Preventing Plagiarism Paula Rosinski Writing Center Director and Jessie Moore English 110 Coordinato

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Preventing PlagiarismPaula Rosinski (Writing
Center Director) and Jessie Moore (English 110
Coordinator)

• September 28, 2007

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Workshop Agenda

• Plagiarism Quiz
• Intentional/Cheating ? - - - ? Unintentional/Learn
  ingContinuum Elons Honor Code
• Professional Statements on Plagiarism Shared
  Responsibilities
• Best Practices and Refining our Assignments

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Recognizing Plagiarism (Quiz)

• How to recognize plagiarism Take the Quiz
• http//www.indiana.edu/istd/plagiarism_test.html
• Grey Areas Questions

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Plagiarism as a Learning Continuum
Plagiarism Activities Continuum
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Scenarios

• Where along these continuums would you classify
  the following scenarios? Would you report it as
  an Honor Code violation?
• Before you have discussed the various forms that
  plagiarism can take and before you have directly
  taught strategies for source use in your
  discipline, a student attempts to cite a source
  but does not adhere to the citation conventions
  of your discipline.
• A student correctly paraphrases and cites two of
  the in-class readings and has clearly paraphrased
  a third reading but fails to include an in-text
  citation.
• A student submits a paper similar to one you have
  found online, but the student has changed the
  papers supporting evidence to Elon examples. The
  student also submitted pre-writing activities
  related to the topic.

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Contradictions of American Academic Writing
Adapted from Purdues Online Writing Lab
(http//owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01
/)
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Professional Statements on Best Practices

• Writing Program Administrators, Defining and
  Avoiding Plagiarism The WPA Statement on Best
  Practices
• Shared Responsibilities
• Students
• English 110 Faculty
• Elon Writing Program Administrators (eWPA)
• Faculty Across the Disciplines

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Shared Responsibilities Students

• Students should understand research assignments
  as opportunities for genuine and rigorous inquiry
  and learning. (WPA Statement)
• Such understanding involves
• Identifying sources relevant to the topic
• Acknowledging when they have drawn on the ideas
  of others
• Learning documentation conventions and
• Asking questions when they dont understand
  disciplinary expectations.
• Be curious about learning! Dont cheat.

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Shared Responsibilities English 110

• English 110 creates a foundation for continued
  instruction and practice in writing.
• English 110 Faculty
• Discuss research as inquiry and examine why
  responsible source use is important
• Teach strategies for source use in at least one
  documentation style and
• Offer structured practice of source use in at
  least one major project.
• Begin foundation for student learning!

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Shared Responsibilities eWPA

• Elon Writing Program Administrators
• Provide students support through the Writing
  Center
• Provide faculty support through faculty
  development workshops and
• Provide one-on-one discussions and consultation.
• Provide support to faculty to reinforce
  foundation!Remember, foundations can crumble if
  not maintained.(Visit http//org.elon.edu/writin
  g/)

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Shared Responsibilities All Faculty

• Faculty need to design contexts and assignments
  for learning that encourage students not simply
  to recycle information but to investigate and
  analyze its sources. (WPA Statement)
• Faculty can
• State their documentation expectations/policies
  in syllabi and assignment guidelines
• Directly teach disciplinary conventions for
  source use
• Create new assignments and tests (recycling
  assignments invites academic dishonesty)
• Build in the writing process (drafts, peer
  review, etc.) and
• Acknowledge common problems/challenges with
  source use in their disciplines.

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Shared Responsibilities All Faculty

• If faculty suspect plagiarism
• Visit with students to determine where on the
  learning continuum their suspected plagiarism
  falls
• Follow the Academic Integrity Policy (see
  http//www.elon.edu/e-web/academics/honors.xhtml)
  and
• Contact Mary Wise and the Office of Academic
  Affairs.
• Build on foundations through your teaching!
  Dont just police.

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Best Practices and Refining our Assignments

• Talk about implications for plagiarism.
• Do you discuss the strategies and rationales
  behind disciplinary convention systems?
• Do you include a statement on source use on your
  syllabus and in your assignment guidelines?
• Give students time to explore their topics early
  and often.
• How do you invite students to engage in extended
  inquiry?
• Do you require a research log?
• Do you teach research strategies tailored to your
  discipline?

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Best Practices and Refining our Assignments

• Develop schedules that promote process writing
  activities and build in dates for each step.
• Do you require drafts?
• When are they due?
• Do students have time to revise?
• Do you give credit for process activities?
• Address your suspicions with students.
• Have you asked to see process work?
• Ask students to walk you through their research
  and writing process?
• Have you discussed the consequences of
  plagiarism?
• Can you offer strategies for proper source use?

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Police Cautiously Plagiarism Detection

• Although such services plagiarism detection
  programs may be tempting, they are not always
  reliable. Furthermore, their availability should
  never be used to justify the avoidance of
  responsible teaching methods. (WPA Statement)

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To Learn More

• About the Writing Center
• Paula Rosinski, Director
• prosinski_at_elon.edu
• About College Writing/ENG 110
• Jessie Moore, Coordinator
• jmoore28_at_elon.edu
• About WAC and One-on-One Faculty Consultations
• Michael Strickland, Director
• mstrickl_at_elon.edu