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Cultural diversity and plagiarismSupporting
English as a Second Language Students,
Sunderland University, 16thth June, 2004. Gill
Rowell, Support Officer, Plagiarism Advisory
Service.gillian.rowell_at_northumbria.ac.uk
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Plagiarism Advisory Service www.jiscpas.ac.uk

• Based at Northumbria University
• to provide advice and guidance on all aspects
  of of plagiarism prevention and detection to
  institutions, academic and students.

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The Plagiarism Advisory Service promotes a
holistic approach

• Robust institutional policies and procedures.
• Good academic practice.
• Study skills.
• Detecting plagiarism via electronic means.

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Is there a real problem in the UK?

• Little definitive research as to the true
  nature/extent of plagiarism in UK FE
  institutions.
• Various cultural and technological factors mean
  that there is the potential for plagiarism to be
  an issue

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Cultural factors

• Diversity of the student population.
• Increasing student numbers.
• Lack of clarity of what actually constitutes
  plagiarism.

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Cultural factors research

• Students from different international backgrounds
  have very different learning styles
• Research by Lancaster University.
• PAS research with Greek students.
• PAS research with Chinese students.
• (http//www.jiscpas.ac.uk/site/pubs_cultural.asp)

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Intronas preliminary findings

• Chinese students
• Reverence for authority meant that they were
  unable to rewrite/paraphrase.
• Indian students
• Although plagiarism was viewed as unacceptable,
  feeling that English was inadequate.
• Greek students
• Plagiarism from the Internet was OK.

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Intronas preliminary findings (2)

• Spanish students
• Plagiarism as we know it, was deemed to be
  acceptable in Spanish education.
• African students
• Plagiarism was widely accepted.

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PAS research with Greek students

• Perceptions of plagiarism is informed by peers
  and not by University policy.
• Little/no knowledge of the issue from previous
  educational background.
• Greek learning process involved memorisation and
  rote.
• Lack of clarity/uniformity in University
  procedures
• Sidera-Sideri (2003)

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PAS research with Chinese students

• Tutors seen as second parents, and figures of
  authority, therefore unwilling to ask questions.
• Differing perceptions of plagiarism and what
  constitutes it.
• Inconsistency in referencing styles.
• Banwell (2003)

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Key issues from research

• Socio/cultural adjustments.
• Intronas culture shock.
• Differing learning styles.
• Ideological perceptions of plagiarism.

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The challenge

• How do we accommodate diversity without unfairly
  penalising any cultural group?

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Some solutions?

• Appreciate the rich diversity.
• Provide practical help.
• Think about alternative assessment issues which
  encourage rather than alienate different learning
  styles.
• Offer help with referencing and citation.
• Be consistent!

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Questions?
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