Universities' Tech-Savvy: Can They Detect Coursehero Cheats?

Course Hero is an online platform that provides students with access to study resources, such as course notes, study guides, old projects, and assignments. It also offers the ability to form study groups and share files. While Course Hero itself does not notify universities or professors if a student uses their services, there are ways that educators can detect if a student has used Course Hero to complete an assignment. For example, if a student copies content word-for-word from Course Hero and submits it as their own work, their professor can run the work through a plagiarism-detecting service like Turnitin, which will identify the source as Course Hero. Additionally, some universities and colleges have accounts on Course Hero, allowing professors to check if students are using the platform to tackle assignments. While using Course Hero as a study guide is not inherently wrong, it is important for students to understand that copying content without proper citation or using it for cheating purposes is considered academic misconduct and can have repercussions.

Course Hero does not notify universities, but schools can request details if they suspect plagiarism

Course Hero is a website that provides access to old tests, homework problems, textbook answers, and class notes. It also offers the ability to form study groups where students can share files and exchange ideas. While Course Hero does not directly notify universities when students use their services, there are risks associated with using the platform.

Firstly, Course Hero is not a free service. While creating an account is free, accessing the study resources requires a monthly subscription fee. Alternatively, students can upload their own documents to gain access to the platform's resources. This means that students are either paying for access or contributing their own work to the website.

Secondly, while Course Hero itself does not notify universities, it is important to note that some colleges and universities have accounts on the website. This means that professors can access the Course Hero database and compare assignment answers to those available on the platform. If a student submits an assignment that is directly copied or closely resembles the answers on Course Hero, they may be caught by their professor.

Additionally, universities have plagiarism detection tools like Turnitin and SafeAssign, which can identify if a student's work has been copied from Course Hero or other similar websites. If a university suspects plagiarism, they may investigate further and request information from Course Hero or other platforms. In such cases, Course Hero may provide details to support the investigation, as they are bound by law to cooperate in upholding academic integrity.

To avoid getting caught, some students modify or paraphrase the answers they find on Course Hero before submitting their work. However, even with modifications, the risk of being caught still exists. Plagiarism detection tools can identify similarities between a student's work and the original source, even if it has been rephrased.

In conclusion, while Course Hero does not proactively notify universities, students should be aware that their use of such platforms may be discovered if their work is suspected of plagiarism or if their professors have access to the same resources. To maintain academic integrity, it is important for students to use Course Hero and similar websites as study guides rather than directly copying answers for assignments and examinations.

Universities can detect plagiarism using tools like Turnitin and SafeAssign

Universities have access to various tools to detect plagiarism and uphold academic integrity. Two of the most prominent tools are Turnitin and SafeAssign.

Turnitin is a high-stakes plagiarism-checking tool considered the gold standard for academic researchers and publishers. It offers a comprehensive database of scholarly content, student papers, and webpages to check for plagiarism. Turnitin's advanced AI writing detection technology can distinguish between AI- and human-written text, specifically tailored to student writing. It provides educators with flexible solutions to design and deliver assessments seamlessly. Turnitin also helps foster original thinking by providing students with high-quality, actionable feedback that fits into teachers' existing workflows.

SafeAssign, on the other hand, is a plagiarism detection tool owned by Blackboard, a popular LMS (Learning Management System) in many colleges and universities. It is seamlessly integrated into the Blackboard and Canvas LMS, making it convenient for instructors to use during the evaluation process. When a student submits a document to SafeAssign, it analyzes academic and online sources to determine if there are any matches. It alerts professors to potential plagiarism instances and assists students in properly citing and referencing their sources. SafeAssign also allows instructors to create rubrics, grade assignments, and provide individual comments.

Both Turnitin and SafeAssign help promote academic integrity by providing robust plagiarism-checking capabilities. They enable universities to detect instances of plagiarism and ensure that students submit original work. These tools empower educators to maintain the integrity of assessments and encourage students' original thinking and writing skills.

