Designing Integrity:
Writing Assignments that
Discourage Plagiarism
Faculty Workshop
August 2015
Plagiarism Prevention Software:
Limitations and Responsibilities
Dr. Susan “George” Schorn
University of Texas at Austin
School of Undergraduate Studies
Detecting Plagiarism
• Researchers have found that careful human
readers can spot 100% of plagiarized material
in sample essays (Weber-Wulff).
• Markers include: unusual formatting and font
changes, dated references, anomalies of
diction (or “Frankenstein” style), words the
student cannot pronounce or define.
• Running a word string with 3-5 nouns through
Google is the most reliable detection method.
What does plagiarism detection
software promise?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Ensure students are submitting original work.
Prevent cheating before it happens.
Teach students about plagiarism.
Save time.
TurnItIn:
Viper:
VeriCite:
“Create learning moments. Faculty
members are always looking to
teach. VeriCite helps the instructor to
create a learning moment, a chance
to discuss the different forms of
plagiarism and to understand its
impact.”
What does plagiarism
detection software deliver?
1. Ensuring original work?
Using controlled text samples, Debora
Weber-Wulff, Professor of Media and
Computing at the University of Applied
Sciences in Berlin, has repeatedly found high
rates of both false positives and false
negatives in all 15 software products tested.
(http://plagiat.htw-berlin.de/softwareen/test2013/)
Results of 2013 software study at
UAS-Berlin:
Results of 2007 software performance
comparison at UT-Austin:
Product: TurnItIn SafeAss Google
ign
Percentage
of sources
found:
60.76%
43.4%
91.3%
By the far the best “catch” rate resulted from
submitting word strings with 3-5 nouns to
Google.
How well do plagiarism-detection methods work?
2007 test by Susan Schorn, Writing Coordinator, School of Undergraduate Studies
Results of 2015 test of TurnItIn at UTAustin:
Total Sources
Found
Partially Found
Not Found
37
15 (40%)
6 (16%)
16 (44%)
Teacher/librarian John Royce even found an example of TurnItIn
missing plagiarized text in a sample paper featured on TurnItIn’s
own website:
Un-highlighted text from TII Originality Report:
Matching text from online source:
In other words,
• Plagiarism detection software “can indicate
the presence of plagiarism, but cannot prove
the absence of plagiarism.” (Weber-Wulff)
• Any paper deemed “original” by such software
could in fact contain plagiarism, and some
such papers undoubtedly do.
2. Preventing cheating before it
happens?
Because plagiarism-detecting software
misses so much replicated text, we
must assume some cheating remains
undetected. Not only is this cheating
not “prevented,” we can’t even discuss
it with students, because it is invisible.
2. Preventing cheating, cont.
But, by promising to “prevent” plagiarism,
plagiarism-detecting software reduces the
likelihood that instructors will follow
established best practices for preventing
plagiarism:
• Devising assignments that require
reflection and meta-learning;
• Tracking students' progress through
drafting and revision;
• Requiring current, relevant sources.
3. Use as a teaching tool?
Because plagiarism-detecting
software produces so many false
positives and negatives, it cannot
accurately teach students what
“counts” as plagiarism. In fact it more
often confuses instructors and
students alike.
3. Use as a teaching tool, cont.
The College Conference on Composition and
Communication notes that plagiarism detection
software
1. Casts the student as someone who must be
monitored.
2. Shifts the role of the teacher from educating to
policing.
3. May create an adversarial classroom climate.
4. Becomes a substitute for conversations about
academic integrity that should be central to the
educational process.
(http://www.ncte.org/cccc/committees/ip/plagiarismdetection)
3. Use as a teaching tool, cont.
Of course, allowing students to run multiple
drafts through software before submission can
“teach” them how to alter plagiarized text
sufficiently to fool the software.
4. Saving Time?
• Students and faculty must learn to use
plagiarism detection software. Extra steps are
required to create and submit assignments,
generate reports, and view those reports.
• Instructors who rely most heavily on
plagiarism detection software often have
classes that are too large to permit good
writing pedagogy.
4. Saving Time, cont.
The Council of Writing Program Administrators cautions
that plagiarism detection software “should never be used
to justify the avoidance of responsible teaching
methods”:
• Explaining plagiarism and developing clear policies (syllabus
statements, honor code)
• Providing well-designed, regularly updated assignments
• Teaching the research process and conventions of genre
(which requires time and low instructor/student rations)
Responsible use of plagiarism
detection software requires
1. Understanding the limits of all such
software, and the particular limitations
of the software you are using.
2. Including a syllabus statement about
the software and its use, including optout and appeals processes.
3. Planning ahead for potential
technological failures and error.
Teaching Conventions of Genre
• Expectations about citation can differ
substantially between disciplines (ex:
boilerplate text in business or natural
sciences).
• Even if students have learned citation formats,
they often do not understand the reasons for
them.
Class Activity
Sources: Why Use Them?
• I use this in Rhetoric classes, but it easily
adaptable to any field or topic.
• Introduce the passages one at a time and ask
students their impression of each author, and
what questions they have for him/her.
• Show students how sources strengthen
writing.
• Then, help them master the tools: paraphrase,
summarize, quote, etc.
