Begin Title Three Inches from Top of Paper

Assignment Structures that Thwart Plagiarism

Diana F. Abernathy Dell

A Paper Presented in Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements of

ED852 Ethics and Social Responsibility in Distance Education

June, 2003

Address: 331 Fairview Drive

City, State, Zip: Union, MO 63084 Phone: 636-583-3315 E-mail: [email protected] Instructor: Dr. Aaron Bor Mentor: Abstract

Internet technologies deliver to students an abundance of information at the click of a button.

This has created unparalleled opportunities for the improvement of learning. However, these opportunities are accompanied by potential ethical dilemmas. Internet technologies have made it all too easy for learners to copy the intellectual property of others and present it as their own work. As a result “cyber” plagiarism is on the rise. Educators must accept some of the responsibility for the increase in plagiarism because they have failed to align and restructure their assignments for the digital age. Teaching in the digital age demands that educators consider the impacts of Internet technologies when structuring assignments. The structure and requirement of assignments that can assist educators in preventing plagiarism is the focus of this paper. Table of Contents

Table of Contents ii

Introduction 1

What is Plagiarism? 2

Why Do Students Plagiarize? 3

Whose Responsibility to Monitor and Prevent? 5

Assignment Structures that Thwart Plagiarism 6

Conclusion 9

References 10

ii Introduction

As more learners become avid users of Internet technologies, there is a real possibility for improvement in learning. An infinite number of web pages with information on virtually every topic are available to learners who have mastered the use of search engines. However, this abundance of easily accessible information brings with it a new set of problems. “The proliferation of web pages and electronic publications makes plagiarism easier to accomplish and harder to recognize” (Ryan, 1998). In fact, during the Information Age, plagiarism is thriving, as it never has before (Harris, 2001).

As educators look for ways to curtail this unethical behavior, they must first understand the complexity of the situation that leads to plagiarism. They must determine the issues and practices that constitute plagiarism and understand why learners are tempted to plagiarize. In addition, educators must understand how students are interacting with information on the

Internet. When these questions are answered, educators will understand that they must accept some of the responsibility for the increase in plagiarism if they are among the throng of educators who have failed to align and restructure their assignments for the digital age.

This paper will guide educators through the processes of understanding plagiarism, identifying why learners are tempted to plagiarize, and determining their responsibilities for teaching in the digital age. I will suggest assignment structures and requirements that educators can adopt to curtail the spread of plagiarism in their learning environments. Assignment Structures that Thwart Plagiarism 2

What is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism is defined as “a piece of writing that has been copied from someone else and is presented as being your own work” and “taking someone's words or ideas as if they were your own” (Dictionary.com, 2003). “Although plagiarism has been around as long as students have, the Internet has dramatically increased the ease of and opportunities for plagiarism” (University of Alberta, 2002). “Digital technology makes it much easier to reproduce, distribute, and publish information” (Spinello, 2003, page 117). Cut and paste technology has lead to what Jamie

McKenzie calls the “New Plagiarism.” “The ‘New Plagiarism’ may be worse than the old because students now wield an ‘Electronic Shovel’ which makes it possible to find and save huge chunks of information with little reading, effort or originality” (McKenzie, 1998).

Internet plagiarism has become widespread (Plagiarism.org, 2003) and is a growing concern for educators. This is due in part because Internet technologies have made it quite easy to cheat.

“We have moved from the horse and buggy days of plagiarism to the Space Age without stopping for the horseless carriage” (McKenzie, 1998).

Well-meaning learners who don’t understand the rules of citation inadvertently engage in plagiarism. On the other hand, unethical learners blatantly plagiarize with the hope that their intellectual dishonesty will not be discovered. Be it blatant or unintentional, educators should be aware of the many forms that plagiarism can take. Listed below are examples of plagiarism:

. Handing in someone else's work as one’s own (On Plagiarism, 2001).

. Citing sources improperly (On Plagiarism, 2001). Assignment Structures that Thwart Plagiarism 3

. Downloading free research papers from the Internet (Harris, 2002).

. Buying a paper from a commercial Internet paper mill (Harris, 2002).

. Copying an article from the Web or an online or electronic database (Harris, 2002).

. Cutting and pasting to create a paper from several sources (Harris, 2002).

. Quoting less than all the words copied (Harris, 2002).

. Faking a citation (Harris, 2002).

. Paraphrasing materials from a source without proper documentation (Harris, 2002).

Why Do Students Plagiarize?

As a problem that has plagued education since it beginning, much has been written about why students cheat. The “New Plagiarism” (McKenzie, 1998) is merely one of the latest forms of cheating. Robert Harris believes that following factors contribute to a student’s decision to engage in plagiarism:

 “Students are natural economizers” (Harris, 2001). Many learners seek the shortest

path to course completion. Copying a paper seems to be a great timesaver. This is a

very appealing option when the learner feels overworked (Harris, 2001).

 When faced with many responsibilities, learners are likely to put off assignments that

are of low priority or that have a topic of little interest to them (Harris, 2001).

