EduBirdie is an online platform that offers assignment help and writing services to students. The company was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Kyiv, Ukraine with additional offices located in the UK, US, Canada and Australia. Since its inception, eduBirdie has gained prominence as one of the largest writing assistance providers but has also faced significant controversy regarding the ethics of its business practices.
How EduBirdie Works
EduBirdie connects students who need help with their school assignments to freelance writers who can complete the work. Students submit assignment briefs on the eduBirdie website specifying details like word count, topic, citation style and deadline. Freelance writers then bid on the work, giving estimated prices and timelines for completion. Students can view writers’ ratings and profiles to assess their qualifications before choosing who to hire.
Once hired, writers directly communicate with students to clarify any questions about the assignment. They do Research, write drafts and incorporate any feedback provided until submitting a final version for grading. All assignments are checked for plagiarism through Turnitin and written from scratch. Students retain full rights to the completed work which they can then submit to their teachers as is or after making modifications.
Payments are handled online through the eduBirdie site upon assignment submission. Students pay a premium price compared to regular coursework to get writing assistance. Prices vary based on academic level, type of paper, topic complexity and deadline. While eduBirdie maintains it offers legitimate writing help, critics argue students are essentially paying others to do their work.
Controversies Surrounding EduBirdie
Academic Integrity Issues: The key controversy around eduBirdie surrounds academic integrity since students are essentially outsourcing and passing off assignments completed by writers as their own work. Many educators view the services as encouraging cheating.
Unethical Business Model: Critics argue eduBirdie profits from facilitating academic dishonesty by having third parties complete school assignments for money. The company refutes this by saying it provides writing assistance within policy guidelines.
Substandard Work Quality: While eduBirdie vets writers and checks submissions, some students have complained about receiving poorly written, inaccurate or plagiarized work that could negatively impact their grades.
Predatory Marketing Practices: The company has engaged in aggressive Facebook ads targeting students with promises of help getting good grades. The propaganda is seen as preying on struggling learners and pressuring academic misconduct.
Supporting Poor Work Habits: Relying too much on outside assistance can impair students’ ability to learn, manage time and develop independent research and writing abilities needed for post-graduate success.
Questionable Employment Practices: eduBirdie has faced claims of poor treatment and late/non-payments for freelance writers working under tight deadlines with minimal compensation.
EduBirdie Responses to Criticism
While acknowledging the valid criticisms around cheating, eduBirdie insists it operates legally and provides an important service for students balancing heavy course loads, jobs or other commitments who need temporary academic support. The company emphasizes:
Writers are strictly informed assignments must never be directly submitted or entirely plagiarized.
All work undergoes plagiarism scans and students are advised to integrate feedback and cite sources properly.
Students maintain ownership and responsibility over submitted assignments. Writers just offer writing assistance as per guidelines.
Their services aim to relieve pressure not enable cheating. Students using help appropriately can still learn while juggling responsibilities.
Freelance writers agree to work conditions and rates upfront and can provide valuable skills to students globally.
Debates around eduBirdie’s role in academics persist. While providing one solution to overwhelmed learners, critics maintain it still skirts accountability and integrity standards. Overall, fair usage of the site within policy guidelines may be acceptable to some, but outsourcing all work raises serious issues being hotly discussed within the education sector.