This is kind of “old news” for my field– that is, it’s probably better to teach students what plagiarism is and how to avoid it– but since this has been a topic before on EMUTalk.org and it is still “news” for other fields, I suggest taking a look at Inside Higher Ed’s “Plagiarism Prevention Without Fear.” Here are the opening paragraphs:
Could student plagiarism actually be reduced? And could it be reduced not through fear of being caught, but through … education?
The evidence in a study released Monday suggests that the answer to both questions is Yes — which could be welcome news to faculty members who constantly complain about students who either don’t know what plagiarism is or don’t bother to follow the rules about the integrity of assignments they prepare.
While many instructors have reported anecdotal evidence of the success of various techniques they have used in a few courses, this study is based on a much larger cohort, including a control group. The study found that a relatively short Web tutorial about academic integrity and plagiarism can have a significant impact on whether students plagiarize, with the greatest gains (for integrity) coming among student groups that are statistically more likely to plagiarize — which are those with lesser academic credentials.
Further, surveys of the participants suggest that it was the education involved — not fear of detection — that led to the differences.