References
Royce, John. “Carried Away.” Blog post, April 6, 2013, at
http://www.read2live.com/2013/04/06/carried-away/
Straumsheim, Carl. “What is Detected?” Inside Higher Ed, July
14, 2015.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/07/14/turnitin-faces-new-questionsabout-efficacy-plagiarism-detection-software
Weber-Wulff, Debora. “Finding False Feathers - Dealing with
Plagiarism.” Research Integrity & Responsible Conduct of
Research, Aarhus University, Denmark, April 17, 2013.
http://www.au.dk/fileadmin/www.health.au.dk/Medarbejdere.health.au.dk/Ans
varlig_forskningspraksis/Debora_Weber-Wulff_01.pdf
Academic Integrity:
Policies and Prevention
Office of the Dean of Students
Student Judicial Services
Why do students cheat?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Bad student vs. Good student
Pressure
Bad Habits
Unprepared for college
Unaware of expectations
Everyone else is doing it
Why do students cheat?
“Cheating is contagious….”
- Don Rettinger (May 2009) Research in Higher Education
• Direct knowledge of others’ cheating was the biggest predictor
of cheating
The Locked Door Analogy
- “Why We Lie” (May 2012) Wall Street Journal
• 1% of people will be dishonest, try to pick a lock and steal
• 1% of people will be honest and never steal
• 98% of people might be tempted to steal if a door has no lock
Preventing Cheating
Student Honor Code
As a student at the University of Texas at
Austin, I shall abide by the core values and
uphold academic integrity
Preventing Cheating
• Consistency
• How is Academic Integrity discussed in the
syllabus and assignment expectations?
• Is it revisited throughout the semester?
• How does Academic Integrity relate to
subject?
• Be a Broken Record- TAs and Professors
sending the same message
Novotney, A. (2011) Beat the Cheat. American Psychological Association, 42 (6), page 54
Preventing Cheating
• Low- Tech Solutions
• Emphasize Academic Integrity, examples of
unacceptable behavior, and potential
consequences. (Novotney, 2011)
• Have students read and/or sign the Honor
Code. (Novotney, 2011)
Preventing Cheating
• Don’t Assume students…
• …know citation expectations and required
style (MLA, APA, Chicago Style)
• Can students look at old papers?
• Is the draft for credit?
• Purdue Owl - Avoiding Plagiarism
• …have developed a writing style
• IDEA: Require multiple submissions of written
assignments
Addressing Academic Dishonesty
• Document the situation with as much detail as possible.
• Two options to resolve:
1. Faculty Disposition or
2. Disciplinary Referral
Meeting with the Student (Optional)
• Ask student to meet with you in your office
• Meeting with student
– Ask student if they know why they are there
– Show the student the evidence
– Ask the student what happened
– Address the action, not the person
• Were the student’s actions intentional or due to a lack
of understanding/training?
• Good students make bad choices
• Learning moment for the student
Meeting with the Student (Optional)
– Walk through the faculty disposition and student’s rights
– If applicable, sign the faculty disposition with the student and
forward paperwork to SJS
– If student does not respond to you or requests for SJS to
review the case, forward evidence to our office
– Resources:
– SJS: SSB 4.104, 512-471-2841
– Student Ombuds: SSB G1.404, 512-471-3825
Resolution by SJS
•
Student meets with the SJS administrator
•
The SJS administrator determines if the evidence supports a
finding of a violation
•
If yes, student is presented an administrative disposition. From
here, the student has three options: Administrative Disposition,
Appeal of Administrative Disposition, and Hearing
•
If standard of evidence is not met, SJS will follow up with the
faculty member
Potential Academic Sanctions
• What is in your syllabus? What have you done in the past?
– SJS role: ensure fairness and consistency
• Most common: Zero credit on an assignment, project, or test
– Other options:
• Reduced credit on an assignment, project, or test
• Reduced grade in the course
• Grade of “F” in the course
• Suspension from the University (SJS only – 2+ academic violations)
• Expulsion from the University (SJS only – 3+ academic violations)
Questions?
Resources
Office of the Dean of Students - Student Judicial Services
Student Services Building (SSB) 4.104
512-471-2841
sjs@austin.utexas.edu
http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs
Institutional Rules
http://catalog.utexas.edu/generalinformation/appendices/appendix-c/student-discipline-andconduct/
Assignment Design
Faculty Workshop
August 2015
Assessing Assumptions
• Consider what skills students need to
accomplish an assignment
Sample Assignment
• The task of your final paper is to present an informed,
research-based position about the role of a specific
digitally-based technological media among youth in
society and education.
• Your paper should use a range of verified sources,
including scholarly and popular. You should have at
least 10 references, 6 of which must be scholarly
• You should use American Psychological Association
(APA - 5th or 6th edition) format for bibliography.
They need to know…
• How to choose a topic
• What a scholarly source is and how to read
one
• What a popular source is
• How to find sources
• How to create bibliographies/cite sources
• How to synthesize sources into their writing
• How to make an argument based on
evidence
Designing Assignments
•
•
•
•
Scaffold over the semester
Teach the skills
Build in formative assessment
Build in time to help with trouble spots
Ways to Scaffold Assignments
1. Turn in a topic proposal
2. Teach them how to do research
3. Assess their ability to choose sources
4. Get them started on their research
(annotated bibliography)
5. Outlines, drafts and final paper
Help for Faculty & Students
• Librarians
– Research assignment design help for
faculty
– Course-integrated instruction
– Research guides
– Research consultations for students
– Citation help
Help for Faculty & Students
• University Writing Center
– Writing consultations for students
– Presentations to classes
– Handouts about writing
– Drop-in workshops for students
– Citation help
Help for Faculty & Students
• Writing Flag Coordinator
– Writing assignment design help for faculty
– Advice about teaching writing, including
revision and peer-review
Questions?
Michele Ostrow
Teaching & Learning Services
micheleo@austin.utexas.edu