1. Tove Forslund, Learning Centre Dan Holm, Computer Centre March, 2009
Information on handling plagiarism and the anti-plagiarism service Urkund and on system for electronic exams
Tove Forslund, Learning Centre
Dan Holm, Computer Centre
March, 2009
Åbo Akademi - Domkyrkotorget Åbo

2. Why does ÅAU test a software for detecting plagiarism?
Quality assurance: ÅAU needs to be able to show a system for detecting plagiarism
A software enables systematic plagiarism detection
A software makes the teachers’ work easier
A software makes plagiarism detection more equal and fair
University perspective – student perspective
A general belief that plagierism is increasing (cf for instance a survey by the Sunday paper ”Sunnuntaisuomalainen” Nov. 2008)
Åbo Akademi - Domkyrkotorget Åbo

3. Procedures for handling cases of plagiarism in undergraduate studies
Senate approved of the procedures
”Incautious use” – ”plagiarism”
Incautious use of material: Incautious use of material refers to a situation where a student unintentionally presents material produced by another person as his/her own work. The criteria for incautious use of material is met in cases of misunderstanding the nature of the work task, negligence or perceptible inexperience in the correct use of quotations and/or other referencing techniques by the student.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism refers to a situation where a student intentionally presents material produced by another person as his/her own work. The criteria for plagiarism is met in cases where a student knows or should know that the reproduced material has been created by another person, or where the student has neglected to follow the teacher’s instructions for avoiding incautious use of material
Åbo Akademi - Domkyrkotorget Åbo

4. The procedure for handling cases of plagiarism
Request for investigation
The preliminary investigation by the Faculty/Dean
The student’s appeal for reassessment of the academic merits
Rector’s hearing
The Senate’s hearing
Appeal procedures regarding a disciplinary decision
Åbo Akademi - Domkyrkotorget Åbo

5. Project 2009: Testing & evaluation of anti-plagiarism service Urkund
For 2009 Quality Assurance Unit has aquired licences for Urkund for all teachers
Choice of software:
A group at the Fac. of Economics and Social Sciences tested Genuine Text och Urkund in spring 2007
Dan Holm’s pro gradu-thesis on plagiarism detection
Urkund is used in Sweden in over 20 universities (among others Lund and Uppsala)
Test period in 2009 > 2010-?
The project is carried out as a cooperation between Quality Assurance Unit/Ole Karlsson, Computer Centre/Dan Holm och Learning Centre/Tove Forslund
Åbo Akademi - Domkyrkotorget Åbo

6. Åbo Akademi - Domkyrkotorget 3 - 20500 Åbo
Students’ rights
The teacher, not a software, decides if there is suspicion of plagiarism in an essay
A case goes through several ’levels’ before a student is found guilty of plagiarism: teacher > Dean > Rector > (Senate)
General equality requirements: if Urkund is used, all works in a course must be analysed within it
Students do not have the right to choose whether their written work is checked or not (by accepting a study place at Åbo Akademi, all students have undertaken to follow the rules of the university); the teacher must be able to assess the the students’ assignments and carries out this task in various ways
Usually the students know if their work is being checked by Urkund (they send it in themselves), but the system allows the teachers to upload students’ assignments to Urkund
Åbo Akademi - Domkyrkotorget Åbo

7. Students assignments and the Copyright Act
The Student Union has approached the Vice Rector ( ) and asked ÅAU to investigate if the use of Urkund infringes the invidiual student’s copyright
The Vice Rector will respond to this.
The students interpret it as follows:
The university/Urkund uses the student’s assignment without permission when it is used as reference material in Urkund
The university/Urkund interprets it
that the university does not use the material in a way that infringes the copyright, as assignments are not published and only accessed by a teacher if similar sequences are found in a later written work
that the university, by using Urkund, protects the student’s own copyright as Urkund stops the student’s work from being plagiarized
Åbo Akademi - Domkyrkotorget Åbo

9. See interactive demo on the Urkund website: www.urkund.se >
Demo of Urkund
See interactive demo on the Urkund website: >
Åbo Akademi - Domkyrkotorget Åbo

10. Åbo Akademi - Domkyrkotorget 3 - 20500 Åbo
Information on the web
Åbo Akademi - Domkyrkotorget Åbo

11. System for electronic exams
Electronic exams/exam aquarium – a room where the students gets exam questions through a computer and write the exam answers on the computer, while being supervised by a video camera
Student initiative
> now a cooperation project with the other universities in Turku
There are systems for electronic exams in quite a few other universitites in Finland
Contact person at ÅA: Tove Forslund, Learning Centre, phone
Åbo Akademi - Domkyrkotorget Åbo

12. Electronic exams suitable for...
individual exams of different type
summer exams
book exams
exams with quizzes/self-correcting questions
for students with certain forms of handicap
Åbo Akademi - Domkyrkotorget Åbo

13. Advantages with electronic exams
For teachers
The teacher/department would not have to make the practical arrangements for various kinds of individual exams
Computer-written exam answers
For students:
More flexibility in time
Improves access to exam books
Can write exam answers on computer
Åbo Akademi - Domkyrkotorget Åbo

14. Room, video supervision, examination instructions
A computer room at University of Turku
No cheating:
video supervision
computers screened off from each other
no books or similar things into the room
not access to any other software or the Internet from the computers
Identification of those who write exams
Potential problems when writing an e-exam: clear instructions for students how to act, offer new chance to take the exam as soon as possible
Changes probably needed to examination instructions: time span before students get feedback on their exams (now 2 weeks)
Åbo Akademi - Domkyrkotorget Åbo

15. Åbo Akademi - Domkyrkotorget 3 - 20500 Åbo
The work goes on...
Groups working on technical aspects and on processes
Finding suitable courses and teachers willing to test e-exams
Information for students and teachers
Åbo Akademi - Domkyrkotorget Åbo