Comments on: Plagiarism Detection Tools /websites/expertvoices/archives/2920 Opinions from the PI of ChemEd DL and others; news from the world of chemical education. Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:38:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: John Moore /websites/expertvoices/archives/2920#comment-1621 John Moore Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:22:03 +0000 /websites/expertvoices/archives/2920#comment-1621 This article from the New York Times describes one approach to preventing cheating and plagiarism (http://nyti.ms/bTSDyu). Given the ease with which students can copy material from the Web and the existence of sites where students are rewarded for uploading assignments for other students to copy and paste as their own, it is not surprising that more than 55% of institutions of higher education are using online services that detect plagiarism. There seem to be two major approaches--at opposite poles. One is to go all out to prevent plagiarism and the other is to encourage an honor code where the entire institution is mobilized to prevent it. In some cases, changing assignments may be successful in making cheating less likely; for example, allowing students a card with formulas and other information they may need during an exam should lessen the temptation to copy. However, in other areas, such as when students are assigned to create an original work, there appears to be nothing do do except apply the best detection tools and/or rely on an honor system. What is your experience with cheating? Are there good ways to improve learning and discourage cheating at the same time? What are they? Or is a strong police presence the only cure? This article from the New York Times describes one approach to preventing cheating and plagiarism (http://nyti.ms/bTSDyu). Given the ease with which students can copy material from the Web and the existence of sites where students are rewarded for uploading assignments for other students to copy and paste as their own, it is not surprising that more than 55% of institutions of higher education are using online services that detect plagiarism.

There seem to be two major approaches–at opposite poles. One is to go all out to prevent plagiarism and the other is to encourage an honor code where the entire institution is mobilized to prevent it. In some cases, changing assignments may be successful in making cheating less likely; for example, allowing students a card with formulas and other information they may need during an exam should lessen the temptation to copy. However, in other areas, such as when students are assigned to create an original work, there appears to be nothing do do except apply the best detection tools and/or rely on an honor system.

What is your experience with cheating? Are there good ways to improve learning and discourage cheating at the same time? What are they? Or is a strong police presence the only cure?

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