What plagiarism detection software is
available to online instructors/?
Jocoy
and DiBiase (2006) discussed two software technologies offered commercially to
help detect plagiarism: EVE (Essay
Verification Engine) and Turnitin.com. EVE
is one of the older systems available, and Turnitin.com is probably the most renowned
system available. There are other
systems available for plagiarism detection such as iThenticate, PlagiarismChecker.com,
Viper, CheckForPlagiarism.net, and Plagiarisma.net (Petronzio, 2010). Various costs are associated with each of
these systems. In addition, copied
phrases can be traced by using online search engines that are free like Google
(Jocoy & DiBiase, 2006, p. 5).
Plagiarism detection software increases the educator’s ability to
identify plagiarism in their students’ work.
How can the design of assessments help
prevent academic dishonesty?
Dr.
Keith Pratt (Laureate Education, Inc., 2012) indicated that he designs all
assignments and exams with the mindset of not caring whether or not students
cheat. In real life and in the
workplace, people address problems by realizing they need to gather
information, examine reference materials, collaborate, and find out as much as
they can about a topic or possible solution to the problems. Dr. Rena Palloff (Laureate Education, Inc.,
2012) also added that using open book tests, open notes, allowing interaction with
other students and collaboration does not lessen the outcomes of exams. Instead, these strategies result in less
cheating because students take the resources and prove they know how to use
them. In the workplace, learners will be
expected to draw from resources and collaborate with others to discover and
incorporate the knowledge they need to arrive at the necessary solutions to
problems. Therefore, Pratt and Palloff
feel that strategies such as those mentioned above should be built into the
design of assessments to help prepare learners for real life situations.
In an effort to reduce the opportunity
for plagiarism or cheating, what facilitation strategies do you propose to use
as a current or future online instructor?
I
believe as a future online instructor, I would be interested in preventing
plagiarism as well as detecting it. Jocoy and DiBiase (2006) indicated that students
are often unclear about what constitutes plagiarism. “Some educators suggest that concern with
plagiarism should be more about teaching students to appreciate the development
of knowledge, acknowledge intellectual contributions of other scholars, and
represent the process of building on existing knowledge in academic writing and
less about violating rules and copyright laws” (Howard, 2003; Hunt, 2003,
Martin, 1994; as cited in Jocoy & DiBiase, 2006, p. 3). Moreover, promoting more than conformity to
rules that students see as subjective, educators should help students
understand the value of academic integrity “in order to advance students’ moral
development” (Dark & Winstead, 2005; as cited in Jocoy & Dibiase, 2006,
p. 3). Therefore, I would provide
explicit instruction on academic integrity to diminish the instances of
cheating or plagiarism in my online class.
I would also inform learners that they must use the plagiarism detection
software used by the educational institution where they are students prior to
all submissions of assignments. This would
“serve as a deterrent to would-be plagiarizers in a way that verbal and written
warnings do not” (Jocoy & Dibiase, 2006, p. 10).
What additional considerations for
online teaching should be made to help detect or prevent cheating and
plagiarism?
One
additional consideration for online teaching to help deter cheating or
plagiarism would be the practice of expectation management. This involves the educator taking the time at
the beginning of a course to review expectations of students as they relate to
academic integrity. Such a strategy
would help reduce those incidences of lack of knowledge of cheating and plagiarism
among students as well as relieve learner anxiety about inadvertently committing
plagiarism offenses (Soto, Anand, & McGee, 2004; Ashworth, Bannister, &
Thorne, 1997; as cited in Jocoy & Dibiase, 2006, p. 11). Another consideration would be the use of an “academic
integrity quiz to assess student understanding” about plagiarizing (Braumoeller
& Gaines, 2001; as cited in Jocoy & Dibiase, 2006, p. 11).
I
believe that it is up to the educator to make sure that her students are
informed and aware of the need for academic integrity in the online learning
setting. This involves making students
aware of what constitutes cheating and plagiarism and the strategies being used
to detect and prevent it. I concur with
Jocoy and Dibiase’s (2006) statement: “We
do believe that the expectation management strategy combined with detection and
enforcement using…[a plagiarism detection software system] emphasizes to
students the importance of academic integrity and reinforces the values of
institutions of higher education” (p. 11).
References
Jocoy, C. & DiBiase, D. (2006). Plagiarism by adult learners online: A case study in detection and remediation. International Review of Research in Open & Distance Learning, 7(1), p. 1-15.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2012). Plagiarism and Cheating. [Video webcast]. Retrieved from http://www.courseurl.com
Petronzio, M. (2012, August 29). Use These 10 Sites to Detect Plagiarism. Retrieved June 13, 2013, from http://mashable.com/2012/08/29/plagiarism-online-services/
Sara, I agree that educators must make the student aware at the very beginning about the policies regarding plagiarism. As hard as they work for their education, why would they want to take a chance on suspension? As a future educator, I will stress the importance of academic honesty as a show of support in their quest for academic achievement.
ReplyDeleteSara and Dot, Pratt and Palloff (Laureate Education, 2012) discussion on creating assignments and exams that foster learner collaboration is interesting, and may work fine for certain disciplines. But in many healthcare disciplines, graduates must pass a licensing exam to practice in their field of expertise. Collaboration with others or referring to resources is not allowed during licensing exams. Therefore, it is the educator's responsibility to ensure graduates are effectively prepared to pass licensing exams, which means constructing exams, and some assignments, that evaluate individual student knowledge. I fully appreciate Pratt and Palloff's thoughts on strategies to avoid plagiarism and cheating, but open book exams and interaction with others is not always possible in education. Educators do have the responsibility to teach students to think on their feet.
ReplyDeleteReference:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012). Plagiarism and cheating. Baltimore, MD: Author
Sara, I agree that it is the instructor that needs to make the students aware of any consequences of plagiarism or cheating. When I first start a course, I talk to students about what plagiarism is and that any when online exams are offered outside of the classroom that the exam is NOT to be copied or printed and that the supplemental website will tell me if the exam was printed. The fear alone that I can find out that they printed or copied the exam seems to keep them from doing it. This does not mean that they did not take pictures page by page of the exam but it is my hope that with very short time limits that the student would not have time to do this. We as instructors can do our best even though a student who really wants to find a way to cheat will.
ReplyDeleteHi Sara - very nice post, and thanks for the resources on the different types of software for plagiarism. I didn't realize there were so many options available for educators, so have added them to my resource list!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Linda, that there are some professions (such as nursing/ medical), where individuals do need to think and apply solutions on their own, and often do not have the opportunity to confer with others. I also think Pratt's idea (Laureate Education, Inc., 2012) of designing in collaboration is okay for some assessments, but not all. The way our educational systems are designed currently is so that individual accomplishment and knowledge can be measured. An individual's accomplishment in any particular field is publicly demonstrated and accepted via his/ her diploma/ institutional certification. As long as our educational systems are designed this way, we will have to be concerned and ready to address the issue of plagiarism in scholarly work.
Have a nice weekend!
Carolyn
References
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012). Plagiarism and cheating. Baltimore, MD: Author
Sara,
ReplyDeleteEven though I dislike writing Essays (because I have arthritis and it hurts!), I think it is agreat way to avoid plagarism. It is method of material application that allows the instructor to see just how much the student has really gleaned from the course. I felt Drs. Pratt and Palloff had a valid point about integrating collaboration into the exam process. It is a new concept to me and I feel (as a student) that it would enhance the learning experience.
I am not sure I agree with the statement in the video about cheating happens often because of a lack of understanding. I do think that making all aware of expectations from the start would eliminate many problems.
ReplyDelete