Complicated issue? Not really
I've seen this discussed elsewhere, and while Wikipedia is obviously useless as a source (though may be a good starting point), the question of Google is a bit more difficult.
1. Searching the top 5 results on Google will obviously result in bland, similar essays.
2. Using reading lists can also result in bland essays, and ones that are specifically tailored to the lecturer's viewpoint.
3. Google allows students to search far more knowledge far quicker than an antiquated library system.
4. Searching antiquated library systems rather than having everything handed to you on a green plate in 0.0001 seconds is arguably a rewarding skill in itself.
Tricky issue, isn't it? Well, no. Not at all. She's a meeja studies lecturer. Whether her students spend five minutes on Google or five hours in the library, they'll still find nothing of intellectual value, nor will they write anything that adds to the sum of human knowledge. So it's all completely irrelevant.
I think someone's having a "where did my life go so wrong" moment.