Designing Integrity:Writing Assignments that

Discourage Plagiarism

Faculty WorkshopAugust 2015

Plagiarism Prevention Software:Limitations and Responsibilities

Dr. Susan “George” SchornUniversity of Texas at Austin

School of Undergraduate Studies

Detecting Plagiarism

• Researchers have found that careful human readers can spot 100% of plagiarized material in sample essays (Weber-Wulff).

• Markers include: unusual formatting and font changes, dated references, anomalies of diction (or “Frankenstein” style), words the student cannot pronounce or define.

• Running a word string with 3-5 nouns through Google is the most reliable detection method.

What does plagiarism detection software promise?

1. Ensure students are submitting original work.2. Prevent cheating before it happens.3. Teach students about plagiarism.4. Save time.

TurnItIn:

Viper:

VeriCite:

“Create learning moments. Faculty members are always looking to teach. VeriCite helps the instructor to create a learning moment, a chance to discuss the different forms of plagiarism and to understand its impact.”

What does plagiarism detection software deliver?

1. Ensuring original work?

Using controlled text samples, Debora Weber-Wulff, Professor of Media and Computing at the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin, has repeatedly found high rates of both false positives and false negatives in all 15 software products tested.

(http://plagiat.htw-berlin.de/software-en/test2013/)

Results of 2013 software study at UAS-Berlin:

Results of 2007 software performance comparison at UT-Austin:

By the far the best “catch” rate resulted from submitting word strings with 3-5 nouns to Google.

Product: TurnItIn SafeAssign

Google

Percentage of sources

found:

60.76% 43.4% 91.3%

How well do plagiarism-detection methods work?2007 test by Susan Schorn, Writing Coordinator, School of Undergraduate Studies

Results of 2015 test of TurnItIn at UT-Austin:

Total Sources Found Partially Found Not Found

37 15 (40%) 6 (16%) 16 (44%)

Teacher/librarian John Royce even found an example of TurnItIn missing plagiarized text in a sample paper featured on TurnItIn’s own website:Un-highlighted text from TII Originality Report:

Matching text from online source:

In other words,

• Plagiarism detection software “can indicate the presence of plagiarism, but cannot prove the absence of plagiarism.” (Weber-Wulff)

• Any paper deemed “original” by such software could in fact contain plagiarism, and some such papers undoubtedly do.

2. Preventing cheating before it happens?

Because plagiarism-detecting software misses so much replicated text, we must assume some cheating remains undetected. Not only is this cheating not “prevented,” we can’t even discuss it with students, because it is invisible.

2. Preventing cheating, cont.

But, by promising to “prevent” plagiarism, plagiarism-detecting software reduces the likelihood that instructors will follow established best practices for preventing plagiarism: • Devising assignments that require reflection

and meta-learning; • Tracking students' progress through drafting

and revision; • Requiring current, relevant sources.

3. Use as a teaching tool?

Because plagiarism-detecting software produces so many false positives and negatives, it cannot accurately teach students what “counts” as plagiarism. In fact it more often confuses instructors and students alike.

3. Use as a teaching tool, cont.

The College Conference on Composition and Communication notes that plagiarism detection software1. Casts the student as someone who must be monitored. 2. Shifts the role of the teacher from educating to policing. 3. May create an adversarial classroom climate. 4. Becomes a substitute for conversations about academic integrity that should be central to the educational process.

(http://www.ncte.org/cccc/committees/ip/plagiarismdetection)

3. Use as a teaching tool, cont.

Of course, allowing students to run multiple drafts through software before submission can “teach” them how to alter plagiarized text sufficiently to fool the software.

4. Saving Time?

• Students and faculty must learn to use plagiarism detection software. Extra steps are required to create and submit assignments, generate reports, and view those reports.

• Instructors who rely most heavily on plagiarism detection software often have classes that are too large to permit good writing pedagogy.

4. Saving Time, cont.

The Council of Writing Program Administrators cautions that plagiarism detection software “should never be used to justify the avoidance of responsible teaching methods”:

• Explaining plagiarism and developing clear policies (syllabus statements, honor code)

• Providing well-designed, regularly updated assignments• Teaching the research process and conventions of genre

(which requires time and low instructor/student rations)

Responsible use of plagiarism detection software requires

1. Understanding the limits of all such software, and the particular limitations of the software you are using.

2. Including a syllabus statement about the software and its use, including opt-out and appeals processes.

3. Planning ahead for potential technological failures and error.

Teaching Conventions of Genre

• Expectations about citation can differ substantially between disciplines (ex: boilerplate text in business or natural sciences).

• Even if students have learned citation formats, they often do not understand the reasons for them.

Class ActivitySources: Why Use Them?

• I use this in Rhetoric classes, but it easily adaptable to any field or topic.

• Introduce the passages one at a time and ask students their impression of each author, and what questions they have for him/her.

• Show students how sources strengthen writing.• Then, help them master the tools: paraphrase,

summarize, quote, etc.

