Plagiarism: Are FE Plagiarism: Are FE Students Getting Away Students Getting Away With Words?With Words?

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IntroductionIntroduction

Dudley College applied to take part in this programme to support the curriculum staff, in determining the effectiveness of electronic plagiarism detection software in identifying plagiarism in student assignments.

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Additional BenefitsAdditional Benefits

• Allowed the College to Demonstrate Allowed the College to Demonstrate Academic Rigor for QAA Inspection Academic Rigor for QAA Inspection Purposes.Purposes.

• Enabled the College to Assess the use of Enabled the College to Assess the use of such software, for use alongside our such software, for use alongside our current ILT provision.current ILT provision.

• Opportunity to Develop Research as an Opportunity to Develop Research as an Activity Within the College.Activity Within the College.

MethodologyMethodology

• In this exercise, Students handed In this exercise, Students handed their work to their Tutor on Disk, and their work to their Tutor on Disk, and these Disks were then sent to the ILT these Disks were then sent to the ILT manager who uploaded them onto the manager who uploaded them onto the Software. If we were to operate this Software. If we were to operate this system live across the whole College, system live across the whole College, then we would probably train students then we would probably train students to upload to their tutor automatically.to upload to their tutor automatically.

Results.Results.

• 40 Disks returned. Extensive Web 40 Disks returned. Extensive Web Use on Two HND Students. No Use Use on Two HND Students. No Use by NVQ/GNVQ Intermediate by NVQ/GNVQ Intermediate Engineers.Engineers.

• No evidence of extensive No evidence of extensive Plagiarism.Plagiarism.

ConclusionsConclusions

• Evidence Might be Flawed Due to Legal Evidence Might be Flawed Due to Legal Requirement of Project Disclosure.Requirement of Project Disclosure.

• Students who used Web Based Material Students who used Web Based Material referenced it- Surprise, Surprise.referenced it- Surprise, Surprise.

• Software was difficult to use due to cut Software was difficult to use due to cut and Paste Upload Technique.and Paste Upload Technique.

• Students and Staff appeared to express Students and Staff appeared to express no Hostility to Software.no Hostility to Software.

Conclusions ContinuedConclusions Continued

• Software needs to cover Books and Software needs to cover Books and Journals, which are the Main Sources of Journals, which are the Main Sources of Plagiarism used by Students (according Plagiarism used by Students (according to Staff) within FE.to Staff) within FE.

• Software must be able to Catch Software must be able to Catch Graphics (which formed the main part of Graphics (which formed the main part of the Engineering Students Work).the Engineering Students Work).

TIP As appropriate, supplement

your presentation with technicalsupport data in hard copy

or on disc, e-mail, internet

Should FE Be Interested In Should FE Be Interested In This?This?

• Yes, as Electronic Submission Will Reduce Yes, as Electronic Submission Will Reduce Paper, and Claims that Staff have ‘Lost’ Paper, and Claims that Staff have ‘Lost’ Work.Work.

• Yes, as more of our Students become ILT Yes, as more of our Students become ILT Trained, to Maintain Academic Standards. Trained, to Maintain Academic Standards.

• Yes, if a College Intends to Develop ILT Yes, if a College Intends to Develop ILT Courses, to Supervise Material Submitted Courses, to Supervise Material Submitted by Distance Students for Assessment.by Distance Students for Assessment.