 Many learners lack the ability to manage their time and to plan for successful

assignment completion. Some students, by their nature, are procrastinators. Others

merely do not have a clear understanding of the time required to develop a research Assignment Structures that Thwart Plagiarism 4

paper. In either case, the temptation to plagiarize increases as the due date looms

(Harris, 2001).

 Some students feel that their writing ability is inferior. They fear a bad grade because

of their writing ability and wrongly believe they will score higher with a plagiarized

paper (Harris, 2001).

 “A few students like the thrill of rule breaking” (Harris, 2001). The more the

instructor denounces plagiarism, the more likely they are to do it (Harris, 2001).

Wendy Cummings & Laurel Willingham-McLain from the Center for Teaching Excellence at Duquesne University list the following factors that contribute to student cheating (Cummings

& Willingham-McLain, 2001):

 “Panic

 Lack of preparation

 Desire for shortcuts

 Pressure to perform well

 Isolation in work, last minute

 Unclear instructions

 Lack of whistle blowing by other students & by instructors

 Different cultural views of dishonesty (be it national or family culture, or other)”

Foothill Global Access published student comments obtained in a survey that asked students why they engaged in cheating. Some of the comments of the students follow (Foothill College,

2002):

 “Because I didn't want to get a bad grade." Assignment Structures that Thwart Plagiarism 5

 “I felt pressured because the instructor based a large portion (50%) of the overall

grade on the final paper. Without receiving a good grade on the paper I wouldn't

have passed the class. I was also a new student and younger back then.”

 “The material was hard to grasp. Sometimes just pure laziness.”

 “I was young and ignorant. I have learned from it and would never do it again

however.”

 “Pressure to maintain good grades.”

 “I knew I wasn't going to get caught and I didn't have the time or resources to

complete the work myself.”

Understanding some of the reasons that students are tempted to plagiarize, can aid educators in their prevention efforts (Harris, 2001). It is the first step that educators must take as they assume their part of the responsibility for the proliferation of plagiarism in our educational institutions.

Whose Responsibility to Monitor and Prevent?

Academic honesty is an essential building block of all educational communities. The reputation of an educational institution and thus, the worth of its degrees, are founded on the trust that learners earn their grades honestly. Inherent in this trust is a belief that all student work is completed honestly and that each student completed it himself or herself (Rutgers University,

1998). Academic honesty is therefore the responsibility of every member of every learning community. Instructors, however, must assume a large part of the responsibility for leading students down the path of academic honesty. Promoting academic honesty is “to promote Assignment Structures that Thwart Plagiarism 6 courses of action consistent with the larger ethical values that drive our evolving society” (On

Plagiarism, 2001).

This means more than being alert to the educational institution’s rules and policies. It means more than reporting possible infringement to designated officials. Instructors must take a proactive stance regarding academic honesty by teaching learners about the proper principles of academic behavior. “Many students are genuinely confused about what constitutes plagiarism or unauthorized assistance on an assignment. Some of them do not understand why it is so important to cite their sources and include a bibliography. Making discussions of academic integrity an integral part of your curriculum will help students learn crucial skills” (Rutgers

University, 1998). Plagiarism, regardless of the intent, works in opposition to the principles of academic honesty (On Plagiarism, 2001).

In addition to teaching learners the principles of academic integrity, digital age instructors must restructure their assignments in regard to the prevention of the New Plagiarism.

“It is reckless and irresponsible” when instructors fail to align their assignment structures to “this new electronic context” (McKenzie, 1998). Failure to rethink assignments actually invites plagiarism into the learning community. The following section suggests ways that instructors can design assignments to prevent plagiarism.

Assignment Structures that Thwart Plagiarism

Rethinking assignment structures to meet the demands of the digital age need not require a great expenditure of time or energy. Merely understanding the flaws in out-dated assignment design will in large part enable instructors to make necessary changes. The following suggestions Assignment Structures that Thwart Plagiarism 7 are intended to assist instructors as they adjust their current assignments with the intent of preventing plagiarism.

“Transform topical research into projects which demand that students move past mere gathering of information to the construction of new meanings and insight” (McKenzie, 1998).

McKenzie identifies three types of research. He refers to the lowest form as "Just the Facts." In these kinds of assignments, the student is asked to gather only basic facts about a topic. Little thought is required. “This is information gathering at its crudest and simplest level” and invites copy and paste plagiarism. "Other People's Ideas" is used to refer to the second level of research.

These projects require more thought that the lowest form and may engage learners in pondering important questions. However, it is often adequate for the student to gather the ideas of others.

“These are the research projects most likely to inspire plagiarism as the student gathers other people's ideas and then passes them off as her or his own.” The third level of research, a the type that is most likely to prevent plagiarism, McKenzie calls "In My Humble Opinion." “If students cannot find the answers but must make the answers, they are less apt to pass off others' ideas as their own. The secret is to pose or ask students to pose questions or problems and decisions, which have never been adequately answered” (McKenzie, 1998).