ReferencesRoyce, John. “Carried Away.” Blog post, April 6, 2013, at

http://www.read2live.com/2013/04/06/carried-away/

Straumsheim, Carl. “What is Detected?” Inside Higher Ed, July 14, 2015.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/07/14/turnitin-faces-new-questions-about-efficacy-plagiarism-detection-software

Weber-Wulff, Debora. “Finding False Feathers - Dealing with Plagiarism.” Research Integrity & Responsible Conduct of Research, Aarhus University, Denmark, April 17, 2013.

http://www.au.dk/fileadmin/www.health.au.dk/Medarbejdere.health.au.dk/Ansvarlig_forskningspraksis/Debora_Weber-Wulff_01.pdf

Academic Integrity: Policies and Prevention

Office of the Dean of StudentsStudent Judicial Services

Why do students cheat?

• Bad student vs. Good student• Pressure• Bad Habits• Unprepared for college• Unaware of expectations• Everyone else is doing it

Why do students cheat?“Cheating is contagious….”

- Don Rettinger (May 2009) Research in Higher Education• Direct knowledge of others’ cheating was the biggest predictor

of cheating

The Locked Door Analogy- “Why We Lie” (May 2012) Wall Street Journal

• 1% of people will be dishonest, try to pick a lock and steal• 1% of people will be honest and never steal • 98% of people might be tempted to steal if a door has no lock

Preventing CheatingStudent Honor Code

As a student at the University of Texas at Austin, I shall abide by the core values and

uphold academic integrity

Preventing Cheating• Consistency

• How is Academic Integrity discussed in the syllabus and assignment expectations?

• Is it revisited throughout the semester?• How does Academic Integrity relate to

subject? • Be a Broken Record- TAs and Professors

sending the same message Novotney, A. (2011) Beat the Cheat. American Psychological Association, 42 (6), page 54

Preventing Cheating

• Low- Tech Solutions • Emphasize Academic Integrity, examples of

unacceptable behavior, and potential consequences. (Novotney, 2011)

• Have students read and/or sign the Honor Code. (Novotney, 2011)

Preventing Cheating• Don’t Assume students…

• …know citation expectations and required style (MLA, APA, Chicago Style)

• Can students look at old papers?• Is the draft for credit?• Purdue Owl - Avoiding Plagiarism

• …have developed a writing style• IDEA: Require multiple submissions of written

assignments

Addressing Academic Dishonesty

• Document the situation with as much detail as possible.

• Two options to resolve: 1. Faculty Disposition or 2. Disciplinary Referral

Meeting with the Student (Optional)• Ask student to meet with you in your office• Meeting with student

– Ask student if they know why they are there– Show the student the evidence– Ask the student what happened– Address the action, not the person

• Were the student’s actions intentional or due to a lack of understanding/training?

• Good students make bad choices• Learning moment for the student

Meeting with the Student (Optional)– Walk through the faculty disposition and student’s rights– If applicable, sign the faculty disposition with the student and

forward paperwork to SJS– If student does not respond to you or requests for SJS to

review the case, forward evidence to our office

– Resources:– SJS: SSB 4.104, 512-471-2841– Student Ombuds: SSB G1.404, 512-471-3825

Resolution by SJS• Student meets with the SJS administrator

• The SJS administrator determines if the evidence supports a finding of a violation

• If yes, student is presented an administrative disposition. From here, the student has three options: Administrative Disposition, Appeal of Administrative Disposition, and Hearing

• If standard of evidence is not met, SJS will follow up with the faculty member

Potential Academic Sanctions• What is in your syllabus? What have you done in the past?

– SJS role: ensure fairness and consistency

• Most common: Zero credit on an assignment, project, or test

– Other options:

• Reduced credit on an assignment, project, or test

• Reduced grade in the course

• Grade of “F” in the course

• Suspension from the University (SJS only – 2+ academic violations)

• Expulsion from the University (SJS only – 3+ academic violations)

Questions?

ResourcesOffice of the Dean of Students - Student Judicial Services

Student Services Building (SSB) 4.104512-471-2841

sjs@austin.utexas.edu

http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs

Institutional Rules http://catalog.utexas.edu/general-information/appendices/appendix-c/student-discipline-and-conduct

/

Assignment Design

Faculty WorkshopAugust 2015

Assessing Assumptions

• Consider what skills students need to accomplish an assignment

Sample Assignment

• The task of your final paper is to present an informed, research-based position about the role of a specific digitally-based technological media among youth in society and education.

• Your paper should use a range of verified sources, including scholarly and popular. You should have at least 10 references, 6 of which must be scholarly

• You should use American Psychological Association (APA - 5th or 6th edition) format for bibliography.

They need to know…• How to choose a topic• What a scholarly source is and how to

read one• What a popular source is• How to find sources• How to create bibliographies/cite

sources• How to synthesize sources into their

writing• How to make an argument based on

evidence

Designing Assignments

• Scaffold over the semester• Teach the skills • Build in formative assessment• Build in time to help with trouble

spots

Ways to Scaffold Assignments

1. Turn in a topic proposal2. Teach them how to do research 3. Assess their ability to choose sources4. Get them started on their research (annotated bibliography)5. Outlines, drafts and final paper

Help for Faculty & Students

• Librarians– Research assignment design help for

faculty– Course-integrated instruction– Research guides – Research consultations for students– Citation help

Help for Faculty & Students

• University Writing Center– Writing consultations for students– Presentations to classes– Handouts about writing– Drop-in workshops for students– Citation help

Help for Faculty & Students

• Writing Flag Coordinator– Writing assignment design help for

faculty– Advice about teaching writing,

including revision and peer-review

Questions?

Michele OstrowTeaching & Learning Servicesmicheleo@austin.utexas.edu