Plagiarism in an Online Environment Mary Pat McQueeney Associate Professor of English at JCCC

WPA Definition: “In an instructional setting, plagiarism occurs when a writer deliberately uses someone else’s language, ideas, or other original (not common- knowledge) material without acknowledging its sources.” --from “Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism: The WPA Statement on Best Practice” Council of Writing Program Administrators

Academic Integrity Pat’s policy statement from her syllabus: Represent your work honestly, and give credit according to accepted conventions to the work of others, whether you gained use of it from a paper, an electronic source, a visual, or from a conversation….

…Students who have someone else do their work commit fraud. Misrepresenting the work of others--their specific words or their ideas-- is plagiarism. Both fraud and plagiarism are serious offenses that will result in failure for the assignment and a letter submitted to the student's permanent file….

Take care to protect your files from theft or misuse. I will not sort out individuals’ intentions if I receive one paper submitted by two people.

Plagiarism Categories by Intention “Plagiarism” ConfusionIgnoranceDeception

Create learning environment: 1. Use CMS—students own learning 2. Promote student communication Class pictures (secure shell) and bios Discussion Board—peer review/cyber lounge Chat 3. Encourage civil discourse

4. Involve students in process Explain assignment strategies Disclose plagiarism deterrents 5. Encourage review of exemplary communication Listservs Individual and organizational web pages Journals online Student exchanges

Address confusion about …. Best places to search for a source Nature of a particular source or site What’s reliable Ownership of a text

Selection of best information Conventions for acknowledging sources URL paths Boolean logic Use of word processing programs Copy and paste Format Edit

Jamie McKenzie, writing about the “new plagiarism” emerging from technological factors, points out that “it is reckless and irresponsible to continue requiring Topical ‘go find out about’ Research projects in this new electronic context. To do so extends an invitation…to ‘binge’ on information.” --From “The New Plagiarism…” available at FNO.org 7.8(1998) Adapt to online environment….

Topic Tips: More options not better Specify some sources Tie curriculum to Theory Theme Student career goals Promote thinking Encourage higher order: how, why, and good/better/best inquiry. Value “narrow/deep” rather than “broad/shallow.”

Process Tips: Make writing real: Real audience and purpose. Publish end product. Scaffold assignments across a course. Chunk out tasks to permit damage control and accountability. Require peer feedback throughout process.

Draw on templates—with temperance Use support services Incorporate CAC As students begin-- Brainstorm in groups Report choice of topic to class As project progresses-- Give oral progress report to class or group At the end-- Present PowerPoint, Web, or scientific poster presentation Ask class for oral feedback

Deter fraud…. consistent policy Google (or other search engine) Commercial systems—with care and ethical reflection What will (and will not) system detect? Have students given permission to put papers in databases?

A positive final thought: How the increase of Internet Plagiarism has “improved” our instruction: Challenges traditional writing genres and trite assignments. Challenges the “banking model” of knowledge and education Promotes thinking about interrelationship of academic inquiry and thinking. --Russell Hunt

Slides and a linked bibliography are available at Writing Matters!, my web site, for the remainder of the semester. Go to Click on Teaching My