Because today's students and youngsters can so easily download or copy material from the Internet, they often cannot see that this is ethically wrong, remaining unaware and often uncaring about issues of intellectual property. These students do not perceive that they both steal from the original creators of the content and diminish the effectiveness of their learning experience, as it relates to the topic studied and their personal research skills. Based on the faculty members involved and a particular institution's own policies, the Academy's approach to student dishonesty using communications technology ranges from complete avoidance to harsh and often life-affecting punishment for offenders. In all cases, efforts to contain the issue, particularly by using counter technologies or punitive measures, have proven ineffective. This dissertation offers an overview of the extent of this contemporary crisis, places the dilemma into a philosophical context from which to establish the moral standing that allows us to transmit our culture of honesty to the younger generation, and then offers a practical, educationally-based, and more humane methodology to do so.
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