When we learn, we are gaining knowledge. This can be done
through discussions and reading materials as we construct our knowledge by
building on what others have previously learned and shared. In the online environment, we learn through a
community, learning from others. As learners, we are encouraged to seek other
sources in addition to those provided. How we share the knowledge that we have
gained from someone else is the topic now being discussed. We must always be sure to acknowledge and
credit the original source.
‘Plagiarism involves literary theft, stealing (by copying)
the words or ideas of someone else and passing them off as one’s own without
crediting the source’ (Park, 2003, p. 472). Park
(2003) cites Wilhoit, Brandt & Howard who describe four main ways to
plagiarize:
‘Stealing material from another source and passing it off as
their own…
Submitting a paper written by someone else…
Supplying paper documentation (including the full reference)
but leaving out quotation marks…
Paraphrasing material from one or more source texts without
supplying appropriate documentation’.
As a future online instructor, it is essential that I am
aware of plagiarism and review students’ work to identify this. I also have a responsibility to assist
students in avoiding plagiarism. McCabe and Pavela (as cited by Jocoy
& DiBiase, 2006) tell us ‘members of intellectual communities, such
as universities, are expected to value honesty, trustworthiness, and civility
and to behave accordingly…’ (p. 1).
Although sometimes challenging and time consuming,
instructors have tools available to them allowing them to detect plagiarism
within students’ work. One useful tool
used by many universities is the Turnitin tool. Written work can be submitted
to Turnitin and work of others can be identified and appropriate referencing
can be verified. Other options are also
available. ‘Recent years have witnessed
the emergence and proliferation of a new form of plagiarism, from digital
sources, which offers new opportunities and ease of access…’ (Bank, 2003, p.
481). This ease of access fortunately
applies to both learner and instructor which means that the instructor is able
to explore the source themselves, for example through using Google Scholar.
The instructor should be supportive of students and offer
advice on best practices for accurate referencing. The instructor should get to
know students taking the course and ask himself or herself: How familiar are students with the reference
style required? What are the cultures of
the students? In some non-Western cultures, ‘it must be taken into account when
dealing appropriately with plagiarism by students from different cultural background,
grounded in different notions of respect for authority and different traditions
of academic writing’ (Park, 2003, p. 473). We are further told that time
management is a factor in why students plagiarize (p. 479). An instructor should allow adequate time for
papers to be written and encourage students to practice good time-management
skills.
Assessments should be designed with plagiarism prevention in
mind. The instructor should include the
use of a specified reference scheme in rubrics or assessment strategies and
have students be aware of these assessments prior to submission. They should also share knowledge of tools
available to prevent plagiarism. In a prior
course, we had a discussion on referencing and found and shared tools
available. Google scholar often has a
‘Cite’ link associated with articles where students can have immediate access
to a reference. We should also encourage students to take workshops offered by
the university to improve their writing skills.
In addition, many universities offer tools that students can use prior
to submission to be sure that they are not unintentionally plagiarizing.
In summary, plagiarism is fairly common practice, however, there
are steps to prevent it. As an
instructor, I plan to support my learners using the above methods. As an instructional designer, it is my duty
to ensure that courses are designed with instructors assisting learners in
every way possible to help them achieve success.
References:
Jocoy, C., & DiBiase, D.
(2006). Plagiarism by adult learners online: A case study in detection and
remediation. International Review of Research in Open & Distance
Learning, 7(1), 1-15. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Education
Research Complete database.
Park, C. (2003). In Other (People's) Words- Plagiarism by
university students--literature and lessons. Assessment & Evaluation in
Higher Education, 28(5), 471-488..pdf
