Edubirdie: An Ethical Conundrum for Students
Since its launch in 2014, Edubirdie has quickly risen to prominence as one of the leaders in the online essay writing industry. As a website that offers to complete academic assignments and papers for pay, Edubirdie provides a helpful resource for students struggling to balance their course loads with other responsibilities. The service also raises difficult questions about academic integrity and the role of educators in responding to such companies. This post will examine both sides of the edubirdie debate in an effort to have an informed discussion on this complex issue impacting higher education.
On one hand, edubirdie and similar services offer a practical solution for students who feel overwhelmed by their class schedules. With jobs, family obligations, extracurriculars and more vying for their time, some argue it is unrealistic to expect students to handle every single assignment completely on their own. By hiring writers, students can at least submit something to earn partial credit rather than risking a zero. Supporters also point out that edubirdie is fulfilling a market demand – if students did not use such services, they simply would not exist.
Others counter that outsourcing academic work goes against the core purpose of higher education. When students pay others to complete their assignments, they are not truly learning or mastering the material themselves. This can seriously undermine the integrity of degrees over time. While time constraints are a reality, part of being a student is learning to manage priorities and ask for appropriate extensions if truly overwhelmed. Using writing services also does little to actually alleviate the underlying issues putting excessive pressure on students in the first place.
An argument can also be made that essay writing companies commercialize and commodify the learning process in problematic ways. When academics become consumer products purchased for a fee rather than experiences to grapple with, it can damage the development of critical thinking skills. The transactional relationship between student “customers” and edubirdie “service providers” differs greatly from the collaborative model of learning between students and instructors. Overall, outsourcing may ultimately shortchange the students themselves by depriving them of genuinely engaging with coursework.
Students who use edubirdie also risk severe penalties if caught. Many institutions explicitly prohibit submitting work that is not fully your own without attribution. Students found in violation can face consequences up to expulsion. Additionally, hiring writers from unregulated essay companies offers no guarantees on quality or eligibility. Papers may be plagiarized, factually inaccurate, or written too simplistically to earn high marks. Students spending their own money could end up wasting it on subpar assignments.
Simply reacting to edibirdie with a blanket condemnation also fails to address the systematic challenges driving demand in the first place. Educators must thoughtfully consider how to create environments where students feel more supported to succeed through their own effort. This could include reexamining course loads, prioritizing feedback over grades, promoting campus resources, and fostering a growth mindset where mistakes are part of the learning process rather than signs of failure. Faculty play a role in establishing reasonable expectations and flexibility for students juggling multiple responsibilities.
Ultimately, there are good-faith perspectives on both sides of this issue. While outsourcing papers is never the solution and violates academic integrity, the root problems increasing students’ needs for such services must still be acknowledged and addressed constructively. A nuanced, compassionate discussion is needed to help students develop as independent, ethical learners within academically-sound systems. Both individual accountability and institutional support have roles to play. An “us vs. them” approach will not solve the dilemma – instead, all parties must come together to understand each other and find practical, ethical pathways forward for student success.
The rise of services like edubirdie presents higher education with difficult challenges but also opportunities for growth. By maintaining academic standards while also examining how to better serve students holistically, colleges can curb dependence on outsourcing while still empowering learning. Both sides will need to listen to understand different perspectives, priorities will need to be re-evaluated, and creative solutions built on integrity and care for student well-being must be explored. With open and thoughtful discussion, workable solutions can be found that balance responsibilities on all levels for the benefit of students.