Plagiarism has always concerned teachers and administrators, who want students’ work to repre­sent their own efforts and to reflect the outcomes of their learning.Ausubel cognitive learning theory however, with the advent of the internet and easy access to almost limitless written material on every conceivable topic, suspi­cion of student plagiarism has begun to affect teachers at all levels, at times diverting them from the work of developing students’ writing, reading, and critical thinking abilities.Ausubel cognitive learning theory

This statement responds to the growing educational concerns about plagiarism in four ways: by defining plagiarism; by suggesting some of the causes of plagiarism; by proposing a set of respon­sibilities (for students, teachers, and administrators) to address the problem of plagiarism; and by recommending a set of practices for teaching and learning that can significantly reduce the likeli­hood of plagiarism.Ausubel cognitive learning theory the statement is intended to provide helpful suggestions and clarifications so that instructors, administrators, and students can work together more effectively in support of excellence in teaching and learning.Ausubel cognitive learning theory

Ethical writers make every effort to acknowledge sources fully and appropriately in accordance with the contexts and genres of their writing.Ausubel cognitive learning theory A student who attempts (even if clumsily) to identify and credit his or her source, but who misuses a specific citation format or incorrectly uses quota­tion marks or other forms of identifying material taken from other sources, has not plagiarized.Ausubel cognitive learning theory instead, such a student should be considered to have failed to cite and document sources appropri­ately.

Students who are fully aware that their actions constitute plagiarism—for example, copying pub­lished information into a paper without source attribution for the purpose of claiming the informa­tion as their own, or turning in material written by another student—are guilty of academic mis­conduct.Ausubel cognitive learning theory although no excuse will lessen the breach of ethical conduct that such behavior repre­sents, understanding why students plagiarize can help teachers to consider how to reduce the op­portunities for plagiarism in their classrooms.Ausubel cognitive learning theory

Students are not guilty of plagiarism when they try in good faith to acknowledge others’ work but fail to do so accurately or fully. These failures are largely the result of failures in prior teaching and learning: students lack the knowledge of and ability to use the conventions of authorial attri­bution.Ausubel cognitive learning theory the following conditions and practices may result in texts that falsely appear to represent plagiarism as we have defined it:

In some settings, using other people’s words or ideas as their own is an acceptable practice for writers of certain kinds of texts (for example, organizational documents), making the concepts of plagiarism and documentation less clear cut than academics often acknowledge and thereby confusing students who have not learned that the conventions of source attri­bution vary in different contexts.Ausubel cognitive learning theory

When assignments are highly generic and not classroom-specific, when there is no instruction on plagiarism and appropriate source attribution, and when students are not led through the iterative processes of writing and revising, teachers often find themselves playing an adversarial role as “plagiarism police” instead of a coaching role as educators.Ausubel cognitive learning theory just as students must live up to their responsibility to behave ethically and honestly as learners, teachers must recognize that they can encourage or discourage plagiarism not just by policy and admonition, but also in the way they structure assignments and in the processes they use to help students define and gain interest in topics developed for papers and projects.Ausubel cognitive learning theory

College writing is a process of goal setting, writing, giving and using feedback, revising, and ed­iting. Effective assignments construct specific writing situations and build in ample room for re­sponse and revision.Ausubel cognitive learning theory there is no guarantee that, if adopted, the strategies listed below will elimi­nate plagiarism; but in supporting students throughout their research process, these strategies make plagiarism both difficult and unnecessary.Ausubel cognitive learning theory

Talk about the underlying implications of plagiarism. Remind students that the goal of re­search is to engage, through writing, in a purposeful, scholarly discussion of issues that are sometimes passed over in daily life.Ausubel cognitive learning theory understanding, augmenting, engaging in dialogue with, and challenging the work of others are part of becoming an effective citizen in a complex society.Ausubel cognitive learning theory plagiarism does not simply devalue the institution and the degree it offers; it hurts the inquirer, who has avoided thinking independently and has lost the opportunity to participate in broader social conversations.Ausubel cognitive learning theory

