Using Technology to Detect Plagiarism

Ken Parcella

January 12, 2008

Source: Using Technology in the Classroom

Gary G. Bitter & Jane M. Legacy

An Internet Disadvantage

Even though there are

great benefits of the

internet, there is potential

for information from the

internet to be used

inappropriately.

Plagiarism Statistics A national survey published in

Education Week found that: 54% of students admitted

to plagiarizing from the internet

74% of students admitted that at least once during the past school year they had engaged in "serious" cheating

47% of students believe their teachers sometimes choose to ignore students who are cheating www.plagiarism.org

According to a survey by the Psychological Record 36% of undergraduates have admitted to plagiarizing written material www.plagiarism.org

Ways Students Plagiarize

• Cut and paste whole text pages into their work

• Accessing complete essays online and using for their own from such websites as:

a. http://Cheathouse.com

b. www.planetpapers.com

c. www.costal.edu/library/mills2.htm

Deterring Plagiarism

1. Let students know that you are aware that the possibility of cheating using technology exist

2. Teach students about the correct way to cite online material

3. Educate students about the seriousness of plagiarism

Deterring Plagiarism, Cont.

4. Require specific components or source for the assignment

5. Structure assignments with smaller parts due at various times

6. Include topics that spark students’ interests

Detecting Plagiarism

1. Compare writing of the assignment with in class assignments

2. Check that any references made in the assignment are current

Detecting Plagiarism, Cont.

3. Analyze the assignment for any formatting changes that would signal pasted chunks of text

4. Ensure that the submitted work is appropriate to the assigned topic

Technology Catches Cheaters

1. Teachers can paste or retype a phrase from the assignment directly into a search engine such as Google or AltaVista

Technology Catches Cheaters, Cont.

2. School districts may subscribe to specific plagiarism detection sites, such as: www.turnitin.com

www.TurnItIn.com

This website requires students to directly upload their assignments to the internet

The site then matches the text to their databases of other papers online, as well as other papers submitted by students in their teacher’s previous courses

The site will return color-coded results showing the pieces of the text that have been plagiarized

THANK YOU

Any questions?