Plagiarism Detection and Prevention
Plagiarism in online courses, while not more prevalent than
in grounded classes, receives an inordinate amount of attention because of the
perceived ease of cheating (Laureate Education,
2010). To aid instructors and
administration in the detection of plagiarism and cheating, there are many
different software and hardware tools available. Turnitin, a popular plagiarism detection
software, is common on college campuses and was found to be approximately 10%
more sensitive in detecting plagiarism than traditional methods (Jocoy
& DiBiase, 2006) .
There
are a number of tools available and a simple Internet search nets a large
number of free or low-cost alternatives to Turnitin such as Anti-Plagiarism,
DupliChecker, and PaperRater (links below).
While these tools can
automate the process and bring a certain level of assurance to the instructor
and administration that academic dishonesty is being actively guarded against,
it may be more effective to design assessments such that intentional plagiarism
and cheating are not viable solutions.
Dr. Pratt (Laureate Education, 2010) suggests designing assessments and
activities to be more application based.
Having students demonstrate the ability to apply knowledge can help
eliminate the need for such detection strategies. In my own experience as a learner, I have
been given assessments where it was encouraged that outside sources be sought
and that students collaborate. As
mentioned by Drs. Pratt and Palloff (Laureate Education, 2010), real world
projects assigned by employers will require the same approach. The end product or proposal that is presented
at the end is what will demonstrate the learner’s (or employee’s) mastery of
the subject.
The topic I teach is
dependent on the student’s mastery of a variety of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Theory-based (facts, rules) assessments are
susceptible to cheating, however, the application-based assessments are not. The policy in my program is to make those
types of assessments very low stakes.
The high stakes assessments are those where the student must take the
facts and rules and apply them. It is
satisfying to learn that this approach is recommend by Drs. Pratt and
Palloff. The emphasis on higher-order thinking through the synthesis and application of knowledge may go far in decreasing the need for plagiarism and cheating detection.
References
Jocoy, C., & DiBiase, D. (2006). Plagiarism by
adult learners online: A case study in detection and remediation. International
Review of Resarch in Open and Distance Learning, 7(1), 1-15.
Laureate Education (Producer). (2010). Plagiarism and
cheating [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.walden.edu
Tools Mentioned in this Article
Turnitin - http://turnitin.com/
Anti-Plagiarism - http://sourceforge.net/projects/antiplagiarismc/
Dupli-Checker - http://www.duplichecker.com/
PaperRater - http://www.paperrater.com/