Student plagiarism in Norwegian universities and

university colleges:

What works, what doesn’t work, what still needs to be done

Jude CarrollKTH & Oxford Brookes University, UK

‘Shared problem, shared responsibility’: but also

… shared solutions. Shared ideas. Shared expertise.

… a network across Norwegian Higher Education

…. open exchange [of data, ideas, approaches…..]

…. learning from other countries’ experiences

About the presentation

• Mix of talk and discussion / activity

• Key issues, not all the issues

• Starts with my summary of effective practice + [what has not been effective][what I suggest needs doing….]

• Then addressing five points in detail – [and I will define plagiarism ….]

About me and plagiarism …. from 2001

Plagiarism as way to encourage educational development

… helping students understand ‘learning’

…. as a way to show students what we value

Plagiarism as a complex issue.

What is plagiarism?

What do we mean by ‘plagiarism’?

…. In this department?….. At this level of study?…… for this particular task?

What is a plagiarising student doing?

She is submitting work which is not her own work. It is more correct to say that the work belongs to someone else, not to the student. She is not acknowledging the person who did the work. She is seeking personal credit or benefit from the work.

[‘Here is my work. Now give me some credit in return for this work.’]

She is creating a false impression in the mind of the person who is giving a grade or giving her credit.

What is deception involving plagiarism?

Trying to deceive the person giving the grade about who did the submitted work

This is cheating

-assumes she knows the correct way-assumes she has planned her actions with that aim-assumes you can show evidence of her intention to

deceive

Norwegian statement on Ethics in research in the social sciences etc (2007)

These actions are mentioned:

"falsification, fabrication, plagiarism and other serious breaches of good scientific practice that have been committed wilfully or through gross negligence* when planning, carrying out or reporting on research".

* my emphasis

Me: ‘Not all plagiarism is cheating’Journalist: ‘Yes, but……’Q: How much plagiarism

in Norway is cheating?

Q: How often do students cheat?

Q: What students cheat more than others?

Q: Do the students these days cheat more than they used to?

Q: Why do teachers think students are ready?

Q: How often do students not understand teachers’ expectations?

Q: Which students need extra teaching and extra support and do not get it?

Q: What has changed in the last few years for students finding and using information?

1. Copy without acknowledging the source – from the Web, from books, from experts (for example, taking another person’s code), from peers

2. Take: Use another person’s argument or ideas or research or structure or images etc without giving credit

3. Commission: ask other students, experts or ‘services’ to do the work

4. Re-use : their own work or another person’s work

5. ‘Freeload’ in groups and fabricate [‘make up….’]

What students do when they plagiarise

….. cheating

It happens

I hate it

I can tell you many stories about it. You can probably tell each other many stories about it…….

It is rising from a low or very low base….

In the Anglophone world, it is now Big Business.

One or two examples……..

What works?

What doesn’t work?

What needs to be done?

What doesn’t work?

1.Looking for simple solutions

2.Expecting quick solutions

3.Expecting one or two people to solve it

4.Expecting it in only some students

5.Expecting plagiarism to go away

Are there simple solutions?

• Software• No home exams…..• Higher penalties• Tell the students, ‘Don’t do it!’ [often at the

beginning of the programme…..]• Deny / ignore the issue …. • Blame some groups

What works? [What has been shown around the world to be an effective way to deter students from plagiarism?]

1. Pedagogic issue, not evidence of lack of morality

2. Students and teachers understand what is needed

3. Assignments that say: ‘Make an answer’ not ‘Find an answer’

4. Policies that do not hurt the person who spots the plagiarism

5. Procedures for dealing with cases that are fast, fair and trusted

Do students understand?

16

Do students understand….

- what plagiarism is?

- What they must do to avoid it?

- what skills they need? [NOT just referencing…..]

In five minutes: 1. % starting university who understand2. % in Year 3 who understand

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To build understanding

• Active discussion, not passive listening

• Little and often [Once is not enough]

• Building over time to more complex skills

What needs to be done [I think]

1. Deal with false ideas All plagiarism is cheatingAll plagiarism must be reportedAll plagiarism cases are mismanaged by Disciplinary

Board/Appeals CommitteesPlagiarism is ‘rife’; it is a serious threat to standards

2. Get teachers to see plagiarism as their issue

3. Get teachers to rethink the assignments they give to students - especially home examinations

4. Teach students the necessary skills

5. Devise procedures for cases which match the needs of 2009

Action 1: Dealing with false ideas

Plagiarism results from students who

- do not understand what is expected

- do not do what is expected

- cheat or deliberately try and deceive.

Cheating, – intent to deceive

MANAGE

and

PUNISH

REPORT for DISCIPLINEThe work is ‘not the

student’s own’. Studentdoes not know

MARK

and

TEACH Where is this line?

Student knows; but the work is ’not OK’

Action 2: Getting teachers to see this as their issue

Removing the blocks

Seeing teaching as skills development + content

Programme level planning

Shared responsibilities

They are accrediting learning

What needs to be done [I think]

1. Deal with false ideas All plagiarism is cheatingAll plagiarism must be reportedAll plagiarism cases are mismanaged Plagiarism is a serious threat to standards

2. Get teachers to see plagiarism as their issue

3. Get teachers to rethink assignments - especially home examinations

4. Teach students the necessary skills

5. Devise procedures for cases which match the needs of 2009

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Procedures for cases: the ‘can of worms’

Read them through with me.

There will be chances to discuss these.

My recommendations

Start anywhere

Build local coalitions and groups

Top-down and bottom up

Programme focus

Policy underpins everything: if that is wrong, then everything else is tough……

Let’s come back to these issues after we hear from the rest of the speakers today……