Introduction
In the article “Cutting and Pasting: A Senior Thesis by (Insert Name)” that was published on July 12, 2010, Brent Staples argues that contemporary students are not as imaginative as it was traditionally the case. Some deem it unnecessary to conduct their own thorough research. Instead, they take advantage of access to synthesized information over the Internet. Even when professors express their concerns, a significant number of students show complete disregard to the importance of improving their intellectual capacity. The use of the Internet for academic purposes is inadvertently weakening students’ potential for critical thinking, and I think it is because the learners have the wrong approach to research.
The Influence of the Internet on Education
The ease of access to information over the Internet has damaged the learning process and impeded creative thinking. In his article, Staples explains that education is no longer intellectually engaging. Professors are questioning young people’s understanding of the essence of schooling. Students opt for shortcuts rather than embrace the challenge of an in-depth exploration of issues, and this is noticeable in their assignments. Some even contend that copying is not a serious offence, and what matters to them is passing the course (Staples). Learners are not engaging with sources of information in a way that can imbue and nurture creativity, and their assignments are also lacking a natural flow.
It is apparent that students’ wrong approach while using the Internet has destroyed the learning process. I think they should be encouraged to perceive schooling as an opportunity to nurture their critical thinking potential. They should be sensitized to perceive knowledge acquisition as being more important than graduation. In my view, this would inspire students to engage in thorough research. I believe that interaction with various sources of information helps stimulate intellectual vigor. As students ponder their alternatives, they succeed in creating new ideas, coming up with original arguments, and hence learning takes place.
Conclusion
Students who are contented with the synthesized information they access over the Internet impede their critical thinking potential. Indeed, it is difficult to come up with original ideas without constant interaction with detailed information. This is why a significant number of learners are simply lifting materials from the Internet. Resolving this problem requires the stakeholders in the education sector to encourage students to lay more emphasis on knowledge acquisition than on graduating from college.
Work Cited
Staples, Brent. “Cutting and Pasting: A Senior Thesis by (Insert Name).” New York Times, 2010, Web.