I can't understand why essays are still being used as the dominant form of assessment in universities. Not only are they unreliable indicators of 'deep knowledge', they are not a genre of writing that is relevant or needed for most professions. Furthermore they are so easy to outsource. There are other more reliable, valid ways of assessing s student's knowledge and control of academic language than the essay. When will universities ditch this outdated method of assessing?

I am greatly concerned by the implications of this article. Where has honesty gone, integrity, the desire to win fairly, to achieve on one's own merits and by hard-work?

Then I suppose the standard set by our politicians and our Oligarchs clearly suggests that we live in a society where cheating is rewarded.

P.S. This comments was written by me and no third person or institution was involved! Honest.

Bring back exams, at least as part of the assessment, with a pass mark mandatory for overall pass.

Yes, cheating is very naughty but the universities are run as businesses these days and are so dependent on full fee-paying foreign students from Asia that they are prepared to largely turn a blind eye to such antics. And yes, foreign students are, by and large, the main perpetrators of academic fraud. This because a) there is an endemic culture of academic cheating in China and other Asian countries, and b) many Asian students simply the requisite English skills to write an academic essay.

To be honest, I have nothing but revulsion for the sick joke that is the Australian higher education. Ever since the former Howard Government created a nexus between an Australian degree and permanent residency, we have seen the near total corruption of Australia's higher education institutions as they have shamelessly allowed themselves to be used as visa factories for full fee-paying foreign students.

Education in Australia has to be one of the saddest on the Planet. We have thousands of qualified people who can't do anything to support themselves with all their certificates. Or does that fall under economic mismanagement ? Either way, the wheels are extremely wobbly on that bandwagon.