By Muhammad Rey Hazriell
SHAH ALAM, July 27 — The growing trend of students outsourcing their academic assignments to third parties has sparked debate over whether such services support or hinder higher education learning.
Liberal Communication lecturer Muhammad Azim Zaid said these services have gone viral since 2022 and are increasingly seen as an 'easy way out', especially for students juggling work commitments.
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Liberal Communication lecturer Muhammad Azim Zaid. — Picture by MUHAMMAD REY HAZRIELL/MEDIA SELANGOR[/caption]
“Many part-time students use these services because they want to focus on their jobs, but from an academic standpoint, they gain no understanding of what they are supposed to learn and will struggle to express ideas,” he said.
Azim noted that such services can be costly — he once tried one himself to verify its authenticity and was charged up to RM400.
“These services can also be scams. Students pay a lot, yet do not know who is actually doing the work or if the assignment will even be completed,” he said.
The lecturer called on the authorities and institutions to conduct thorough studies on the existence of these services and their impact on the learning process.
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Journalism student Atiqah Abd Halim, 22. — Picture by MUHAMMAD REY HAZRIELL/MEDIA SELANGOR[/caption]
Meanwhile, journalism student Atiqah Abd Halim, 22, regards the service as potentially helpful in certain situations, but also believes that it should not become a norm.
“If an assignment is too difficult and you genuinely need help, using the service might be justifiable. But if it is for simple tasks, it is totally pointless and a waste of money,” she said.
Atiqah also revealed that some friends have used similar services to sit exams, indicating that the issue is not new and remains challenging to detect.
“No one knows who is doing the work. Even lecturers cannot tell whether it is the student or someone else who completed the assignment,” she said.
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Communication student Ikmal Hanif Ahmad Nazli, 23. — Picture by MUHAMMAD REY HAZRIELL/MEDIA SELANGOR[/caption]
Communication student Ikmal Hanif Ahmad Nazli, 23, believes the appropriateness of such services depends on the user’s intentions — whether they genuinely need help or are merely trying to avoid responsibility.
“If the service provider is just trying to earn extra income while helping students, it is understandable. But if the student is using it to shirk responsibility, that is excessive and dishonest,” he said.
Ikmal also warned that overreliance on third-party services erodes students’ sense of integrity.
These services are becoming increasingly widespread on social media, particularly during the end-of-semester period, when students face a surge of assignments.
According to Media Selangor’s observations, the services are frequently promoted on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok, with viral videos advertising them causing concern among university students in 2024.
Aside from paid services, some students are also turning to artificial intelligence tools to complete their assignments, raising further ethical concerns within academia.
