Exercise 2 - Problem Formulation

Exercise 2

Problem Statement Example:

The practice of buying academic essays undermines the learning process and gives an advantage to wealthy students.

Why-Why Diagram:

Duncker Diagram:

Kepner-Tregoe situation analysis:

What?

• What is known?
  • Services that write academic essays for purchase (essay mills) exist
• What was observed?
  • The practice of buying academic essays undermines the learning process and gives an advantage to rich students
• What is important?
  • Preventing students from purchasing essays
• What is NOT important?
  • Punishing students for purchasing essays
• What are the goals/objectives?
  • Allow purchased essays to be more easily detectable. Make essay mills less accessible. Discourage students from needing these services.
• What are NOT goals?
  • Directly targeting these services
• What can be expected?
  • These services continuing being advertised, an increase in users
• What can NOT be expected?
  • Professors being able to distinguish purchased essays from a student's own work; students retaining subject matter

When?

• When did the problem occur?
  • Starting in the 2000s, essay mills switched to an e-commerce business model
• When did the problem NOT occur?
  • Before this point
• When must the solution be implemented?
  • While not an urgent issue, the education system would benefit from a solution sooner rather than later
• When is the solution NOT needed?
  • After its effects on the education system are irreversible

Who?

• Who can provide more information?
  • Professors can offer insight into the tools they would need to detect inauthentic work
• Who can NOT provide more information?
  • Essay mills
• Who is the customer?
  • The professors utilizing stronger digital analysis tools
• Who is NOT the customer?
  • Students
• Who is affected by the problem?
  • Mainly students, as well as professors
• Who is NOT affected by the problem?
  • Essay mills

Where?

• Where does the problem occur?
  • Mainly college campuses, as well as high schools.

Why?

• Why is the problem important?
  • As essay mills become more popular, a general increase in student laziness is a possibility, coupled with a decrease in retained information. Essay prices being so high provides an unfair advantage to wealthy students as well.
• Why is the problem NOT important?
  • Essay mills have not yet been used widely enough to cause significant controversy.
• Why does the solution work?
  • Tools designed to detect inauthentic work, less exposure to essay mill services, and education on the detriments of said services, should discourage students from using them
• Why does the solution NOT work?
  • Students may not care about learning an essay subject, only wanting to get a good grade

How?

• How is the problem related to other problems?
  • A reliance on essay mills can lead to students finding ways to circumvent other academic assignments, or cause laziness in other areas of life
• How is the problem NOT related to other problems?
  • It is unique in that it is a method of cheating that is not easily detectable and easy to use