Plagiarism

1. Plagiarism Katerina Zdravkova katerina.zdravkova@finki.ukim.mk

2. Content • Definitions from www.plagiarism.org • Plagiarism in our courses • Examples of noticed plagiarism • How do students cover the plagiarism tracks? • Student remark against plagiarism • Sanctions and student reactions • Student anonymous reactions • How to prevent from further plagiarism? DAAD workshop Ohrid 22 – 27 August 2011

3. DAAD workshop Ohrid 22 – 27 August 2011

4. http://www.plagiarism.org/plag_article_types_of_plagiarism.htmlhttp://www.plagiarism.org/plag_article_types_of_plagiarism.html DAAD workshop Ohrid 22 – 27 August 2011

5. http://www.plagiarism.org/plag_article_types_of_plagiarism.htmlhttp://www.plagiarism.org/plag_article_types_of_plagiarism.html DAAD workshop Ohrid 22 – 27 August 2011

6. Plagiarism detected in our courses • External plagiarism: • Literal copying • Translation with Google Translate • Fair translation • Internal plagiarism: • Essay of a colleague from same generation • Essay of a colleague from previous generations • Identity exchange • Friends, relatives and ghostwriters prepare the text • Deliberate fraudsters • Other scams teachers are still not aware of      DAAD workshop Ohrid 22 – 27 August 2011

7. Literal copying • There are various plagiarism detecting tools • But, simple Google search also works perfectly • Students usually do not even try to hide it • Time-consuming for the teacher, but easy to detect DAAD workshop Ohrid 22 – 27 August 2011

8. DAAD workshop Ohrid 22 – 27 August 2011

9. Translation with Google Translate • Sometimes very obvious, particularly when the translation is funny • For example, umbrella term = • earlier: чадор мандат • currently: чадор термин • correctly: заеднички термин • It is possible to connect a plagiarism detecting applications with GT • Very time-consuming for the teacher, but still easy to detect DAAD workshop Ohrid 22 – 27 August 2011

10. DAAD workshop Ohrid 22 – 27 August 2011

11. Fair translation • Almost impossible to detect without a good plagiarism detecting tool • It is noticed only if the style is too professional • Very time-consuming and usually not worth-while DAAD workshop Ohrid 22 – 27 August 2011

12. DAAD workshop Ohrid 22 – 27 August 2011

13. Student remark: DAAD workshop Ohrid 22 – 27 August 2011

14. Essay of a colleague from previous generations • In many occasions, student doesn’t even try to cover it • Obvious when the borrower • is too naïve. Essay document properties reveal • a date in history; • student from previous generation • no editing time • or when the teacher recognizes the past essay • Can be detected if all the essays are stored • It can be avoided if teacher never repeats the same topic DAAD workshop Ohrid 22 – 27 August 2011

15. Document properties DAAD workshop Ohrid 22 – 27 August 2011

16. Essay of a colleague from same generation • Easily detectable if only one teacher grades the essays (most teachers I know have impeccable memory) • Can be detected by storing all the essays and comparing one with others • Whenever caught, students insist on “group” effort DAAD workshop Ohrid 22 – 27 August 2011

17. Different ghostwriters prepare the text • Detectable only if the same author works for several students • It is possible to detect a resemblance between writing styles of several students (or, the same author), but it is almost impossible to prove the fake DAAD workshop Ohrid 22 – 27 August 2011

18. Fraud • Suspected, but almost impossible to prove • It has been noticed that some students always log in: • in tandem or concurrently • + in the same order • + from same IP address • + writing styles look alike very much • Our people says: “nefaten aramija posilen od kadija” (the uncaught robber is stronger than the judge) DAAD workshop Ohrid 22 – 27 August 2011

19. The most powerful student remark: Форумите преку кои беше организирана наставата не беа веродостојна оценка затоа што беа злоупотребувани од страна на некои студенти. Поточно им ги даваа своите лозинки на познаници кои наместо нив постираа и со тоа им ги скратуваа можностите на останатите студенти. The forums were not a reliable way to assess student knowledge, because they were abused by some students. To be more precise, they gave their passwords to acquaintances disabling other students to submit their posts. DAAD workshop Ohrid 22 – 27 August 2011

20. Main student activities • E-Learning 1.0 • Individual assignments • E-testing • Individual and group essays • E-Learning 2.0 • Discussion forums • Wikis • Chat • Group projects DAAD workshop Ohrid 22 – 27 August 2011

21. E-learning 1.0 VS.E-Learning 2.0 DAAD workshop Ohrid 22 – 27 August 2011

22. Other scams? • Students always invent many scams teachers can not be even aware of • For many students, the greatest intellectual challenge is to invent a new way to cheat DAAD workshop Ohrid 22 – 27 August 2011

23. Unpopular solutions • E-testing is not convenient for courses that intend to stimulate critical thinking + students hack it • Written examination is effective in smaller groups only (students use mobile phones, slip / trade each other answers, whisper the answer, peep behind, copy while delivering the exam, …) • ORAL EXAMINATION DAAD workshop Ohrid 22 – 27 August 2011

24. Oral examination • Time-consuming to prepare the questions • Time-consuming to “inquire” every student • Inconvenient for students with speech defects • The best solution to claim plagiarism and cheat (when “the oral defense” of an essay or post is not announced) • At the end, student learns at least what she / he faked DAAD workshop Ohrid 22 – 27 August 2011

25. Conclusion • It seems that external and internal plagiarism decrease • teacher reacts openly • fakes don’t gain points • too evident • even colleagues react • But, ghostwriters and identity fraudsters spring like mushrooms after the rain DAAD workshop Ohrid 22 – 27 August 2011

26. If you have other experience, please, do not hesitate to share it • Thank you for your attention    DAAD workshop Ohrid 22 – 27 August 2011