Strategies for reducing plagiarism
Teaching students referencing conventions and the skills needed for assessment tasks, and designing assessments in certain ways can minimise student plagiarism (de Lambert, Ellen & Taylor, 2006).
In addition to the strategies below, James, McInnis and Devlin (2002) [PDF 365KB] present 36 ways to minimise plagiarism.
Developing students’ study skills
- Work out the skills that students will need in order to successfully complete assessment tasks. Plan ways of teaching these skills.
- Early diagnostic tasks provide opportunity to give feedback to students.
- Students require feedback so they know which areas they need to work on.
Assessment tasks
- Align assessment tasks with the subject learning aims and objectives;
- Align assessment tasks with the teaching and learning activities in your subject curriculum;
- Give early low mark tasks from which students can learn for future assessments;
- Set tasks which compare, evaluate and seek comment;
- Set tasks which focus on applying knowledge and constructing a response rather than finding and describing information or answers;
- Change your assessment tasks from year to year as required by the Academic Misconduct Policy;
- A personal perspective / reflection can be required as part of an assignment. This could either draw on students' individual experiences or on shared experiences that you have provided;
- For group work, require an individual response developed from what was learnt from the group;
- Provide clear guidelines for group work tasks and which parts are to be submitted individually or as a group;
- Require plans and stages of making a text to be submitted as part of a folio of writing documents.
For ideas on designing appropriate assessment tasks visit the assessment page and/or consult with a staff member from the Curriculum, Teaching and Learning Centre.
Use Turnitin as an educational tool
Students and academic staff can use Turnitin to check the originality of work.
- Set up a Revision facility in your Turnitin class. This enables students to check their own work to ensure quotations have been properly cited.
- You can check students’ work to see that they know how to reference.
The University of Queensland lists the following benefits for using Turnitin
- Students learn how to prepare and submit original work (e.g. use of proper referencing techniques).
- Students learn to evaluate their own skills and self-educate themselves on avoiding plagiarism in the future.
- Students know their intellectual property is protected – Turnitin date stamps submitted work providing an indication of originality; and assists those wanting to publish their work as it provides some protection against others copying all or part of their work.
References
de lambert, K., Ellen, N., & Taylor, L. (2006). Chalkface challenges: A study of academic dishonesty amongst students in New Zealand teritiary institutions. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education (31)5, 485-503.
James, R., McInnis, C. and Devlin, M. (2002) Assessing Learning in Australian Universities. Excerpt prepared by Marcia Devlin. http://www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/assessinglearning/docs/PlagMain.pdf Accessed 18/9/08