‘Plagiarism today’: current themes and perspectives

1. ‘Plagiarism today’: current themes and perspectives Dr Erica Morris Senior Adviser Academic Integrity Service The Higher Education Academy

2. Education and going online academic integrity modules, learning activities (with text-matching tools) Measuring the scale of the problem types of misconduct, policies, procedures and penalties But in my discipline educational context, subject-specific academic integrity issues Follow the light holistic approach, institutional framework, promoting academic integrity Uncovering secrets reasons, student understandings and perspectives

3. Supporting academic integrity • Summarising work from last 10 years • Highlighting key issues • Case studies: educational approaches • Institution • Programme • Subject • Sharing good practice across higher education

4. Policy works • Reviewing policy to manage unacceptable academic practice in higher education • Previous research and good practice guidance • 12 recommendations • Examples and excerpts from institutional policies • Illustrative cases

5. ‘Plagiarism tomorrow’: emerging themes, challenges and directions Dr Erica Morris Senior Adviser Academic Integrity Service The Higher Education Academy

6. Education and going online academic integrity modules, learning activities (with text-matching tools) Measuring the scale of the problem types of misconduct, policies, procedures and penalties But in my discipline educational context, subject-specific academic integrity issues Follow the light holistic approach, institutional framework, promoting academic integrity Uncovering secrets reasons, student understandings and perspectives

7. Measuring the scale of the problem • Importance of AMBeR project • Methodological issues • Self reporting (dis)honest behaviour • Variation in terminology • Patterns: use of assignments • Frequency and nature of plagiarism • Student characteristics • Walker (2010) • Promote academic integrity • East (2009)

8. Education and going online • Complex skills • Research, study, academic writing • Web resources, tutorials, online modules • Formative assessment • Students: practise skills • Text-matching tools • ‘Avoid’, ‘reduce’ plagiarism • Evaluation study • Academic integrity module • Lack of knowledge: citation • Belter and du Pre (2009) University of Aberdeen’s guidance on plagiarism

9. But in my discipline • Generic and subject-specific issues • Group work and collusion • Data fabrication • Context of the subject • Students acquiring knowledge and skills • Teaching, learning and assessment practices • Authentic assessments

10. Follow the light • Continuous staff engagement • Senior management • Ownership of policies • Working to achieve consistency • Staff development • Joining up strategies and policies • Using tools effectively • Holistic approaches • Teaching and learning strategies • Policies and procedures • Student learning and development • Staff training and development East (2009), Macdonald and Carroll (2006), Park (2004)

11. Uncovering secrets • Varied, interrelated reasons • Study on use of sources and plagiarism in essays • Questionnaire, text-analysis, consultations with students • Electronic sources as different from print • Lack of note-taking from electronic sources • Academic writing: not just ‘technical’ matters • Ellery (2008)

12. Directions

14. Follow-up and resources Supporting academic integrity: approaches and resources for higher education Policy works: recommendations for reviewing policy to manage unacceptable academic practice in higher education erica.morris@heacademy.ac.uk http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/academic-integrity

15. References Belter, R. W. and du Pre, A. (2009) A strategy to reduce plagiarism in an undergraduate course. Teaching of Psychology, 36(4), 257-261. Bertram Gallant, T. (2010) UCSD Academic Integrity Annual Report 2008-2009. http://academicaffairs.ucsd.edu/ug-ed/academicintegrity/AI_2008-2009_Report.pdf [7 June 2011]. Bretag, T. , Mahmud, S., East, J., Green, M., James, C., McGowan, U., Partridge, L., Wallace, M. and Walker, R. (2011) Academic integrity standards: a preliminary analysis of academic integrity policies at Australian universities. Carroll. J. (2007) A Handbook for Deterring Plagiarism in Higher Education. Second edition. Oxford: Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development. East, J. (2009) Aligning policy and practice: an approach to integrating academic integrity. Journal of Academic Language & Learning, 3(1), A38-A51. Ellery, K. (2008) An investigation into electronic-source plagiarism in a first-year essay assignment. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 33(6), 607-617. Macdonald, R. and Carroll, J. (2006) Plagiarism – a complex issue requiring a holistic institutional approach. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 31(2), 233-245. Morris, E. with Carroll, J. (2011) Policy works: recommendations for reviewing policy to manage unacceptable academic practice in higher education. The Academy JISC Academic Integrity Service, The Higher Education Academy. Available from: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/academic-integrity Morris, E. et al (2010) Supporting academic integrity: approaches and resources for higher education. The Academy JISC Academic Integrity Service, The Higher Education Academy. Available from: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/academic-integrity Park, C. (2004) Rebels without a clause: towards an institutional framework for dealing with plagiarism by students. Journal of Further and Higher Education. 28 (3), 291-306. Plagiarismadvice.org (2010) Plagiarism Reference Tariff. Available from: http://www.plagiarismadvice.org/documents/AMBeR%20Tariffv2.pdf [1 November 2010]. Tennant, P. and Duggan, F. (2008) Academic Misconduct Benchmarking Research Project: Part 2. The Recorded Incidence of Student Plagiarism and the Penalties Applied. Available from: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ourwork/teachingandlearning/assessment/alldisplay?type=projects&newid=AMBeR&site=york [21 July 2010]. Walker, J. (2010) Measuring plagiarism: researching what students do, not what they say they do. Studies in Higher Education, 35(1), 41-59.