Moving Beyond “Don’t Do It:” an alternative approach to teaching about plagiarism Kristen di Gennaro, Director of Composition, NYC Jennifer Rosenstein, First Year Outreach Services Librarian, NYC

Essential Questions Is there a discrepancy between students’ perceptions of plagiarism and faculty’s perceptions? How do we define and understand plagiarism? How do we educate to prevent plagiarism?

Plagiarism Attitude Scale Complete the following online survey: tinyurl.com/PaceFI 2017 → Answer as you imagine an undergraduate student would answer

Students’ Responses

Plagiarism is common among my peers.

Sometimes I feel tempted to plagiarize because so many other students are doing it.

I believe I know accurately what constitutes plagiarism and what does not.

Plagiarism is as bad as stealing the final exam ahead of time and memorizing the answers.

If my roommate gives me permission to use his or her paper for one of my classes, I don’t think there is anything wrong with doing that.

Plagiarism is justified if the professor assigns too much work in the course.

The punishment for plagiarism in college should be light because we are young people just learning the ropes.

If a student buys or downloads free a whole research paper and turns it in unchanged with his or her name as the author, the student should be expelled from the university.

Plagiarism is against my ethical values.

Because plagiarism involves taking another person’s words and not his or her materials goods, plagiarism is no big deal.

It’s okay to use something you have written in the past to fulfill a new assignment because you can’t plagiarize yourself.

If I lend a paper to another student to look at, and then that student turns it in as his or her own and is caught, I should not be punished also.

If students caught plagiarizing received a special grade for cheating (such as XF) on their permanent transcript, that policy would deter many from plagiarizing.

Perceptions of Plagiarism Comparison and contrast

Defining Plagiarism Less clear cases: Clear Cases (mostly): Submitting a paper that someone else has written Submitting a paper purchased online or elsewhere Re-submitting a paper assigned and graded for a previous course (?) Less clear cases: Distinguishing “common knowledge” from intellectual property Inadequate paraphrasing Careless documentation of secondary sources Failure to apply disciplinary citation conventions

(Re-)Defining the Problem Clear Cases (mostly): An ethical issue (intention to deceive) Intentional Deception Cheating -- Defying the rules Less clear cases A practical problem (lack of awareness) Unintentional Inexperience with academic writing Learning -- Not applying conventions Ethical problem <----------------------------------> Pedagogical problem Clear dichotomies, or a continuum? The causes, responses, and methods of prevention depend on which end of the continuum we choose to address.

Based on the survey, students appear to know what intentional plagiarism is, that they see it as an ethical violation, and that they avoid it. Perhaps the main problem is less about intentional plagiarism and more about unintentional plagiarism, lack of awareness of citation conventions required in academic writing. We propose a two-pronged approach: Engage students emotionally and appeal to their sense of justice Teach the conventions for citation along with the definitions of what constitutes plagiarism

Prevention over Punishment “If you don’t tell me, how can I know?” Students need to learn/we need to teach the norms and conventions of the academy. Norms and conventions serve as gate-keeping devices; they distinguish members from non- members in a discourse community. Labeling all students who fail to apply conventions as dishonest marks them as outsiders and punishes them for not fitting in with the discourse community. Acts labeled plagiarism may be “sign[s] of an authentic beginner engaged in the work of acquiring a new discourse” (Valentine, 2006, p. 97). Re-frame instruction about plagiarism as creating an identity within the academic community. Students know to avoid plagiarism but they don’t always know what counts as plagiarism. Students do not want to identify with dishonesty. As faculty, maybe we should focus on what to do as opposed to what not to do.

Focus on Citation Conventions Teach students about citation conventions -- why they exist, where they come from, how they vary across disciplines, etc. Identify the mismatch between students’ citation practices and disciplinary standards. Develop an appreciation for the value of citations. Students learn not just how but also why citing properly is important for them as well as for us.

A Real World Example: The University of Bradford, UK 2008 started Plagiarism Awareness Program (PAP) Required part of the punishment for plagiarism 97% of students found it very or quite useful Fall 2011 started Plagiarism Avoidance for New Students (PANS) Delivered through Blackboard Required of all incoming students Different versions for different citation styles After implementation of PANS referrals for plagiarism “dropped significantly” (George et al 155)