PREVENTING
PLAGIARISM
A Staff Development Workshop
Karen Marsh
Glenforest Resource Centre
Based on information gathered from PSSTL, Michelle Kim & Andrea Weir
You never get a second
chance to make a first
impression.
John W. Weikert
Plagiarism in the technological era
is …
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The act of presenting another person's words or
ideas as your own by failing to give him/her
credit
A very serious offence that cannot be ignored
On the rise, according to numerous sources
A PRIMARY concern of many Glenforest staff
members
("Academic Integrity at the University of Guelph", July 20, 2007)
TWO TYPES OF PLAGIARISM
Intentional

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Copying a friend's
work
Buying or borrowing
papers
Cutting and pasting
blocks of text
Media "borrowing"
without
documentation
Unintentional

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Careless paraphrasing
Poor documentation
Quoting excessively
Failure to use your own
voice
Plagiarism Facts
Professor Donald McCabe, leading expert in academic
integrity, in a May 2001 study of over 4500 Canadian
high school students, found the following:

72% of students reported one or more instances of serious
cheating on written work

15% had submitted a paper obtained in large part from a
term paper mill or website

52% had copied a few sentences from a website w/o citing
the source

90% of the students using the Internet to plagiarize had
also plagiarized from written sources
("Plagiarism Statistics", July 20, 2007)
CONCLUSION
Plagiarism is doubtless common and
getting more so (particularly with
increased access to digital sources,
including the Internet), that there are
multiple reasons why students
plagiarize and that students often
rationalise their cheating behaviour and
downplay the importance of plagiarizm
by themselves and their peers
SOLUTION ?
There is a growing need for educational
institutions to develop cohesive
frameworks for dealing with student
plagiarism that are based on prevention
supported by robust detection and
penalty systems that are transparent
and applied consistently.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
(Glenforest Agenda, 2008/2009, p. 29)
Consequences for
plagiarism or cheating may
include: the teacher not
accepting the assignment
or test; office detentions;
suspension; loss of credit
or loss of IB Diploma.
STRATEGIES FOR TEACHERS
TO PREVENT PLAGIARISM
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Explain to your students what plagiarism is at the
beginning of your course
Include the excerpt from our agenda in your course
outline
Let the students know why you feel plagiarism is
such a serious offence
Make your consequences very clear
Book your classes into the library for the Plagiarism
Tutorial (one full period & we're grade specific!)
Require students to hand in rough drafts and
outlines & include marks for this process
STRATEGIES, cont'd.
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Teach paraphrasing and electronic
notemaking to avoid "cut and paste" (see
link on our website under Library, Research
Tools) or ask your TLs to do this for you
During research periods in the computer
labs, use NetSupport to monitor their online
research (see Karen for training)
Prohibit certain sites (Wikipedia, for example
– see Library Page on our website)
Use technology such www.turnitin.com
Meet with students to discuss their
assignment and monitor their progress
STRATEGIES, cont'd.
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Communicate with your colleagues –
who are the culprits?
Design assignments that ask for specific
criteria and incorporate authentic learning
(Design Down planning)
Include the Citation Rubrics in your
assignments and assign marks for
formatting (see handouts)
Model behaviour (copyright)
ELECTRONIC NOTEMAKING
How do I make electronic notes?
(summarizing an author's point in your own words)
(refer students to www.glenforestlibrary.com
Wikipedia
(see Library Page, www.glenforestlibrary.com)
Your TLs answer your students' questions by stating
the folloiwng:
Should you use Wikipedia?
You are going to anyway, regardless of what we say. Use
the site during your initial stages of research, when you
read many sources to familiarize yourself with your topic.
After that, go elsewhere. There's nothing wrong with
returning to Wikipedia to confirm a fact that you find
elsewhere, or for background info, but never cite
Wikipedia.
Wikipedia, cont'd.

Wikipedia can be a great tool for learning and
researching information. However, as with all sources,
not everything in Wikipedia is accurate, comprehensive,
or unbiased. Many of the general rules of thumb for
conducting research apply to Wikipedia, including:

Always be wary of any one single source (in any
medium–web, print, television or radio), or of multiple
works that derive from a single source.

Where articles have references to external sources
(whether online or not) read the references and check
whether they really do support what the article says.
www.wikipedia.com
Wikipedia, cont'd.

In all academic institutions, Wikipedia, along with most
encyclopedias, is unacceptable as a major source for a
research paper. Other encyclopedias, such as
Britannica, have notable authors working for them and
may be cited as a secondary source in most cases. For
example, Cornell University has a guide on how to cite
encyclopedias.