“Assess progress throughout the entire research process” (McKenzie, 1998). If instructors truly want to stop plagiarism within their learning communities, they must monitor each step of the research process, beginning with note-taking and idea development and ending with the final draft (McKenzie, 1998). Harris (2002) recommends that instructors evaluate several of the following intermediate steps in the research process:

 “Explanation of topic chosen Assignment Structures that Thwart Plagiarism 8

 Research plan

 Preliminary bibliography

 Annotated preliminary bibliography

 Prospectus (the problem, possible approaches or solutions, writer’s proposed

approach)

 Outline

 Rough draft

 Final draft”

Once the instructor has approved the work produced in one step, students are given the go ahead to proceed with the next step.

“Be specific with assignment topics” (Prevention Guidelines, 2001). Offer a list of possible “narrowly focused topics rather than broad general ones or ask students to write about current events as they relate to class materials” (University of Alberta, 2002). Offer students

“the option of submitting a proposal for a topic that does not appear on your list” (Prevention

Guidelines, 2001).

Require specific components and a minimum number of sources from a variety of media.

For example, instructors might require that learners cite 3 books, 3 articles from periodicals, 2 online sources and one primary source (Prevention Guidelines, 2001). Additional guidelines

“that allow flexibility but that also prevent a canned or downloaded paper from fitting the assignment” might require specifics such as at least two sources less than a year old, or an original table of data collected by the learner (Harris, 2002). Assignment Structures that Thwart Plagiarism 9

“Request that students hand in photocopied pages from the sources cited in their paper”

(University of Alberta, 2002). For example, require that learners attach printouts of articles, web pages, and book pages that were used a source. “Have them highlight the words they have quoted or otherwise cited” (Harris, 2002). Knowledge that their sources are attached, will make students more vigilant in using them correctly. An alternative for web resources is to provide the direct address to the web pages referenced.

Conclusion

With the increased use of the Internet, educational institutions, instructors, and learners must share the responsibility for the prevention of plagiarism. Rather than detecting plagiarism after it occurs, instructors must take a proactive stance regarding academic honesty by teaching learners about the proper principles of academic behavior. Understanding why learners are tempted to cheat, as well as how learners use Internet technologies in plagiaristic ways will assist instructors in restructuring assignments for the digital age. Promoting academic honesty through the prevention of plagiarism in these ways, upholds the larger ethical values that drive our ever- changing information society. Assignment Structures that Thwart Plagiarism 10

References

Cummings, W. & Willingham-McLain, L. (2001). Addressing the Cheating Game. Retrieved Jun. 23, 2003, from Center for Teaching Excellence at Duquesne University: http://www.cte.duq.edu/onlineresources/cheatinggame.html

Harris, R. (2001). Anti-Plagiarism Strategies for Research Papers. Retrieved Jun. 23, 2003, http://www.virtualsalt.com/antiplag.htm

Harris, R. (2001). The Plagiarism Handbook: Strategies for Preventing, Detecting, and Dealing with Plagiarism. Los Angeles: Pyrczak Publishing.

Harris, R. ( 2002). Top Three Strategies for Preventing Plagiarism. Retrieved Jun. 24, 2003, from Pyrczak Publishing : http://www.antiplagiarism.com/

McKenzie, J. (1998). The New Plagiarism: Seven Antidotes to Prevent Highway Robbery in an Electronic Age . From Now On: The Educational Technology Journal, 7 (8). Retrieved June 22, 2003, from http://www.fno.org/may98/cov98may.html

Ryan, J. (1998). Student Plagiarism in an Online World. Prism Magazine (Dec). Retrieved June 21, 2003, from http://www.asee.org/prism/december/html/student_plagiarism_in_an_onlin.htm

Spinello, R. (2003). Cyberethics: Morality and Law in Cyberspace. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Barlett.

(1998). Fostering Academic Integrity at Rutgers. Retrieved Jun. 10, 2003, from The Teaching Excellence Center at Rutgers University: http://teachx.rutgers.edu/integrity/faculty.html#fostering

(2001). On Plagiarism . Retrieved Jun. 23, 2003, from Because We Care Education Society of Alberta: http://www.2learn.ca/mapset/SafetyNet/plagiarism/plagiarismframes.html

2001). Prevention Guidelines. Retrieved Jun. 23, 2003, from GSC Online : http://www.plagiarized.com/prevent.shtml

(2002). Academic Dishonesty: What Is It & How to Avoid It. Retrieved Jun. 11, 2003, from Foothill College: http://www.foothillglobalaccess.org/main/spotlight_dishonesty.htm

(2002). Guide to Plagiarism and Cyber-Plagiarism. Retrieved Jun. 22, 2003, from University of Alberta: http://www.library.ualberta.ca/guides/plagiarism/

(2003). Dictionary.com: 4 entries found for plagiarism. Retrieved Jun. 23, 2003, from Lexico Publishing Group, LLC: http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=plagiarism Assignment Structures that Thwart Plagiarism 11

(2003). Plagiarism.org. Retrieved Jun. 23, 2003, from iParadigms, LLC: http://www.plagiarism.org/