Eighth Biennial National Conference of the Association for Academic Language and Learning (AALL) 29 - 30 November 2007
Abstract
Avoiding plagiarism: A focus on the educational design of online support for referencing
Joanne Dearlove
Learning Development, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522 Australia
dearlove@uow.edu.au
Dai Fei Yang
Learning Skills Unit, University of Western Sydney, Penrith South DC 1797, NSW Australia
d.yang@uws.edu.au
This paper discusses the development of a website designed according to Goodyear’s (2006) educational design model and provides a discussion of the value of this model in the design of e-learning spaces. The site was designed in order to assist first year students to avoid plagiarism. It focuses on teaching the mechanical aspects of citation practices and on developing an understanding of the reasons for inadvertent plagiarism and the enquiry contexts which govern citation practices. Some of the technological considerations underpinning the design of the site are also discussed and some tentative outcomes of the use of the site are presented. The overall findings were that students find the site usable and useful. The paper concludes that Web-based support in developing students’ academic referencing skills seems to be an effective way of teaching the skills and understandings necessary for students to avoid plagiarism, with added staff and convenience benefits. The use of Goodyear’s model was found useful in facilitating consideration of the trade-offs and balances that could be made between learning space design aspects of the site and the organisational form aspects of the site in the achievement of educational objectives. Specifically, consideration of organisational form and space in the development of learning tasks allowed for the targeting of both a specific cohort of students and a more general audience.
Key Words: educational design, plagiarism, referencing, website design
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