Copied with permission from: Harris, Robert A. The Plagiarism Handbook. Los Angeles, CA, Pyrczak Publishing, 2001.

Cybercheating

Polly Wilkenfeld

January 2007

A Quote to Consider

If parents and schools took cheating seriously — for instance if school funding was tied to the cheating rate — all sorts of effective methods would be developed to create an academic environment with integrity. Our failure to do so makes a mockery of the empty slogans about the importance of honesty and betrays every child who believes our preaching about character and virtue. (Michael Josephson, “Cheating Leads to Cheating.”)

Why Do Students Plagiarize and Cheat?

Everyone else does itIt’s very competitiveI don’t have time to do itDon’t buy into the assignmentPoor role models (Parents?, Media)“Other teachers don’t mind.”Don’t understand documentation

Extent of the Problem

At least 30% of students admit to some cheating (same as before Internet)

Some sources say as high as 80% of students cheat

When surveyed, students perceived that 90% of peers cheat

There is a problem of the reliability of self-reports.

An age old problem

“The civil service examination system with its variations, established in China a millennium or more ago, was conducted in sealed individual cells from which candidates did not budge for three days. Before entering the examination room, the candidates were searched carefully for any aids they might have concealed on their persons. In spite of all the precautions, in spite of the death penalty for examiners and examinees when the cheaters were caught, there is live evidence of the circumvention of external help…. A ‘cribbing garment’ which was rented to those intending to cheat. When sewn into the coat, this garment could be smuggled into the cell and the candidate could copy.. .Any number of the 722 essays based on the Confucian writings.”

Brickman, William. “Ethics, Examinations and Education.” School and Society, 89:4 (1961), p.412.

How is it Done?

Copy and paste Web sites for papers (free and purchase) Papers-Written-To-Order Note cards written to order Exchanging with another student PDA’s… Calculators Pagers Cell phones

Preventing Plagiarism (stop it, don’t mop it.)

Explain plagiarism, citations and paraphrasing.

Schedule library time for research. Be suspicious of students who say that they are “working at home.”

Ethics and character must be taughtEffective Assignments

Preventing Plagiarism II

Structure assignment so that parts of assignments are due at different times. Require drafts (collaborative writing.) Evaluate the process as much as the content.

Require annotated bibliography Tell war stories about detecting plagiarism Require printouts or photocopies of material

cited.

Easily plagiarized assignments

AIDSChoose a topic from Catcher in the Rye.History of jazz and classical musicAfrican ArtLeonardo Da Vinci

How could these assignments be improved?

Beware of:

Vocabulary and syntax not typical of student.

Inability to read parts of essay aloud or answer simple questions.

Old sources in bibliography and websites that no longer exist.

Detecting Plagiarism

www.turnitin.com www.plagiarism.org Glatt Plagiarism ProgramSaving electronic copies of student

papersSearch Engines (enter distinctive

phrase)Plagiarism Resource Sites

Downsides of Plagiarism Detection

Violation of students’ copyrightViolation of student confidentialityDoesn’t account for print sources

Resources

Articles Young, Jeffrey R. “The Cat-and Mouse- Game of Plagiarism

Detection.” Chronicle of Higher Education. July 6, 2001. p.A26 (Available through Academic Search Premier.)

Anti-plagiarism sites "Anti-Plagiarism Strategies for Research Papers," by Robert

HarrisThis site offers good assignment strategies and a reminder to distinguish between intentional cheating and poor source management and integration http://www.virtualsalt.com/antiplag.htm

Bedford Workshop on Plagiarism

Resources, cont.

University of Virginia Plagiarism Linkshttp://plagiarism.phys.virginia.edu/links.html

Student Learning Sites Indiana University Writing Center Citing Your Sources (Cornell University Library)

Internet Paper Mills• Bignerds.com• Enter “free essays” into any Internet search engine.

Copied with permission from: Harris, Robert A. The Plagiarism Handbook. Los Angeles, CA, Pyrczak Publishing, 2001.

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