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Ethics-right and wrong! Most students think they are ethical, yet a very high number admit they have cheated. Most know that it is improper to copy the work of others, yet plagiarism is reported to be widespread. And, one often heard criticism of distance education is the fear that "it is too easy for students to cheat! How do you know who is taking the test?"
Ethical behavior has long been a concern of educators. The United States Bureau of Education published the "Cardinal Principles of Secondary Education" in 1928 in an attempt to clarify right and wrong in teaching and learning, and to promote ethical behavior. More recently, the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University (n.d.) has provided extensive information about ethical behavior and the meaning of right versus wrong.
As distance education has become a mainstream approach in...