Finding Solutions to Plagiarism

Robin S. Wallace

Liberty University

Plagiarism is a constant problem for professors and instructors. Rather than focusing solely on identifying acts of plagiarism and implementing punitive measures, it may be possible for instructors to structure assignments in such a way that it makes plagiarism difficult and unnecessary. By creating unique assignments, it may largely eliminate the need or opportunity for students to commit acts of plagiarism and it will reduce the amount of pressure placed on professors who are forced to detect plagiarism and ensure proper disciplinary action against the offender(s).
Article Summary:

Brittney Hansen, Danica Stith and Lee Tesdell (2011) theorize in their article that instructors can aid in the elimination of student plagiarism by crafting their assignments in ways that would make it difficult for students to cheat or plagiarize (p.188). The authors pointed to a program developed at Carnegie Mellon University for which the basis is that if an assignment is unique in what it asks of a student, it would be highly unlikely that students could find sources from which to plagiarize (Hansen, Stith, and Tesdell, 2011, p. 189). Carnegie Mellon’s Enhancing Education program also contends that if an assignment consists of different segments, that would also make it difficult for a student to plagiarize their work (Hansen, Stith, and Tesdell, 2011, p. 189).
Hansen et al note that in the field of technical communication, students access and use “boilerplate templates, single sourcing, and collaboratively written texts,” which may blur the traditional definition of plagiarism (Hansen et al, 2011, p. 189). The authors note that the typical approach to plagiarism by instructors has focused on disciplinary action rather than educational measures (Hansen et al, 2011, p. 189).
Hansen et al (2011) believe that they have developed two different types of assignments that instructors could use that would make it difficult for students to plagiarize (p.190). The authors believe that the more unique or unusual an assignment, the students’ work would have to be truly unique and nearly impossible to plagiarize (Hansen et al, 2011, p. 190). They also believe that if instructors created “portfolio-based assignments,” which students would continue to build upon, that too would eliminate plagiarism (Hansen et al, 2011, p. 190). Hansen et al (2011) believe that if instructors all for in-class work time, the instructors could monitor student progress in addition to making sure that the students’ work is solely their own (p.190). Finally, Hansen et al (2011) suggest that students should also have collaborative assignments so that they can learn the difference between plagiarism and working collaboratively with others (p.190).
Reactions to Paper: I believe that Hansen et al make very interesting and valid points. They argue that so much time is spent on detecting plagiarism rather than instructors utilizing assignments that could help avoid it altogether. In their proposal of two different types of assignments that may help to eliminate plagiarism in student work, I think the authors fail to fully acknowledge that in some fields, these types of assignments are not options. For example, science-related fields, their proposal would be difficult. However, for certain fields, the two types of assignments would result in truly creative and unique work that would be difficult, if not impossible for students to plagiarize. It is nearly impossible to plagiarize creativity. In turn, these unique and creative assignments places greater responsibility of the instructor(s) as well, which is not an issue that the authors addressed. The authors’ assertions that in-class work time would allow an instructor to closely monitor student work is not a feasible one. This would be a difficult achievement in primary and secondary education, much less in college level courses, simply due to time constraints. I think the submittal of revised drafts would be a more appropriate solution as instructors could evaluate a student’s continued progress on individual projects and would not take up precious class time. I think the authors make a great case for developing assignments that eliminate a student’s inclination to plagiarize, however, I feel that more needs to be done in order to define plagiarism and explore the various types of plagiarism and the ramifications that it can have for an individual. If a student is faced with expulsion versus a reduced grade as punishment for plagiarism, the consequences should be enough to deter a student. Plagiarism is not a natural inclination, and while it is important to promote creativity, it is equally important to know that there are right and wrong ways to do things and there are consequences for your choices and actions.
Conclusion:
Hansen et al make a compelling argument in their proposal to find ways to eliminate the use of plagiarism by students. Structuring assignments in such a way that it forces students’ work to be unique provides an interesting solution to an age old problem. While the proposal is persuasive, it is not a perfect solution. The proposal puts a greater strain on professors to create unique assignments, which in turn may be more difficult to grade. In addition, the proposal simply is not suitable for every field, nor does it eliminate the need for finding ways to detect and avoid acts of plagiarism.

References

Hansen, B., Stith, D., & Tesdell, L. (2011). Plagiarism: What’s The Big Deal? Business
Communication Quarterly, 74(2), 188-191. Retrieved February 17, 2015, from
EBSCOhost.