Professors do check Course Hero and some have profiles on the platform

Professors do check Course Hero, and some even have profiles on the platform. Course Hero is a website that provides access to old tests, homework problems, textbook answers, and class notes. It also allows users to form study groups where they can share files and exchange ideas. While the platform can be a useful study aid, it has also been criticised for potentially enabling cheating.

Professors have been known to check Course Hero to see if students are using it to complete assignments and essays. Some professors have even created profiles and contributed learning content, such as videos, to the platform. They may also use Course Hero to see how students are sharing the information taught in class and to gain insights into teaching methods used by other professors.

While Course Hero does not notify your school or professor if you use its services, it is important to note that using someone else's work without proper citation is considered plagiarism, which is academic misconduct. If a professor suspects plagiarism, they may use a plagiarism detection service like Turnitin to check your work. If the source of the plagiarism is Course Hero, your professor will be able to detect it.

To avoid any issues, it is recommended to use Course Hero as a study guide and not copy content directly. By using the information as a starting point and conducting further research, you can create your own unique answers while still benefiting from the resources provided by Course Hero.

Course Hero is anonymous, but it is not impossible for universities to track students down

Course Hero is a platform that provides students with access to study resources, such as course notes, study guides, old projects, and assignments. While Course Hero claims to be a "social learning network" that allows users to "give and get" information, the site has been criticised for facilitating cheating among students.

Course Hero does not directly notify a user's school or professor if they access and use its materials. The platform is anonymous, and it is challenging to track who uses it. However, this does not mean that universities cannot track students down for using Course Hero.

Universities and professors can take various steps to identify students who use Course Hero inappropriately. Firstly, they can create profiles on the platform and compare the answers provided to assignments and exams. If a student directly copies answers from Course Hero, the professor can detect plagiarism by using tools like Turnitin or SafeAssign. These tools will scan the internet and different databases to identify similarities between a student's work and existing sources.

Additionally, universities and colleges may have accounts on Course Hero, allowing them to run questions through the database and check the answers provided. If a student submits an assignment or exam with answers directly copied from Course Hero, they can be easily caught and penalised for academic dishonesty.

Furthermore, while Course Hero does not share user information with educational institutions, there may be legal avenues for universities to obtain user details in cases of suspected plagiarism. In such instances, Course Hero would handle the request according to its privacy policies and user protection rules, and as required by law.

To avoid penalties, students should refrain from directly copying answers from Course Hero or any similar sites. Using these platforms as study guides and modifying answers is a better approach than blatant plagiarism. Students should also be cautious when uploading content to Course Hero, as it may violate their professor's copyright or the university's honour code.

Course Hero is a business providing academic help, but students can abuse it by plagiarising

Course Hero is a business that provides academic help to students. It was conceived by students at Cornell and offers access to old tests, homework problems, textbook answers, and class notes. It also enables students to form study groups where they can share files and exchange ideas. While Course Hero is theoretically a forum for students to "give and get" information, it is not a free service. Users can create an account for free, but they must pay to view content. Payment can be made in one of two ways: by posting materials (40 documents = 1 month free) or by paying a subscription fee.

While Course Hero and similar sites claim to offer a legitimate service, they are often abused by students who use them for plagiarism. Course Hero provides a temptation for students looking for exam answers and a place to cheat. The site also makes it difficult to track users, as notes are often posted anonymously. This means that it is harder to punish those who are blatantly cheating or to tell if the resources can be trusted.

However, it is important to note that Course Hero does not notify your school if you use their services. In extreme cases, universities may legally approach Course Hero to furnish them with details of specific areas of plagiarism detected by their tools. Such a case would be handled according to their privacy policies and user protection rules. Universities also have plagiarism scanners that can detect if content has been copied from Course Hero or similar sites.

To avoid being caught, students should use these platforms as study guides only and refrain from copying content word-for-word. They can use the information as a starting point and then conduct further research to establish if the information is valid. They can then write their own answers, using the knowledge they have gained from Course Hero as a foundation.

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