School of Computing, Engineering and Information Sciences Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Lear

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School of Computing, Engineering and Information
SciencesCentre for Excellence in Teaching and
Learning - Assessment for Learning
Approaches to Detecting and Coping with
Plagiarism Dr Roger PenlingtonNorthumbria
University
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School of Computing, Engineering and Information
SciencesCentre for Excellence in Teaching and
Learning - Assessment for Learning

• Two issues for consideration
• detection
• prevention
• but is this supporting learning?

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School of Computing, Engineering and Information
SciencesCentre for Excellence in Teaching and
Learning - Assessment for Learning
Can detection tools be used to aid
understanding? If you believe that your students
are not intentionally attempting to cheat -
then yes.
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School of Computing, Engineering and Information
SciencesCentre for Excellence in Teaching and
Learning - Assessment for Learning
Can detection tools be used to aid
understanding? If you believe that your students
are not intentionally attempting to cheat -
then yes.
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School of Computing, Engineering and Information
SciencesCentre for Excellence in Teaching and
Learning - Assessment for Learning

• Where to start? - understand the problem
• Students are rightly confused by plagiarism, in
  their prior learning it may well have been called
  research - illustrating the fine line between
  collaborative working and plagiarism.
• Examples from university regulations include
• inclusion in a students work of more than a
  single phrase from another persons work....
• summarising another persons work by simply
  changing a few words or order of presentation....
• use of another persons ideas....summarised
  from Academic Regulations for Northumbria Awards

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School of Computing, Engineering and Information
SciencesCentre for Excellence in Teaching and
Learning - Assessment for Learning
Inform - dispel the myths Practice -
have a go and learn from the
feedback Assess - with rigour and confidence
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School of Computing, Engineering and Information
SciencesCentre for Excellence in Teaching and
Learning - Assessment for Learning
Plagiarism detection tools may be used to develop
students understanding of both plagiarism and
assessment. It is important that students
understand that they are not being assessed on
what information they can find but rather what
they can do with this information.
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School of Computing, Engineering and Information
SciencesCentre for Excellence in Teaching and
Learning - Assessment for Learning

• Detection tools
• Lecturers subject knowledge,
• Search Engines,
• Specialist detection services/software

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School of Computing, Engineering and Information
SciencesCentre for Excellence in Teaching and
Learning - Assessment for Learning

• JISC Plagiarism Advisory Service,
• On-line advice and resources
• Guidance and advice including comprehensive
  advice for students
• TurnitinUK detection software Enables staff and
  students to compare their work against
  electronic sources and other students work.

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School of Computing, Engineering and Information
SciencesCentre for Excellence in Teaching and
Learning - Assessment for Learning

• http//www.jiscpas.ac.uk/

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School of Computing, Engineering and Information
SciencesCentre for Excellence in Teaching and
Learning - Assessment for Learning

• Three steps
• assessment design,
• balance generic and specific knowledge which
  requires development and argument
• self/guided evaluation of electronic drafts,
• this strongly encourages students to plan their
  work
• confidence in final submission
• students are more aware of what is expected of
  them

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School of Computing, Engineering and Information
SciencesCentre for Excellence in Teaching and
Learning - Assessment for Learning
13
School of Computing, Engineering and Information
SciencesCentre for Excellence in Teaching and
Learning - Assessment for Learning
14
School of Computing, Engineering and Information
SciencesCentre for Excellence in Teaching and
Learning - Assessment for Learning
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School of Computing, Engineering and Information
SciencesCentre for Excellence in Teaching and
Learning - Assessment for Learning
Staff comments a very useful formative tool to
which the students response was
positive students find that it made the
concepts of plagiarism referencing easier to
understand helped to give confidence to use
their own words
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School of Computing, Engineering and Information
SciencesCentre for Excellence in Teaching and
Learning - Assessment for Learning

• General issues
• students need to understand how to productively
  use feedback,
• some students will become concerned with common
  knowledge, genuine mistakes or beating the
  system
• colleagues not using the system need to
  understand and also reinforce the plagiarism
  message

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School of Computing, Engineering and Information
SciencesCentre for Excellence in Teaching and
Learning - Assessment for Learning