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Argument Task - To combat the recently reported dramatic rise in cheat
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19 Feb 2021, 05:26
19 Feb 2021, 05:26
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(taken from the ETS Pool of Argument Topics)
The idea of combating cheating among college students using students cooperation may be very successful indeed. However, the argument provided in favor of the mentioned honor code is lacking solid evidence to back it up properly.
The first obvious flaw of the argument is based on the data it provides regarding cheating statistics. As we do not know how many students studied in Groveton during the time relevant to the statistics, mentioning numbers (instead of proportions) does not effectively back up the argument. What if there were 21 students one year after the honor code was in place? What if there were 2100? In order for the numbers to have a significant meaning, the authors should measure cheating occurrence in percentages rather than absolute numbers.
Moving on along the paragraph, another questionable evidence is the survey conducted. As written, it was conducted by the Groveton honor council, which may have personal interests beside students' integrity. It is possible that the members of this council also seek a raise, either in terms of money or reputation. In addition, citing a survey without giving evidence that it was conducted professionally, target-focused and reliably, fails to effectively back up the argument.
Even if the survey was well-conducted, it cannot guarantee that the students do not have their personal interests. It is very likely that students, especially those who tend to cheat, would contrive to manipulate the survey's results for their advantage. In this case, one can deduce that if a majority of students said that they would stop cheating, then the College Board will implement the honor code, making cheating easier if done correctly. Therefore, the survey should not be used as solid evidence in favor of the honor code, not unless it is done in a reliable manner by a professional company. And even if conducted properly, for the reasons above it should not be used as a main argument, as used by the authors.
As the argument in the passage fails to provide strong and convincing evidence, it is not fulfilling its purpose of bolstering the proposed honor code. But rather, we see that its fallacies weaken the proposed idea by reflecting its downsides in the argument's reasoning.
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I'd appreciate a review of my response, including tips for improving my writing. An estimation of my overall score would also be very helpful. I tried to remain within the 30 minutes time limit.
I am not sure if the reasoning made in the fourth paragraph is valid.
Thanks.
Quote:
The following appeared as an editorial in the student newspaper of Groveton College.
"To combat the recently reported dramatic rise in cheating among college students, colleges and universities should adopt honor codes similar to Groveton's, which calls for students to agree not to cheat in their academic endeavors and to notify a faculty member if they suspect that others have cheated. Groveton's honor code replaced an old-fashioned system in which teachers closely monitored students. Under that system, teachers reported an average of thirty cases of cheating per year. The honor code has proven far more successful: in the first year it was in place, students reported twenty-one cases of cheating; five years later, this figure had dropped to fourteen. Moreover, in a recent survey conducted by the Groveton honor council, a majority of students said that they would be less likely to cheat with an honor code in place than without."
Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.
"To combat the recently reported dramatic rise in cheating among college students, colleges and universities should adopt honor codes similar to Groveton's, which calls for students to agree not to cheat in their academic endeavors and to notify a faculty member if they suspect that others have cheated. Groveton's honor code replaced an old-fashioned system in which teachers closely monitored students. Under that system, teachers reported an average of thirty cases of cheating per year. The honor code has proven far more successful: in the first year it was in place, students reported twenty-one cases of cheating; five years later, this figure had dropped to fourteen. Moreover, in a recent survey conducted by the Groveton honor council, a majority of students said that they would be less likely to cheat with an honor code in place than without."
Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.
The idea of combating cheating among college students using students cooperation may be very successful indeed. However, the argument provided in favor of the mentioned honor code is lacking solid evidence to back it up properly.
The first obvious flaw of the argument is based on the data it provides regarding cheating statistics. As we do not know how many students studied in Groveton during the time relevant to the statistics, mentioning numbers (instead of proportions) does not effectively back up the argument. What if there were 21 students one year after the honor code was in place? What if there were 2100? In order for the numbers to have a significant meaning, the authors should measure cheating occurrence in percentages rather than absolute numbers.
Moving on along the paragraph, another questionable evidence is the survey conducted. As written, it was conducted by the Groveton honor council, which may have personal interests beside students' integrity. It is possible that the members of this council also seek a raise, either in terms of money or reputation. In addition, citing a survey without giving evidence that it was conducted professionally, target-focused and reliably, fails to effectively back up the argument.
Even if the survey was well-conducted, it cannot guarantee that the students do not have their personal interests. It is very likely that students, especially those who tend to cheat, would contrive to manipulate the survey's results for their advantage. In this case, one can deduce that if a majority of students said that they would stop cheating, then the College Board will implement the honor code, making cheating easier if done correctly. Therefore, the survey should not be used as solid evidence in favor of the honor code, not unless it is done in a reliable manner by a professional company. And even if conducted properly, for the reasons above it should not be used as a main argument, as used by the authors.
As the argument in the passage fails to provide strong and convincing evidence, it is not fulfilling its purpose of bolstering the proposed honor code. But rather, we see that its fallacies weaken the proposed idea by reflecting its downsides in the argument's reasoning.
--------------------------------------------------------
I'd appreciate a review of my response, including tips for improving my writing. An estimation of my overall score would also be very helpful. I tried to remain within the 30 minutes time limit.
I am not sure if the reasoning made in the fourth paragraph is valid.
Thanks.
Re: Argument Task - To combat the recently reported dramatic rise in cheat
[#permalink]
25 Feb 2021, 19:17
25 Feb 2021, 19:17
Expert Reply
Hi! This is a pretty good essay. The GMATAWA auto-grader gave it 5.5 out of 6!
Coherence and connectivity: 3/5
This rating corresponds to the flow of idea and expression from one paragraph to another. The effective use of connectives and coherence of assertive language in arguing for/against the argument is analysed. This is deemed as one of the most important parameters.
Paragraph structure and formation: 5/5
The structure and division of the attempt into appropriate paragraphs is evaluated. To score well on this parameter, it is important to organize the attempt into paragraphs. Preferable to follow the convention of leaving a line blank at the end of each paragraph, to make the software aware of the structure of the essay.
Vocabulary and word expression: 5/5
This parameter rates the submitted essay on the range of relevant vocaubulary possessed by the candidate basis the word and expression usage. There are no extra- points for bombastic word-usage. Simple is the best form of suave!
Coherence and connectivity: 3/5
This rating corresponds to the flow of idea and expression from one paragraph to another. The effective use of connectives and coherence of assertive language in arguing for/against the argument is analysed. This is deemed as one of the most important parameters.
Paragraph structure and formation: 5/5
The structure and division of the attempt into appropriate paragraphs is evaluated. To score well on this parameter, it is important to organize the attempt into paragraphs. Preferable to follow the convention of leaving a line blank at the end of each paragraph, to make the software aware of the structure of the essay.
Vocabulary and word expression: 5/5
This parameter rates the submitted essay on the range of relevant vocaubulary possessed by the candidate basis the word and expression usage. There are no extra- points for bombastic word-usage. Simple is the best form of suave!
gmatclubot
Re: Argument Task - To combat the recently reported dramatic rise in cheat [#permalink]
25 Feb 2021, 19:17
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