In the minds of ESL exam candidates, e ssay writing is one of the most daunting tasks they are required to complete, regardless of the level of the exam, the administering body or the ease with which they themselves use the language. The same applies to students who are asked to write an essay by their teachers at school. In the previous sample essays posted on the blog, the main point I stress is the need to become acquainted with this form of writing (as opposed to writing a letter, review or report, for instance), to get a feel of what authorial voice is and how to organize and progressively express the arguments you wish to make in a coherent manner. Unfortunately, the best way to prepare for exam writing or learn how to write good essays for school is to read as many essays from as many sources as possible, then write as
If you are not taking an exam but need ideas on whether the internet is dumbing students down or enriching their learning experience, then read on and note down what you deem useful. If you intend on using this essay as part of an assignment, remember to paraphrase so as not to plagiarize.
The following topic was taken from a Michigan State University English Language Examinations publication (Go For MSU - CELP (C2), Super Course System). As you will notice, the topic is similar to what candidates would expect in any other C2 level examination in that examiners want to see a well-organized, coherent and cohesive discussion of the issue with arguments, explanations and examples.
Nowadays, almost all high school students have access
to personal computers and the Internet, and rely on them heavily to complete
assignments and projects. Do you think that Internet research enriches a
student’s education or does it take all the thinking out of schoolwork? What
could be done to ensure that students use the Internet wisely? Be sure to
support your opinion with examples, reasons and explanations.
With developments made in
technology, a more enriching educational experience has been made possible for
teachers and students alike. The availability of online resources has allowed
teachers to assign homework that will instruct students in research methods and
the latter are bound to find more facts quicker than they would had they lived
several decades earlier, when the term ‘modem’ was unknown to all.
Nevertheless, many see the use of the internet in research not as a rewarding
experience, but a way of “dumbing down” students, which I find is not entirely
the case.
To begin with,
those who support the idea of assignments being done with the help of computers
and online resources state three reasons why this is. Firstly, facts abound on
the internet. The variety of resources by experts or eyewitnesses is unimaginable.
From written texts to videos, online journals and books, to PowerPoint
presentations, a student is sure to find information they would never have been
able to if they were to simply pop round to the local library. This variety of
sources makes learning more enjoyable and students will no doubt see the value
of the work they do, which brings us to the second reason – interest in
learning. While surfing the net to find information, links provide quick access
to other related facts that might pique a student’s interest and curiosity. For
instance, if a student is doing research on the Victorian era as part of an
assignment on Charles Dickens’s novel Oliver
Twist, they will click on links redirecting them to 19th century
city life, boarding schools, the Industrial Revolution and the like. Through such
links, they will not only learn about one aspect of a book or time period, but
many. Finally, why would anyone be critical of the internet if the same
research were done in a library? Instead of opening up a volume of the
Encyclopedia Britannica, students would simply log onto the very same
encyclopedia online.
Nevertheless, the
drawbacks of drafting assignments on computers using online resources are
extant. Students never learn how to take advantage of library material
available, such as microfiche or rarer texts kept in the closed stacks section
of a library, all of which are validated sources of information, unlike online
pages which may contain erroneous facts. Possibly the greatest threat of all is
the tendency students have to copy-paste entire passages from an online text
without checking to see if what is stated is true or without paraphrasing in their own words, which makes critics of
the internet justified in saying that thinking is taken out of schoolwork.
Contrary to all
this, solutions are possible. Teachers can list requirements when handing out
assignments making it mandatory for students to visit a library and use at
least three sources which must be included in the project’s bibliography. Programs
that check for plagiarism are also available and teachers should stress the
penalties this academic crime entails if detected.
All in all,
educating students does not mean “teach the old and shun the new”. As
technology advances with time, so must teachers adapt to it. Gathering
information from a variety of sources has always been the bottom line and now
that bottom line must come to include the internet as well.