Contemporary Issues Surrounding Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty Neal

Contemporary Issues Surrounding Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty Neal L. Mc. Intyre Plymouth State University

The Inquiry How can we use data in order to better understand the relationship between punitive and therapeutic approaches to plagiarism offenses? - Methods of prevention - Strategies for confronting cases of suspected or known plagiarism - Institutional recommendations

Defining Plagiarism To purloin the ideas or words of others; to actively misappropriate the work of another. Students are often unsure of the definitions surrounding plagiarism, and they also have a difficult time discerning which actions count as plagiarism, and which actions do not (Gilmore, 2008). Secondary Inquiry: How can we work to clarify the boundaries of plagiarism?

How Educators Address Plagiarism: An Overview üTiered system üOne-strike policy üAutomatic fail üRewrite üWarning

Punitive Measures Employing punitive measures for instances of plagiarism include immediate failure, suspension, expulsion, or other punishments which do not directly address the issue, but rather deliver a consequence. Use of punitive measures assumes intent and does not always take into consideration the mechanisms employed for plagiarism. Severe disciplinary responses are used almost exclusively at college or university level as a policy, but secondary and middle school policies are more varied and in some cases absent. Policies which act punitively toward the student carry no guarantee of success, and do not take into account the side-effects of such actions which may impede the future success of the student, and may irreparably damage student-teacher relationships. *In a 2007 study of university students, Stacy Carter found that students consider assignment failure and mandatory rewriting as the most acceptable means of faculty reaction to plagiarism

Possible Punitive Measures Grade Level Consequences of Plagiarism below 6 th grade discussion, correction 6 th-8 th correction, rewriting 9 th-10 th correction, rewriting, grade penalty 11 th-12 th rewriting, failure of assignment undergraduate rewriting, failure of assignment, expulsion graduate expulsion professional loss of job/contract, legal penalty, loss of professional reputation From Plagiarism: Why It Happens, How to Prevent It, Gilmore, 2008

Non-Punitive Measures Include coaching, rewriting, and preventative measures meant to reduce the likelihood of plagiarism. Movements in the Australian university system have been largely toward a therapeutic approach to plagiarism, one designed to think carefully about spacing and pacing of all graded work to allow students time to reflect on what plagiarism is, and how to avoid it. Richard Rudebock (2005), a college business professor, has implemented a therapeutic method of addressing plagiarism where students confront one another in writing, expressing how the instance of dishonesty has impacted them within the class. He has found such a method to be very impactful on the offending students, and has perceived a decrease in the occurrence of plagiarism. Example: Use critical revision activities between students in order to facilitate discussion as well as preventing plagiarism through meaningful peer coaching (Muldoon, 2009).

Institutional Recommendations There is a need for all institutions to be proactive about addressing plagiarism in order for any measures to be successful (Devlin, 2006), and such measures must be crafted in order to reflect the needs, age, and abilities of the students within the school (Gilmore, 2008). As students get older, there is some suggestion that, assuming prior training and familiarization with concepts surrounding plagiarism and rehearsal of good practices, strict punitive measures can be effective (Gilmore, 2008). 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. In designing a series of protocols for addressing instances of plagiarism, an institution must consider: Educational objectives Age of the student(s) History of offenses Degree of plagiarism How to mitigate emotional responses to plagiarism (Williams, 2007)

References 1. Carter, Stacy L. ; Punyanunt-Carter, Narissra Maria. Acceptability of Treatments for Plagiarism. College Student Journal, v 41 n 2 p 336 -341 Jun 2007. 2. Devlin, Marcia. Policy, Preparation, and Prevention: Proactive Minimization of Student Plagiarism. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, v 28 n 1 p 45 -58 Mar 2006. 3. Gilmore, Barry. (2008). Plagiarism: Why It Happens, How To Prevent It. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. 4. Muldoon, Andrea. A Case for Critical Revision: Debunking the Myth of the Enlightened Teacher Versus the Resistant Student Writer. College Teaching, v 57 n 2 p 67 -72 Spring 2009. 5. Williams, Bronwyn. Literacy & Identity: Trust, Betrayal, and Authorship: Plagiarism and How We Perceive Students. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, v 51 n 4 p 350 -354 Dec 2007