Plagiarism

What is plagiarism?

This week’s blog topic is plagiarism detection and prevention. First let’s start of by defining plagiarism. According to www.dictionary.com plagiarism is, “an act or instance of using or closely imitating language and thoughts of another author without authorization and the representation of that author’s work as one’s own by not crediting the original author.”  Plagiarism involves both stealing someone else’s work and then lying about it afterward.

What plagiarism detection software is available to online instructors?

Today there are many different software tools available for online instructors in order to help prevent plagiarism with students. Understanding the different tools will help with instructors to determine which one will work in each situation.

Some examples of detection software include:

§  Turnitin (www.turnitin.com)- this site allows for instructors to view student work against many other sources and student written papers. This program also assists with spelling and grammar mistakes.

§  Free Grammarly (www.grammarly.com)- this site allows for papers/documents to be copied and pasted into the site. The site checks for plagiarism, grammar & spelling mistakes. It checks over 2 billion documents for plagiarism.

§  Scanmyessay (www.scanmyessay.com) – allows for documents to be scanned over thousands of documents, allows for an unlimited length, resubmission, a side by side comparison of documents, provides links for plagiarized work, and is free.

How can the design of assessments help prevent academic dishonesty?

       Effective course design practices place a high priority on designing assessment experiences that matter to the student” (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). Course assessments should be designed to align with the course goals and outcomes. Creating assessments that allow for student choice allows learners to develop a personalized and customized learning experience that requires innovative thinking (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). Instructors can provide students with guidelines to follow or rubrics to assist the development of the project. If an instructor gives clear directions for an assignment there is less room for the students to “copy and paste” from other sources.

What facilitation strategies do you propose to use as a current or future online instructor?

            Some different strategies that I would implement in my online course are to use tools or software such as Turnitin or Scanmyessay. Using these tools will help to identify student work that is not written in their own words. I also feel that it is important to inform students that all work will be checked through sites such as these. When students know their work is going to be checked they will be more cautious about using and citing sources.

What additional considerations for online teaching should be made to help detect or prevent cheating and plagiarism?

Providing clear guidelines and consequences for plagiarism is essential in any setting. Instructors should give clear guidelines for plagiarism, cheating and using someone else’s work without crediting the author. If clear expectations are set then there is no question if they are not followed by a student throughout the course. Instructors should confront students if they suspect any type of cheating or plagiarism has taken place.

References

Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.

Part 2 The Impact of Technology and Multimedia

What impact does technology and multimedia have on online learning environments?

Technology and multimedia add to knowledge and learning by providing hands-on experiences. When learners use technology and multimedia, they are able to apply their prior knowledge and new understanding in a new way. The more each learner uses and explores, the more they can share and then explore on their own. “In an effort to enhance student learning, effective educators have knowledgeably leveraged appropriate doses of selected multimedia to supplement the course content. In so doing, they have successfully aided the learner to achieve better learning outcomes for the needed objective” (Goodrich, 2013).

What are the most important considerations an online instructor should make before implementing technology?

 

Facilitators must be strategic in their choosing when it comes to implementing technology and multimedia within a course.  They should also consider the simplicity or ease of which the specific technologies can be learned and used.  Lastly, instructors should qualify the need by consider the following objectives:

 A) Does it satisfy the need for student learning?

B) Do they have prior knowledge enough to navigate the software?

C) Is the technology being used to reflect or assess student progress?

D) Can it be used collaboratively and asynchronously?

E) Do they help build an effective online community? (Boettcher &Conrad, 2011).

 

What implications do usability and accessibility of technology tools have for online teaching?

 The technology tools need to be accessible both by the instructor and the students.  You would not want a hard to use, undependable CMS to be your support system for your class.  This would be frustrating for the instructor and students. The technologies used must be user friendly, easily understood and reliable.

 Another good idea might be to have alternative options in case a specific technology fails. A back up plan is a must when it comes to online classes. Even a simple machine like a phone can mean the difference of passing or failing a class, if the main technology fails.

What technology tools are most appealing to you for online teaching as your move forward in your career in instructional design?

Every class I take through Walden University introduces me to some new technology. This class, Online Instructional Strategies, introduced me to Voicethread. I love this software! I have recently begun using it in my 5^th grade online class to communicate important messages to parents.  So many emails are sent to students and parents that often times they are not read; however, if I put a 20 second Voicethread announcement accessible with a quick link, the message is read to them. My overall completion rate is up due to this software integration.

Although I am not much of a gamer, I have seen firsthand the positive results students experience when they plan online games that help to increase their math, reading or test taking skills.  I will incorporate games or simulations into any training I develop.

As for specific technologies I would like to use at some point and time, they are; Blackboard, Canvas, Adobe, Google Docs, Prezis, Voicethread, Wikis and Survey Monkey and Audacity.

References

Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Goodrich, David (2011).  What are the effects of multimedia on learning? Retrieved from: http://sites.arbor.edu/oat/2011/02/07/what-are-the-effects-of-multimedia-on-learning/