Start building possible topics early. Good writing reflects a thorough understanding of the topic being addressed or researched. Giving students time to explore their topics slowly and helping them to narrow their focus from broad ideas to specific research questions will person­alize their research and provide evidence of their ongoing investigations

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Consider establishing a course theme, and then allow students to define specific questions about that theme so that they become engaged in learning new ideas and begin to own their research.Ausubel cognitive learning theory A course theme (like “literacy” or “popular culture”) allows students and in­structor to develop expertise and to support each other as they read, write, and engage in their research.Ausubel cognitive learning theory grounding the theme in a local context (such as the campus, or the neighborhood or city where the campus is located) can provide greater relevance to students’ lives.Ausubel cognitive learning theory once stu­dents have defined a topic within the course theme, ask them to reflect frequently on their choice of topic: about what they already know about the topic when they begin their research; about what new ideas they are learning along the way; and about what new subjects for re­search they are discovering.Ausubel cognitive learning theory

Develop schedules for students that both allow them time to explore and support them as they work toward defined topics. As researchers learn more about their subjects, they typi­cally discover new, unforeseen questions and interests to explore.Ausubel cognitive learning theory however, student research­ers do not have unlimited time for their work—at some point, they must choose a focus for their papers. Conferences with students (sometimes held in the library or computer resource center) are invaluable for enabling them to refine their focus and begin their inquiry.Ausubel cognitive learning theory

Support each step of the research process. Students often have little experience planning and conducting research. Using planning guides, in-class activities, and portfolios, instructors should “stage” students’ work and provide support at each stage—from invention to drafting, through revision and polishing.Ausubel cognitive learning theory collecting interim materials (such as annotated photocopies) helps break the research assignment down into elements of the research process while providing instructors with evidence of students’ original work.Ausubel cognitive learning theory building “low-stakes” writing into the research process, such as reflective progress reports, allows instructors to coach students more effectively while monitoring their progress.Ausubel cognitive learning theory

Attend to conventions of different genres of writing. As people who read and write aca­demic work regularly, instructors are sensitive to differences in conventions across different disciplines and, sometimes, within disciplines.Ausubel cognitive learning theory however, students might not be as aware of these differences. Plan activities—like close examinations of academic readings—that ask stu­dents to analyze and reflect on the conventions in different disciplines.Ausubel cognitive learning theory

Ask students to draw on and document a variety of sources. Build into your assignments additional sources, such as systematic observation, interviews, simple surveys, or other data­gathering methods.Ausubel cognitive learning theory incorporating a variety of sources can help students develop ways of gath­ering, assessing, reading, and using different kinds of information, and can make for a livelier, more unique paper.Ausubel cognitive learning theory

Show students how to evaluate their sources. Provide opportunities for students to discuss the quality of the content and context of their sources, through class discussions, electronic course management programs or internet chat spaces, or reflective assignments.Ausubel cognitive learning theory discuss with students how their sources will enable them to support their argument or document their re­search.

Ask students for documentation.Ausubel cognitive learning theory if a student’s work raises suspicions, talk with him or her about your concerns. Ask students to show you their in-process work (such as sources, sum­maries, and drafts) and walk you through their research process, describing how it led to the production of their draft.Ausubel cognitive learning theory if they are unable to do this, discuss with them the consequences of plagiarism described in your syllabus (and, perhaps, by your institution).Ausubel cognitive learning theory if you have talked with a student and want to pursue your own investigation of his or her work, turn to sources that the student is likely to have used and look for evidence of replication.Ausubel cognitive learning theory

Consider your goal. If a student has plagiarized, consider what the student should take away from the experience. In some cases, a failing grade on the paper, a failure in the course, aca­demic probation, or even expulsion might achieve those goals.Ausubel cognitive learning theory in other cases, recreating the entire research process, from start to finish, might be equally effective.