives, I realized something: they were winging it too. Friends who started studying one thing were now studying another, or were starting work in completely new fields. Some were moving out of their parents’ homes, and others were moving back. I’m even starting to see engagement and wedding pictures appear on the social media accounts of my high school friends. Just because I decided to pursue a university degree at this point in my life, I did not decide to activate some invisible countdown that ominously ticked down the moments until I had to have an answer to everyone’s “What now?” question. That countdown didn’t hit zero when I put on my graduation gown, and I didn’t fail when I still couldn’t quite answer my curious friends and family.
There is no timeline. There is no wrong way to discover what you’re passionate about, and if you happen to find yourself starting over three or four times, that’s fine too. I’m taking a little longer to decide what I want to do with the rest of my life, but you can ask again in a few months.
Photo Credit: 123RF.com
[feather_share show="twitter, google_plus, facebook, reddit, tumblr" hide="pinterest, linkedin, mail"]
[adrotate banner="12"]
This coming September, Assistant Dean of the Bachelor of Health Sciences program, Delsworth Harnish, will be stepping down to take on an Associate Dean role with the larger Faculty of Health Sciences.
“As an academic administrator, you’re only supposed to do two five-year terms, it’s rare to do more than that, and I’m in my third five-year term. It’s time to step away, new blood is always really important,” said Harnish. “I’m happy to be stepping away from it, although I will miss it.”
After having founded the undergraduate program 15 years ago as a research initiative and working to help develop it into the well-known program that it has become today, Harnish will be moving on to another venture with the university, one that involves bringing aspects of the BHSc program to other faculties and programs.
“We’re developing new programs with Engineering and Business,” said Harnish. “Business is actively collaborating with us on a couple of things. It’s largely true that students benefit from interdisciplinary perspectives, and this new program [we’re working on] was built with enough elective space to encourage students to take courses in Humanities, Social Science, Science, etcetera.”
Along with this proposed Commerce program, Harnish is also working on developing something in Engineering that will attract students interested in both Engineering and Health Sciences.
“We’ve tried that twice before but we really haven’t had the formula right. I think this time there are a lot of people engaged in it.”
In the past, the BHSc program has received backlash from the public about its perceived semphasis on grades, with articles being written in Maclean’s, the Toronto Star, and a variety of online blogs, harping on their application process.
While it is true that programs with lower acceptance standards can lead to the same technical outcome as a BHSc degree, its content and style provides a unique multi-faceted experience beyond its perceived reputation, and it is hard to deny the positive influence the Health Sciences program has had on a number of McMaster programs.
Since the implementation of the BHSc program, McMaster has gone on to create more inquiry-based learning programs and further integrate problem-based learning, experiential education, and interdisciplinary curriculums. Since its inaugural BHSc cohort, McMaster has introduced the inquiry-based Arts and Science and iSci programs, as well as the recent interdisciplinary Sustainability minor, among other efforts.
“Universities are not good organizations for change, in general. Things tend to track along the way they have historically… But I think McMaster more than most universities in the last several years has seen some active change in lots of areas,” said Harnish.
Upon the start of his new position, Harnish’s replacement will be coming in this fall. Her name has not been made available to the public, but we do know that she worked for the program in the past and is well acquainted with McMaster’s culture.
Harnish is looking forward to the future of McMaster, as should current and incoming students.
“I’ve enjoyed this immensely, it is fantastic working with young people.”
By: Celestina Aleobua
Canada, a nation that prides itself for its multiculturalism, being a “melting pot” of all cultures, and with equal rights for all, has failed to provide substantial justification for why international students pay significantly higher tuition fees than domestic students.
Currently, international students pay almost four times the amount of fees that local students pay, though the amount can vary by school or degree. However, international students do not receive any added benefits. International and domestic students share the same facilities, the same professors and tutors, and the same bus services. Additionally, they are not eligible for most scholarships, or for financial aid services such as the Ontario Students Assistance Program (OSAP) that are available to local students. This begs the question of why there is a huge disparity between local and international student fees.
One common argument justifying the high price of international student fees is that international students do not contribute to the Canadian economy, because they do not pay taxes, and should therefore be charged more in tuition. International students may not pay income tax, but they definitely contribute to the economy in terms of expenditure. A 2012 study by Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Development Canada on the Economic Impact of International Education in Canada said, “in 2010, international students in Canada spent in excess of $7.7 billion on tuition, accommodation and discretionary spending; created over 81,000 jobs; and generated more than $445 million in government revenue.”
