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Anti-plagiarism software in an Irish University: three years later

Anti-plagiarism software in an Irish University: three years later. Angelica Risquez, Centre for Teaching and Learning, University of Limerick. angelica.risquez@ul.ie. Outline. Anti-plagiarism software and academic honesty Our experience since 2005 Towards good practices.

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Anti-plagiarism software in an Irish University: three years later

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  1. Anti-plagiarism software in an Irish University: three years later Angelica Risquez, Centre for Teaching and Learning, University of Limerick angelica.risquez@ul.ie

  2. Outline • Anti-plagiarism software and academic honesty • Our experience since 2005 • Towards good practices

  3. Anti-plagiarism software and academic honesty • Widespread? • Internet-related awareness • Increased institutional focus • Anti-plagiarism software

  4. Anti-plagiarism software and academic honesty • Ethical debate: “deterring plagiarism before it happens” (www.turnitin.com) VS “pedagogic placebo” (Carbone, 2001) and potentially purely punitive (Sutherland-Smith and Carr, 2005). • Practical debate: effectiveness assumed rather than confirmed

  5. Our experience so far • Turnitin.com: plagiarism prevention; online marking; peer review and e-portfolio. • Adopted at UL in 2005, training and support provided by the CTL (aprox 150 faculty). • Voluntary and promoting a positive, proactive attitude towards plagiarism prevention

  6. Our experience so far

  7. Our experience so far: Statistics • 214 instructor accounts • 7,966 student accounts (additional 5,561 accounts now deleted) • 11,882 submissions, 9,809 originality reports • 1,772 peer reviews • 226 papers marked online

  8. Our experience so far: Student accounts

  9. Our experience so far: Representation

  10. Our experience so far: Originality reports

  11. Our experience so far: Differing practices (Data early 2008, 140 instructors)

  12. Our experience so far: Differing practices (2) … only 18% of 140 organised submissions with the whole class

  13. Towards good practices • Differing practices emerge: proactive, encouraging students to submit VS ah-hoc use • How these relate to approaches to plagiarism prevention, academic performance, student learning, and attitudes towards academic honesty? • Are submissions of “suspicious” assignments related to ad-hoc approaches which may alienate students and provoke resistance, fear, etc.?

  14. Towards good practices (2) … It seems that I am the only one that requested that students submit all of their texts to Turnitin. I have found them reluctant to do so, but I’m not sure why. At this point, only a few have been exposed for documentation violation through Turnitin.   … I’m finding that these first year students are, understandably, uncertain about what kind of information needs to be cited. … For the few students who did attend tutorials and submit regularly, I think the combination of essay writing tutorials, feedback and originality verification was a boon of a benefit. We’ll see. Lawrence Cleary, Writing Centre, UL

  15. Towards good practices (3) • Case study with engineering class (Ledwith&Risquez, 2008) showed decreased level of plagiarism because the lecturer integrated it in a coherent prevention policy including: • Workshop with students and training on appropriate referencing • Feedback to the class on results from system • Tackling individual cases and allowing resubmission

  16. Towards good practices (4) • Survey of student perceptions (n=787) showed no link between knowing about/submitting to Turnitin and ethical views about plagiarism and reported engagement in plagiarism

  17. Towards good practices (5) • Indications that the system may be best used with proactive practices which emphasise writing skills and referencing • E.g. students are encouraged to submit their work through the semester, allowed to see their own originality reports, available tutor/peer support

  18. References Carbone, N. (2001). Turnitin.com, a Pedagogic Placebo for Plagiarism [Electronic Version]. Technical Notes. Retrieved 10th October 2007 from http://bedfordstmartins.com/technotes/techtiparchive/ttip060501.htm. Ledwith, A., y Risquez, A. (2008). Using Anti-Plagiarism Software to Promote Academic Honesty in the Context of Peer Reviewed Assignments. Studies in Higher Education, 33(4).

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