Academic Honesty (^35)
texting, reading other materials, surfing the Internet, or having side conversations may
seem relatively minor, but they can add up to create a climate that interferes with both
your and other students’ ability to listen and learn.^25
Interestingly, one professor who taught in both face-to-face and online formats
reported that student feedback on controversial topics differed in these two formats.
In classroom discussions, students were often sarcastic, disrespectful, and dismissive of
opposite opinions; however, in online forums (where comments were graded on how
well ideas were developed, organized, and supported by evidence) students typically
gave professional and mature feedback, perhaps because they took time to evaluate
their reasoning before they submitted a post. You can follow the principles for ethical
feedback by holding yourself accountable for thoughtful but civil responses to ideas that
conflict with yours.^26
To evaluate your ethical responsibilities as a listener, ask yourself these questions:
• Do I keep myself informed about significant issues by exposing myself to a number
of arguments, or do I listen only to the side with which I already agree? In short, do
I listen with an open mind?
• Do I fulfill my ethical responsibilities to other listeners by not distracting them?
• Do I fulfill my responsibilities to speakers by letting them know they are being heard?
• Do I encourage speakers to meet ethical standards? This may mean that I ask for
further information about their sources or that I point out relevant information they
omit.
• Do I evaluate my feedback to make sure my responses are civil and well reasoned?
Academic Honesty
Kari’s introduction was fine until she got to her thesis statement:
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is the main governing body of
collegiate sports, where students look to further their athletic careers....Incivility among audience
members can make it difficult
for others to hear and
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