The report also goes on to state that international students in Canada make a significant contribution to the economy, and it recommends that Canada “ensure that international students are recognized and supported commensurate to their importance to Canada.” Educational institutions recognize that the international students that can currently afford their high fees are those that are affluent, and they share this view of these students being valuable. However, this view puts them at a huge disadvantage.
The arguments of domestic students agreeing with the high international student fees stems from the expectation that there be available space for all Canadian citizens in educational institutions, and that there should be a priority for admissions given to local students over international students. Institutions limit the amount of admissions given to local students and free up space for international students in order to reap the full financial benefits.
Educational institutions excuse general increases in fees with lack of funding from the government. According to the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, increments in local student fees are capped at three percent every year, however for international students, no such limit exists. International students are vulnerable to tuition increments at the discretion of the educational institution. This is simply unfair.
Entering Canada as an international student is like being the eleventh man in line at the opening of a new H&M. The first ten people get a discount, and the rest settle for the inflated prices. Canada comprises of many different cultures, and in this sense, Canadian students are no different from international students. It is high time Canada includes the eleventh man in the discount club.
Earlier this year, new reports on cheating at Canadian universities circulated online, along with CBC's re-airing of its documentary Faking the Grade. I decided to take a deeper look at the issue since it serves as a flashpoint for the state of higher education and how seriously students take the privilege of attending university. It was also around this time when one of my professors called out the class on Avenue2Learn, announcing discoveries of plagiarism.
I found the accounts more surprising and depressing than I could have ever imagined. Exact statistics to reveal the full scope of the problem are very hard to estimate. However, a CBC survey of 54 Canadian universities showed that 7,086 students were disciplined for cheating in the 2011-2012 school year. This may not seem like a lot, but 12 of the universities declined to give their stats. Then, factor in cases which did not progress to actual disciplinary action. But most importantly, factor in those students who go undetected. So it's not a shock that the documentary states that 50 percent of university students admitted to cheating, hinting that whatever the actual number really is, it is undoubtedly extremely significant.
There are many reasons why these revelations are disturbing. First of all, cheaters are passing themselves off as something they are not. Anyone who has cheated three times would most certainly be expelled from school, and if one has received a degree and bypassed detection, it's undeniable that these people falsely hold this credential. To be fair, though, academic dishonesty can cover a wide range of offences, some of which are not cheating. But it is clear here that we are mainly dealing with those harbouring intentions to deceive.
Another ethical problem is that with so many people cheating we have an exceptionally high number of people arbitrarily choosing which rules they deem important and which they feel no guilt about breaking. The cheater also wishes to break rules they want others to follow so that they can benefit at their expense.
For academic purposes, the extent of cheating in universities necessitates us to realize that having a degree doesn’t mean that one is “highly educated.” In fact, with the overabundance of degree holders in the job market it is disconcerting to admit how many of them are frauds.
But with a bachelor’s degree being more crucial than ever, it is inevitable that education has become even more of a commodity. This drives the standard for doing whatever it takes, ironically raising the bar further, and pushing us even harder. Cheating normalizes these unrealistic expectations by creating the illusion that a much higher number of people are succeeding than is actually the case. Though fair marks don't mean you'll clean toilets, these do mean being several rungs below your peers.
The things I read while trying to get a handle on this problem were enough to make one cynical. The videos online, for instance, of “students” sharing methods to cheat your way through school were particularly disgraceful.
But as distasteful as this all is, what ought to be done about it?
Cheating is as old as humankind and will always be here in some form. To try to eradicate it is a huge waste of time, though we can be vigilant and guard against a slippery slope. Though it's definitely worth discussing, solutions seem to be out of reach.
I think what's more important is to try to determine what our attitudes towards cheating are. Consider a brilliant, caring doctor who grossly cheated during his undergrad and lost a fortune from bad investments. Some could say that had he been found out early on he never would have gotten into medical school and made so much money to begin with.
What about a person who has cheated five times during university and finally gets caught? Does she deserve to have all her other work negated because of that? Personally, I might be persuaded to say no if said hypothetical person was also very well-read, truly passionate about learning, and graduated as someone who was intellectually literate versus someone who never cheated but rarely cracked open a book. These are the sort of moral dilemmas that ought to be considered.
But whether or not the above is even worth considering, and as abhorrent as cheating can be, I think the point is that we can't always judge people and their actions with an abstract label, good or bad. It is all too easy to condemn someone as this or that, seeing everything as black and white. This topic could be hotly debated, but in the end one can only offer their opinion at the expense of leaving a lot of unanswered questions.
