What is Edubirdie?
Edubirdie is an online writing service that allows customers to hire freelance writers to complete various writing tasks and assignments. It was founded in 2014 and has since grown to serve thousands of students each year in need of help with their schoolwork. While services like Edubirdie can offer quick solutions, they also raise ethical issues around academic integrity and learning that are important to consider.
How Does Edubirdie Work?
The basic process for using Edubirdie is simple – a customer submits an order detailing the writing task needed along with instructions and deadlines. They select the type of paper (essay, coursework, etc.), academic level (high school, undergraduate, graduate), number of pages, and date by which it’s needed. Customers then choose a writer to complete the work and make a payment online once the order is placed.
Writers on the site come from a variety of educational and professional backgrounds. They submit samples of their work and qualifications for approval to join Edubirdie’s database of freelancers. When an order is received, writers can opt to accept or decline based on their availability, skills set, and other factors. If accepted, the writer then researchers, plans, and drafts the paper according to the customer’s requirements.
The finished work is submitted through Edubirdie’s platform for the customer to review. At this stage, customers can request edits or improvements. Once approved, the order is marked as complete and the writer is paid through the site. For major projects requiring multiple drafts or long-term work, periodic progress updates and payments may occur.
Edubirdie Example: Essay Writing
One of the most common types of orders on Edubirdie is for academic essays. Here is a hypothetical example of how this process may work:
A college sophomore is taking an introductory psychology course and has been assigned a 5-page research essay on the topic of classical conditioning. Between classes, exams, work and other commitments – they feel overwhelmed.
They decide to order the essay from Edubirdie. On the site, they submit the essay details, attaching the course syllabus and rubric. They select a 7-day deadline and pay $175 for an undergraduate-level paper.
A writer with a master’s degree in psychology opts to take on the order. They research classical conditioning theories and prominent figures in the field. An outline is formulated around the major sections: Introduction, Pavlov’s work, Operant Conditioning, Applications.
Over the next few days, the writer crafts a draft following APA style guidelines. They develop three topic sentences per paragraph with relevant supporting facts, examples, and quotes. References and citations are properly attributed.
On the deadline, a 5-page essay is submitted through Edubirdie. The customer reviews it, pleased with the quality and accuracy. A few minor grammar fixes are requested.
The writer makes the edits and resubmits. The customer approves and the order is complete. Both parties have successfully finished the essay exchange through Edubirdie.
Edubirdie Example: Code Assignment
Edubirdie assists with technical subjects as well. Here’s an example for a coding project:
A computer science student is stumped on an assignment to build a basic website layout with HTML and CSS. Important milestones are due soon.
They place an order on Edubirdie for a working code template for a 3-page site on the topic of their choice.
A freelance developer takes the job. They brainstorm website ideas and settle on creating a code for an animal rescue organization.
Over the weekend, the developer writes HTML boilerplate, adds semantic tags and basic styling. Navigation, headers and three internal pages are built with Lorem Ipsum placeholders.
Cascading Style Sheets are formatted for global styling rules and individual page components. Colors, fonts and formatting are made consistent.
The fully functional and commented code is uploaded to Edubirdie on Monday as agreed. The student reviews and approves, gaining the working files.
With the example to build from, the student now understands the programming concepts to apply to their own unique site. Both parties complete the job successfully through Edubirdie.
Ethical Considerations of Using Edubirdie
While Edubirdie provides a solution for students in a bind, there are ethical issues to consider:
Academic Integrity – Having another complete a significant portion of one’s schoolwork violates principles of honest achievement. It can also enable plagiarism if not properly cited.
Learning Experience – Outsourcing assignments deprives students of the opportunity to problem-solve, think critically, and gain knowledge from hands-on projects. This can negatively impact comprehension.
Trust with Institutions – Many schools and learning platforms explicitly prohibit using writing services. Doing so risks punishment for violations of academic conduct policies.
Financial Dependence – Relying on paid help risks developing weaker independent skills long-term. It can become an ongoing crutch instead of facing challenges head-on.
Quality Over Consistency – While high-quality samples are possible, consistency across all orders can’t be guaranteed. Work may not meet standards or deadlines on rare occasions.
While Edubirdie offers quick fixes in a pinch, regular dependence risks various compromises to learning integrity and development that students should weigh carefully. Responsible use with proper citation could mitigate some concerns if it remains occasional and supplemental rather than a replacement for one’s own work. But overall, independent achievement through challenges is ideal for the most knowledge gain.
This overview has aimed to provide an in-depth look at how Edubirdie works through various examples while also exploring important ethical considerations when outsourcing academic work. Both perspectives are important to balance for any students contemplating such services. With informed usage and self-reliance prioritized over dependency, some supplemental assistance may potentially have its place on rare high-stress occasions within reason. But sustained independent learning through direct effort provides the optimal model for scholastic growth.
Andrew Stroud