The issue should be viewed from many different perspective.

From the side of the teacher, of course they want their student to be creative and come up with something very new and do not copy any other's work even their seniors.
But in this case, many students might face in dilemma on not knowing how to complete their assignments with their limited experience and knowledge.
By doing the work with creativity, it might not reach what the lecture want and in the end, given a very low score for such a 'creative' work.

In my own opinion, I might as well be on the side of encouraging this plagiarism activity.
When people don't know a thing, they may learn it, by mimic to how those who knew the thing.
We learn from copying, and yet after we've learnt all what the senior does, then only come the time we do our work with creativity and invent something new.

In general, Thomas Edison invented light bulb, are we going to not use this light bulb and invent another new item that will emits light by ourselves? Obviously no.