Plagiarism detection software can be a 'powerful tool', delegates hear
The 2nd International Plagiarism Conference continued in Newcastle today with a keynote speech from Don McCabe, founding president of the US’s Center for Academic Integrity. Professor McCabe spoke about his extensive research into plagiarism and, in particular, surveys involving some 135,000 college and university students in the States.
These surveys have focused on student-oriented means of tackling plagiarism, in particular, ‘honour codes’ through which students pledge voluntarily to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity, and student panels to decide if and when plagiarism has taken place. Unsupervised exams are, said Professor McCabe, another, albeit less effective, way to help foster an environment in which students themselves are encouraged – and trusted - to take responsibility for their own academic practice.
Helen Hooper reported on a project at the School of Applied Sciences at the University of Northumbria to develop a more coherent strategy out of the many different approaches that were being followed. In response to a widespread perception that academic misconduct was ‘a growing issue’, the project used a Personal Response System – an electronic and interactive diagnostic tool through which students themselves ‘voted’ on which fictional instances of academic practice they believed constituted misconduct.
This method, Helen Hooper reported, in which students acted as ‘jurors’, generated a great deal of discussion in the classroom, leading to an increase in student awareness and helping to equip students with the skills to avoid academic misconduct themselves.
Ruth Barrett of the University of Hertfordshire looked at detection software as a teaching tool. With over 360,000 assignments having been submitted to TurnitinUK – the electronic detection software made available trough the Jisc Plagiarism Advisory Service – since being adopted in the UK, Ruth Barrett outlined the various ways in which detection software can be used to support anti-plagiarism measures.
Students themselves can be encouraged to put their own work through detection software, said Ruth Barrett, an activity which can lead to a greater understanding of plagiarism. However, using detection software as a sole response to plagiarism ‘will not work’, she concluded. But it is a ‘powerful tool’, she said, which students see ‘as a way of ensuring fairness in assessment’.
A plagiarism awareness week held at City University in January was the subject of another session. Susannah Quinsee, Emma Boylan and Patrick Baughan reported on the event’s workshops, presentations and website which were put together through a cross-departmental initiative. Although a highly successful event which succeeded in generating discussion and debate across the institution, there were lessons to be learnt, the speakers suggested. These included the need to involve students more, including the Student Union, support from senior management through linking the campaign to university policy and strategy, and a need to work across the whole institution rather than through individual departments.
For further information about the 2nd International Plagiarism Conference, please go to: Plagiarism conference