managing intertextuality:meaning, plagiarism and power

perry share, itsligo AISHE conference dublin 3 september 04

brilliantly innovative or one

of the most blatant acts of plagiarism ever

conceived ?

(Amazon.com)

plagiarism or satire?

creativity or theft?

#1 mash-up

the realignment of [existing] elements in transformative

recombination (Livingston-Webber, 1999: 265)

• rap music• TV advertising• zine culture • fashion• Hollywood film

• pop art• posters• T-shirts• cartoons• websites

cultural appropriation

(someone else’s) Material Girl?

Madonna Bourdin

web of deceit?

intellectual property

[the law] forms an airtight protective seal around the brand, allowing it

to brand us, but prohibiting us from so much as scuffing it

(Klein, 2000: 176)

plagiarism: good or bad?

whether theft, lie, fraud, freeloading, deafness to the voice of God,

cultural vandalism, or whatever combination, plagiarism is a

falsification of self

(Swanson, 2000: 141)

a moral or an ethical issue?

theft: plagiarism as stealingorigination

scalecontextualisationdisciplinary skills

institutional plagiarism

speechwritingghostwritingphotocopying

software piracyacademic writing

teaching materials

teaching & learning

engagementutilitarianismmarketisationself-interest

technology

assessment

by its nature plagiarism threatens the value and integrity of what is

being taught. It threatens students’ engagement with

learning and, unless addressed, could undermine the worth of

awards students earn (Carroll, 2002: 13-14)

responses

1. ignorance is bliss!2. techno-fix3. reconsidering assessment

ignorance is bliss!

reporting a plagiarizer and filing charges against a student can be a painful, time-

consuming experience for faculty . . . the worst course of action is to turn a blind eye to students who plagiarize.

Ignoring plagiarism undermines the value of education, it undermines the

university, and it undermines the academic community

(University of Alberta, nd)

techno-fix

reconsidering assessment

explain plagiarismoutline consequencesidentify expectationsassign specific topics

track writing – drafts, bibliographies &coral presentations

require specific types of sourcesencourage concision

www.turnitin.com/research_site/e_preventing_p.html

where to next?

• what does plagiarism mean to people (academics, students, administrators) today?

• is plagiarism ‘a problem’ for Irish tertiary educators?

• what sort of problem might it be?• (how) are we already responding?• what is the best way forward?