Heard all about Course Hero and how helpful it can be? If so, you may want to use it but want to guarantee that you aren’t doing something wrong by using the site.
Here, you will be able to determine if using Course Hero is considered cheating or not:
Is Using Course Hero Considered Cheating?
Course Hero is a grey area – this is because it all depends on how you use this website – if you use it as a resource, then it isn’t considered cheating, but it can be cheating if you use it to plagiarize work or to access restricted material.
When is Course Hero Considered Cheating?
As mentioned, it is technically possible to cheat using Course Hero. It is all about how you use the website. So, when is it considered cheating?
Well, one of the things that you can be accused of with Course Hero is plagiarism. Students can upload assignments, essays, old tests, etc.
If you find a topic or content that is related to one of your assignments and use it verbatim, then this is considered plagiarism. This means that you lift entire sections of someone else’s work without changing anything or changing only a little bit of the content.
Keep in mind that professors will often upload past students’ work to an anti-plagiarism website and compare your assignment with previous work. If there is a match over a certain percentage, then it will be considered plagiarism.
The other way that it may be considered cheating is if you use an old test posted on the site to pass one of your exams. This will only happen in cases where professors don’t change their exams much and this is a well-known fact.
If you have access to a past exam and find the answers ahead of time, this will be considered cheating.
Finally, you can find tutors on the Course Hero site. If you use one of them to complete your assignment for you with little to no input from you, then you will have cheated.
When is Using Course Hero Considered Not Cheating?
In what instances is considered not cheating when using Course Hero?
Well, when you use it as a resource, then it is considered legitimate. To use Course Hero as a resource, you will read through various notes, assignments, etc. so that you can better understand the content taught in class.
At no point, though, will use direct information found in these online texts in your own work. Essentially, it isn’t cheating if you use it as a study aid rather than to help you do homework or assignments.
It is also not cheating to use the forums and discussions on the site to understand certain concepts better. Asking questions, brainstorming ideas, etc. is simply considered an exchange of ideas.
If you also need a certain answer or concept explained to you rather than simply having the answer provided, then this will also be a legitimate use of the website.
Mock exam papers or practice tests are also not considered cheating. As these were not created by a professor or have not been used in a previous exam, they are simply a way for you to practice taking a test and applying your knowledge.
Finally, Course Hero gets you in touch with tutors. If you use those tutors to help describe concepts to you or to assist you with certain topics, then this is not considered teaching. It would be the same as if you were hiring a physical tutor.
However, you do need to make sure that you do all the heavy lifting and that they don’t do any of your work for you.
Can You Get Into Trouble with Your Professor for Using Course Hero?
Professors are becoming increasingly aware of Course Hero and some of them are against the idea.
Despite this, it is difficult for your professor to know if you have used Course Hero or not as all of the uploads and sign-ins are anonymous.
If you have plagiarized or if your assignment seems too good, then your professor may wonder if there were outside influences.
Some schools or teachers may have banned the use of Course Hero. They may mention this at the start of the course or include it in the syllabus.
If this is the case, then you shouldn’t use Course Hero. If you do use the site and then are found out, this is considered a form of cheating and you will receive the appropriate punishment.
How Do You Know If You Can Use Course Hero or Not?
To be absolutely certain, it is best to ask your professor. They may have an opinion about the site or they may have not heard about it at all.
Regardless, they should be able to tell if you are allowed to use it or not.
Bear in mind that just because you can use Course Hero doesn’t mean that you should blindly accept everything available on the site.
Even when using it for a resource, you should always double-check whatever you find there. Keep in mind this information isn’t verified before it is posted or uploaded on the site.
Is Using Course Hero a Form of Cheating?
While Course Hero isn’t meant for cheating, it is all about how you use the resources available on the website – by avoiding plagiarism, real tests, and having other people do your work for you, you can avoid cheating on the site.