However, because of Wikipedia's unique nature, there
are also some rules for conducting research that are
special to Wikipedia, and some general rules that do not
apply to Wikipedia.
LEVELS OF AUTHENTICITY
Authentic Learning is learning that is relevant to
students and to the real world
Authentic Assessment is assessment that
provides students with opportunities to
demonstrate what they know, can do, and are
likely to retain in the future; authentic
assessments provide multiple paths to
demonstration and integrate teaching with
learning
(O'Connor, 8)
Integration of
Knowledge
Meaningful
tasks
Ongoing or
Formative
Transfer to Life
Multiple
Assessments
"looks like what
big people do"
D. Cooper
Authentic
Assessment
Quality
Products
Self-reflection
Clear tasks &
Standards
Higher-Order
Thinking
Positive
Interactions
Assessment for & of Learning
Cooper – Nov. 3, 2008
When the classroom culture focuses on rewards, gold stars, grades or
class ranking, then (students) look for ways to obtain the best marks
rather than to improve their learning. One reported consequence is
that, when they have any choice, (students) avoid difficult tasks.
They also spend time and energy looking for clues to the "right
answer".
Black & William, 1998
DIFFICULT TASK = RESEARCH
"RIGHT ANSWER" = PLAGIARISM
How do we achieve authenticity
& prevent plagiarism?
It's all in the design of the assignments!!
Examples of Plagiarism-Proof
Assignments
Instead of …
"Write a report on the life of Pierre Trudeau
and his impact on Canadian politics."
Why not …
"Write a letter to Pierre Trudeau regarding
what you learned about how he impacted
Canadian politics."
More examples
Instead of …
"Create a PowerPoint presentation on the
accomplishments Mozart."
Why not …
"You are the organizer of a concert for Mozart.
Design the ticket for the event, making sure
that it is historically accurate."
The examples are endless …
Instead of …
"Do a presentation on Harriet Tubman and her
contributions to the feminist movement in Canada."
Why not …
"Pretend you are Harriet Tubman and talk about her
experiences, how you felt, and what you learned
about her contributions to the feminist movement in
Canada."
See the difference?
The Benefits of Constructing
Plagiarism-Proof Assignments
For Teachers
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Saves time
No more boring
assignments
Less stress for you
Real research is
happening
For Students
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No rewriting
No zeroes
No phone calls home
No meeting with the
principal
More authentic learning
Real research is
happening
MODELLING BEHAVIOUR
Knowledge must come through action; you can have
no test which is not fanciful, save by trial.
Sophocles
COPYRIGHT LAWS
Copyright Board of Canada
(1) For the purposes of this Act, "copyright", in relation to a
work, means the sole right to produce or reproduce the
work or any substantial part thereof in any material form
whatever, to perform the work or any substantial part
thereof in public or, if the work is unpublished, to publish
the work or any substantial part thereof, and includes
the sole right:
(a) To produce, reproduce, perform or publish any
translation of the work
(b) In the case of a dramatic work, to convert it into
a novel or other non-dramatic work
COPYRIGHT LAWS, cont'd.
(c) In the case of a novel or other non-dramatic work, or
of an artistic work, to convert it into a dramatic work,
by way of performance in public or otherwise
(d) In the case of a literary, dramatic or musical work, to
make any sound recording, cinematograph film or
other contrivance by means of which the work may
be mechanically reproduced or performed
(e) In the case of any literary, dramatic, musical or
artistic work, to reproduce, adapt and publicly
present the work as a cinematographic work
COPYRIGHT LAWS, cont'd.
(f) In the case of any literary, dramatic, musical or
artistic work, to communicate the work to the public
by telecommunication,
(g) To present at a public exhibition, for a purpose other
than sale or hire, an artistic work created after June
7, 1988, other than a map, chart or plan,
(h) In the case of a computer program that can be
reproduced in the ordinary course of its use, other
than by a reproduction during its execution in
conjunction with a machine, device or computer, to
rent out the computer program, and
(i) In the case of a musical work, to rent out a sound
recording in which the work is embodied
"FAIR DEALING" in CANADA
The fair dealing clauses of the Canadian
Copyright Act allow users to make single
