Study aids such as Cramster, Course Hero, Koofers and SparkNotes have continued to rise in popularity on college campuses, sparking discussion at AU about the threat of these study aids and whether or not they discourage traditional learning.
SparkNotes provides study guides for a wide variety of subjects, from math and science to history and film. However, the site is most popular for its literature study guides that provide plot summaries of famous books often assigned in literature courses.
To counteract recent criticism that SparkNotes helps students cheat, the creators of SparkNotes have made it very clear on their Web site that their study guides are made strictly to supplement, not substitute, actual learning.
"We publish study aids to enhance and encourage learning, never to substitute for careful, thorough reading of class materials," the company said on its Web site. "We think that SparkNotes are an excellent way to supplement your understanding of great works of literature. We have always aimed to support and improve education, not undermine it."ÿ
Meghan Sweeney, a sophomore in the School of Communication, said that study aids like SparkNotes are harmless because they help students learn quickly and easily.
"I love SparkNotes," Sweeney said. "[Using it] is a good way to review mass amounts of information for a test or final."
Cramster's Web site has step-by-step solutions for many popular math and science college textbooks.
Max Griffin, a sophomore in the School of International Service, said that study aids like Cramster that offer detailed solutions can be a lifesaver for students who are struggling with hard courses.
"[Study aids] that have step-by-step solutions are good for students who might be completely lost the night before a big test," said Griffin. "They give those students some last-minute help."
Koofers.com provides students with vast amounts of information such as instructor ratings, grade distributions, past exams, quizzes, study guides and other academic supplements. The creators of Koofers assert on their Web site that their intention in making the site was to "level the playing field for all students."ÿ
Statements such as these are deceitful, according to College Writing Professor Lacy Wooton-Don.
"I think that these sites are disingenuous when they claim that they only offer assistance and want no part of cheating; they certainly know that many students use the sites in order to cheat, and they know that they're profiting off that cheating," she said.
In Wooton-Don's College Writing classes, she normally gives in-class, open book essay exams which make it difficult for students to use study aids, she said. Most of the books she assigns for reading are recently published or non-fiction, and therefore they cannot be found on SparkNotes, she said. ÿ
Christopher Tudge, a biology professor who teaches Great Experiments in Biology, said he has not found study aid Web sites to be a threat to his teaching.
"In my 10 years of teaching [general education] classes at AU, I have not had any adverse interaction with a student over any of these sites," he said.ÿ
Over the years, he has taken steps to vary his course materials and prevent re-use of college exam answers, he said. In Great Experiments in Biology, he often shuffles his test questions from a larger test bank so that no test is used more than once, Tudge said. ÿ
College Writing professor Cynthia Bair Van Dam argued that when students use study aids as a fast way to avoid doing more work they often lose a real understanding of the course material. She said that study guides like SparkNotes can often confuse students because they give the impression that they have the final word on the contents and meanings of particular books.
"Each study guide is authored by an individual, so the site's interpretation of the book's plot, significant themes, major characters, etc. are just that - an interpretation," Bair Van Dam said. ÿ"Students who mistakenly think that any given study aid Web site offers the facts or truth about a novel will find themselves in hot water."ÿ
Whenever students consult SparkNotes in Bair Van Dam's class, they must name the source on their works cited page. To fail to do so is plagiarism, according to Bair Van Dam. However, she also said that study guides are not highly regarded by professors and they can set students back in their learning experience.ÿ
"Using a study guide like Spark Notes screams 'I'm not really college material,'" Bair Van Dam said.ÿ"So all in all, it's just not worth it. The downsides significantly outweigh the supposed benefits."
You can reach this staff writer at jryan@theeagleonline.com.ÿ
