Pitfalls Ahead! Helping Students Avoid Plagiarism Gerry Solomon Vinetta Bell NCDPI

Background Requests from LEAs Urgency/timeliness NCGP Request for definition and DPI statement – link to definitions and characteristics Local control

North Carolina Graduation Project Research paper Product Portfolio Oral presentation State Board mandate to align curriculum and instruction with the NCGP Potential for plagiarism at any stage, esp with tech use “Through the graduation project process, students will engage various specific skills that include: computer knowledge, employability skills, information-retrieval skills, language skills – reading, language skills – writing, teamwork, and thinking/problem-solving skills.” NCDPI

Plagiarism (vs. Copyright) pla·gia·rize to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own : use (another's production) without crediting the source to commit literary theft : present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source Plagiarizing has the element of misrepresenting the work of someone else as your own plagiarize. (2008). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved September 29, 2008, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plagiarize  

What is Creativity? Before, Now, and Future “Social software changes what it means to be creative. Very little may be truly original, as people appropriate content, adapt it for their needs, mix it up, and distribute it…” Thinking prompt: Our role in envisioning the changing nature of how creativity is defined, especially with the use of technology and resources available online Deubel, Patricia (April 2008). T.H.E. Journal. Retrieved February 13, 2009, from Crossroads in education: Issues for web 2.0, social software, and digital tools Web site: http://www.thejournal.com/articles/22454_1

The Ethics of American Youth – 2008 summary “Cheating in school continues to be rampant and it’s getting worse…More than one in three (36 percent) said they used the Internet to plagiarize an assignment. In 2006 the figure was 33 percent.” Josephson Institute , (2009). The ethics of american youth – 2008 summary. Retrieved February 13, 2009, from Josephson Institute Center for Youth Ethics Web site: http://charactercounts.org/programs/reportcard/index.html

Current Culture Open environment of communication Ease of access to more information Greater sharing – amount and type of information

Changing Mores Perceptions of Fair Use Right and wrong in an information sharing environment Less uniformity re: ethical issues (cheating) Use of other’s work (parents, peers, fee-based)

Role Models Parents Community Educators Starts early with parents “helping” their children with school assignments, evolves to siblings and peers, and finally to fee-based Community – students becoming jaded by poor examples set by leaders, enhanced by more transparency due to technology enabling greater depth and immediacy (adults tend to not commit wrong-doing until caught at it) Educators notorious for borrowing…less and less attribution as the information gets passed along!

“Many of our students…lead lives nearly as hectic and stressful as our own. When I hear and see some of the assignments teachers give today – those that ask for no originality, require no higher-level thinking skills and make no attempt to be relevant to students’ lives, I would posit that teachers and library media specialists share a portion of the blame for plagiarism… As educators, this is our ethical failing if our assignments do not help students learn necessary academic skills and necessary life-long skills.” Johnson, Doug (September 2004). The other side of plagiarism. Retrieved February 13, 2009, from Doug Johnson: Writing, Speaking and Consulting on School Technology and Library Issues. Web site: http://www.dougjohnson.com/dougwri/other-side-of-plagiarism.html

Ending Topical Research! “If we keep assigning topics, students will drive their earth moving equipment through the information landfill, pleased by the height and depth of the piles.” Segue to essential standards movement and assignments As educators, we have often set students up for committing plagiarism by not structuring assignments properly and taking the time to teach necessary skills for research activities. McKenzie, Jamieson (February 2007). Putting an end to topical research. From Now On: The Educational Technology Journal, Vol 16 No 3, Retrieved September 4 2008, from http://www.fno.org/feb07/topic.html

Assignments Questions vs. topics Research skills Reading strategies Note-taking Citation and attribution Acknowledge role of teacher in setting the climate and expectations for appropriate behavior Our role as media and tech collaborators in collaborating with teachers – creating awareness of better instructional strategies to avoid plagiarism

From Thinking Topically To Thinking Conceptually Standards revision for more critical thinking and problem solving based on the revised Bloom’s New Information and Technology Standards will be embedded in all content areas, including research skills and the appropriate use of technology-based resources The Paradigm Shift

Positive Proactivity vs. Punitive Reaction Link to policies and procedures section of site Types of assignments - reminder

Teachers Students Parents Resources Teachers Students Parents Show a sample of resources for each category, including the PDF brochures (have tabs open in a browser window ready to show)

"If you don't tell whose work it is, you are pretending the work is your own. This pretending is called 'plagiarism,' and it is just like cheating. It's not fair. It's not nice. It isn't OK. It's stealing." Simpson, Carol Mann (2005). Copyright for schools 4th edition. Ohio: Linworth.

http://www.ncwiseowl.org/it/plagiarism/default.htm

Questions Gerry Solomon gsolomon@dpi.state.nc.us Vinetta Bell vbell@dpi.state.nc.us