copies of portions of works for "research
and private study." Similar to the fair use
doctrine of United States copyright law,
Canada's fair dealing is not seen as an
infringement at all.
The Six Principal Criteria for
Evaluating Fair Dealing
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The Purpose of the Dealing
The Character of the Dealing
The Amount of the Dealing
Alternatives to the Dealing
The Nature of the Work
Effect of the Dealing on the Work
(http://www.cb-cda.gc.ca)
RIGHTS OF THE COPYRIGHT
HOLDER
1.
2.
3.
4.
Reproduction
Adaptation
Distribution (first sale only)
Public Performance
SO … What is allowed?
Teacher's should:
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Copy only one tenth of a work
Show TV or movies if they meet all four of the following criteria
1. Face-to-face instructional teaching activity
2. Legally acquired
3. Presented by instructors or students
4. Shown in a classroom situation
Post guidelines on every TV, VCR, LCD, copier, and computer
in the building
Document what you do to teach and disseminate information
about copyright laws
Teach copyright laws to students
Prohibit the breach of any copyright laws (i.e., photocopying
textbooks)
Students must:
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Show sources for print work included in all
assignments
Use www.turnitin.com to check for authentic use,
if they think it's necessary
Show source of pictures, graphs and all other
creative work
Never wilfully infringe on copyright law
Key to success for
everyone…
Give credit
Share
Show sources
Be ethical
A. Wharton, Peel
In times like these, it helps to
recall that there have always
been times like these.
Paul Harvey
Questions?
List of Sources
“Academic Integrity at the University of Guelph.” University of Guelph. 2004.
Retrieved 20 July 2007.
<http://www.academicintegrity.uoguelph.ca/plagiarism.cfm>
O’Connor, Ken. Grade for Learning. Arlington Heights: Skylight Training and
Publishing Inc., 1999.
“Plagiarism Statistics.” Hamilton Southeastern High School. Retrieved 20 July
2007.
<http://www.hse.k12.in.us/staff/HHS_English/Plagiarism%20Statistics.htm>
"How to Prevent Plagiarism" Suite 101.com Retrieved 15 Sept. 2007
http://collegeuniversity.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_prevent_plagiarism
"Guidelines for Plagiarism Prevention" iParadigms,LLC Retrieved 15 Sept.
2007
<http://plagiarism.org/learning_center/preventing_guidlines.html>
Sources, cont'd.
Cooper, Damian. Talk About Assessment: Strategies and Tools to Improve Teaching and Learning.
Thomson Nelson, 2007
Black, Paul & William, Dylan. Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through Classroom
Assessment. Phi Delta Kappan, Oct., 1998.
Ford, Deborah B. Increasing the Effectiveness of Your School Library Program: Creative, Inviting,
Budget-Friendly Ideas. Bureau of Education & Research, Washington, 2008. www.ber.org
http://library.acadiau.ca/tutorials/plagiarism -- Janet Servant, Teacher-Librarian Halifax West High
School 283 Thomas Raddall Drive Halifax, N.S. B3S 1R1 Phone: (902) 457-8900
Extension:5601242 Fax: (902) 457-8980 E-Mail: servanj@staff.ednet.ns.ca
Copyright Board of Canada. Government of Canada. 2008. Retrieved Nov. 2008.
http://www.cb-cda.gc.ca
Here are three excellent resources for your webpages from Acadia university. Copyright says you may
use the link for educational purposes.Plagiarism Tutorial1
http://library.acadiau.ca/tutorials/plagiarism/Credible
Sourceshttp://library.acadiau.ca/tutorials/webevaluation/Searching With
Successhttp://library.acadiau.ca/tutorials/websearching/Anna Wharton
Sources, cont'd.
ALA – American Library Association
http://www.ala.org
Classroom Copyright Chart
http://www.mediafestival.org/downloads.html
Clip Art
http://www.ssdesign.com/librarypr/toolbox.html
Copyright Guidelines (USA), listed by subject area
http://jeffcoweb.jeffco.k12.co.us/isu/library/copyright.html
Education Search Engines
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/kne_search.html
Glenforest Secondary School 
www.glenforeslibrary.com
Sources, cont'd.
Library Media Connection
http://linworth.com/
Motion Picture Licensing Corporation
http://www.mplc.com
Movie Licensing USA
http://www.movlic.com/schools.html
Simpson, Carol. Copyright Catechism: Practical Answers to Everday
School Dilemmas. Linworth Publishing, 2005.
Simpson, Carol. Copyright for Schools: A Practical Guide, 4th Edition.
Linworth Publishing, 2005.
Please remember to evaluate
today's PD workshop on
Combatting Plagiarism & submit
the form to my mailbox no later
than 3 p.m. today