It can be challenging to determine whether paying someone to complete your online course is ethical in the Australian context. To answer this question, we should explore the student’s motives for hiring a professional to take their course. Some students are simply too lazy to engage with the course material themselves. Therefore, they find it convenient to pay someone else. In this instance, the student is being unethical due to not wanting to put in any effort.
Also, some students hire people to complete their online courses for them because they struggle with self-paced learning or time management. Again, this can be considered unethical because they could complete the course if they began early enough and allocated sufficient time to their studies.
Conversely, one could argue it is okay for a student to hire someone if they are visually impaired or have health challenges and must complete their course within a particular timeframe. Also, it might be okay to hire someone to take your online course for you if you have a lot of important commitments (weddings or funerals) to attend. Regardless of the motives for hiring someone, there are some things to think about below. Also, we will suggest what you could do instead of hiring professionals to complete your online courses.
When you pay a professional to do your coursework for you, you create an unfair advantage for yourself. That is because you do not have to invest in effort and time in your coursework. Meanwhile, there are other students who will take their time to complete the course requirements themselves. It becomes even more unfair when the students who hire others end up being top performers.
Besides, submitting coursework you did not complete means being dishonest with your instructors. All instructors expect students to engage with the course material personally. When students complete their own coursework, instructors will be able to get a true picture of whether or not they are teaching effectively. All they have to do is compare the performance of various students. However, submitting work you did not do gives an impression to the instructor that you are a diligent and capable student, when you may not be.
Nonetheless, we have to agree that the academic landscape comes with numerous disadvantages to some people, hence professional services significantly address these gaps. For instance, students who are working fulltime may not have the chance to complete their coursework on time, while ESL ones may lack the writing skills to successfully complete their written assignments.
Completing an online course is not all about progressing academically. There are certain behavioral traits you acquire as you work through the material. For instance, online courses often entail a lot of self-directed learning and research. Some people find this exhausting and decide to hire someone else. However, this process teaches you to be patient, self-motivated, and attentive to detail. Additionally, you will learn new information that may not be directly covered in the course lectures or readings.
Some students aspire to careers that require strong self-management and continuous learning skills. How ironic would it be if these students chose to hire others to complete their online courses? If they cannot manage their own coursework, how will they handle the demands of such careers? Remember, succeeding in many professional fields is more challenging than completing online courses. Therefore, completing your own coursework can teach you the skills needed for your future job and results in personal and professional growth.
Hiring someone to complete your online course means you must check whether they are ethical. For instance, some hired individuals may deliver plagiarized work. This is especially the case with cheaper services. Such individuals may have little understanding of academic integrity standards. Due to their lack of knowledge or care, they may submit someone else’s work as their own. If you do not check the coursework for plagiarism, you will be in trouble with your instructor. To ensure your submitted work is plagiarism-free, you must check it with trusted plagiarism checkers, notably Scribbr, Quetext and DupliChecker. Also, you will need to ask the person you hired to submit a plagiarism report for any work they complete.
Another problem you may have to grapple with is the fabrication of data or sources. Some hired individuals may present false data to support their arguments in course assignments or discussions. That may occur due to bias or being too lazy to research the sources properly. Again, it will be a problem if your instructor detects fake data or sources in your work. You are likely to face severe academic penalties.
Students who are financially well-off may not see the need to complete their own online courses. Why should they, when they could hire someone to do it for them? What happens then to the students who are not that wealthy? They will have no choice but to complete the coursework themselves. As a result, that brings about some unfair competition. For a competition to be fair, students must engage with their online courses personally.
Of course, it is not wrong for anyone to be rich. However, as a financially privileged student, you should strive to spend your money wisely and fairly. Instead of paying someone $200 to complete your online course, you could actually invest that amount in no-cost investment companies or use it to enhance your learning experience in other ways. Nonetheless, you can also look for an affordable service so that you don’t have to pay much.
Understandably, completing an online course can be challenging for various reasons. However, you will find it easier once we mention some strategies. First, you need to understand what is required of your course. If you do not understand the course requirements or structure, do not hesitate to ask your instructor or consult the course syllabus.
Once you understand what the course entails, you can create a study plan. In this plan, you will break down your tasks into smaller, manageable parts (weekly readings, assignments, discussions, quizzes, etc.). After creating the plan, you can set aside dedicated time for each task. Ensure you allocate enough time for each component of the course. Remember, this is a flexible plan. Therefore, you can adjust it as needed throughout the course.
As you progress through the course, make sure to actively engage with the material. Participate in online discussions, complete practice exercises, and reach out for help when needed. Many online courses offer resources like tutoring services or virtual office hours. After completing each module or assignment, take time to review and reflect on what you’ve learned. This will help reinforce your understanding and prepare you for future coursework.
In general, you should strive to complete your own online course. Do you know the danger of letting students hire others to complete their courses? Imagine if medical students hire people to complete their online courses and end up passing. What happens if these students become doctors? They are likely to make some mistakes since there are concepts they did not learn from engaging with the course material themselves. As we said, completing an online course entails a lot of personal growth and skill development.
Understandably, you may be pressed for time. However, with proper time management, you can complete your online courses without hiring anybody. Unless it is an extreme emergency, save that money and do your work instead. The knowledge and skills you gain from personally engaging with your online course will be far more valuable in the long run than any short-term convenience gained from having someone else do it for you.
Sandra holds a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Sydney and has over a decade of experience in academic writing and editing. Her expertise spans across humanities and social sciences, with a particular focus on critical analysis and research methodologies. Sandra's work has been published in several peer-reviewed journals, and she has co-authored two books on contemporary Australian literature.
