Preventing Plagiarism

Plagiarism has likely been a dilemma in education since the dawn of time. One could argue that prior to the digital age, it would have been easier for students to plagiarize that it is these day, because what teacher had the time to go and scroll through slides of microfisch, or dig through dusty magazines in the bowels of a library? In Chapter 8, Hicks points out that the changes in the way students conduct research in the 21^st century can have both significant benefits as well as complications. I agree with him in that regard. Owing to the digital age, students can “look at SparkNotes about the text, and find essays about the text from online paper mills” (Hicks, p. 155).

In my opinion, having instant access to an unfathomable amount of information is beneficial to students 90% of the time. I’ll get to that other 10% in a minute. In the “Open up the Ceiling on the Common Core State Standards” article, Sally Valentino Drew points out numerous benefits to online reading, such as the fact that “research demonstrates that struggling adolescent readers are motivated by digital reading environments, as opposed to the print-centric reading environments,” and that “online and other digital environments may allow struggling readers to break free.”

That makes all the sense in the world to me. Research can be daunting on its own without having to find actual, physical texts to support one’s claim. Almost anyone would agree that all of the information that lies a thumb stroke away is a positive thing.

Where we run into trouble is when students don’t synthesize what they read and state information in their own words. There are so many sources out there, that I honestly believe some students end up plagiarizing without meaning to. I’m all for reading an essay as a model or mentor text, but if a students reads twenty sample essays on how to compare and contrast Alice Walker and Maya Angelou, I can almost guarantee their final product won’t have one original thought. Or if we ask a student to take part in a discussion of themes in The Great Gatsby, five minutes spent on SparkNotes will ruin whatever discovery might have happened in the midst of their group of peers. There is no way to prevent students from seeking support through those sources, however, and some students who really struggle can benefit greatly from the extra scaffolding.

Where I disagree with Hicks is in his strong feelings against anti-plagiarism software. Hicks believes that using such devices “puts students in a defensive position and is likely to harm relationships.” Furthermore, he recommends using digital tools like “Easy Bib to defend against plagiarism” (p.158-159). I honestly don’t see how Easy Bib steers students away from plagiarizing. They still must enter the information, but where Easy Bib is problematic is that it can mess up spacing on students’ works cited page. Instead of teaching them how to use sources like Owl Purdue to create their own works cited page, we’re supposed to encourage using a crutch? My biggest issue, however, is in Hicks’ encouragement to not use anti-plagiarism software. I do see where he’s coming from in regards to eroding trust, but that is only if a teacher uses this software sporadically, such as when he/she is suspicious about a student’s writing. However, if the entire department or school uses the software every time there is a writing assignment, it becomes just another part of the routine for the student.

Unfortunately, I’ve had too much personal experience with this very topic in the last few months. Because I’m subbing for a teacher who is on maternity leave, I wasn’t used to Turnitin.com, and thought it was for only summative assignments. I didn’t tell my American Lit class to use it for their compare and contrast essays, and TWO of the students cheated. One submitted an essay that was 94% identical to a college student’s in Virginia. Turnitin.com provided the exact source, so it wasn’t difficult to confront the student. The other one plagiarized almost word for word from his peer in the same class – something I caught because I was paying attention, but Turnitin.com checks for that type of plagiarism, too. Our school’s policy is that students must have a 5% or below on Turnitin.com before they can even submit their work to teachers. The temptation to plagiarize is a non-issue, and students are ultra-diligent about thoughtful paraphrasing so they stay under the 5% marker. It teaches good habits and promotes honest writing.

Credit: Avatargeneration.com

WARNING: Possible side effects to film production in the classroom

I’ll admit it. My knee-jerk reaction to having my students create a film of any sort is a resounding no. Not because I’m opposed to film as a medium, and not because I’m afraid of technology. Well, maybe I’m a little bit afraid . . . Anyway, the main reason I’m not crazy about asking my students to create film is simply lack of time. It takes SO much time to create a quality project – even if it’s only a thirty-second commercial. We’re so strapped for time as it is, why ask students to go to all the hassle when they can accomplish the same goals by writing a paper?

Then I read the Hobbs chapters.

And I realized how my reluctance to take on this type of project might rob my students of valuable learning at a much deeper level than meeting the standards. There are possible side effects to creating video projects in the classroom, and these side effects can have lifelong impact.  They are:

1. Improvement in self-esteem

Any genre of film used in the classroom will be a highly scripted endeavor, even if it is a thirty-second commercial, or an interview segment. When students realize this, it results in an “aha” moment. Before students peek behind the curtain as to how scripted media is, most students think that those youTube hosts or TV emcees are naturally gifted speakers, and those witty/intelligent/snarky, etc. words fly out of their mouths spontaneously. Students don’t realize there are script writers, rehearsals, and multiple takes just to get it to look natural and spontaneous. The “light bulb” moment occurs when students realize that with careful planning, they too, can create a similar product.

2. Break out of comfort zone

Creating a video forces students to do things they wouldn’t normally do, such as interview strangers or people they don’t know well, as referenced in Hobbs’ chapter five.  The Ladue student found interviewing difficult at first, but then said, “It became natural after hours and hours of doing it. Breaking out of my comfort zone was surprisingly fun” (p. 86).

3. Promotes intellectual curiosity 

Hobbs believes working with media composition promotes intellectual curiosity, provided students are highly engaged in their topic (p. 88-89). There are many ways to communicate message via the film medium, but to do it well, students must fall in love with the subject matter.

4. Develops ethical stance

In the Hobbs chapter, students want to produce a conservation video about the pond behind their school. Normally, the pond is polluted with garbage, and when the students went to film it, they found a strong wind had blown it away, along with their chance of creating a meaty conservation video (p.91). Students wanted to “stage” the pollution by adding trash to the pond to serve their production purposes. A great class discussion on the ethics of filmmaking ensued.

5. Encourages critical thinking

Perhaps the most important “side effect” to teaching filmmaking is having students engage in critical thinking. Film is power, and the strength (and bias) of its message has no parallel. The first act students must reflect on is how they plan to portray their characters and what message they want to send. In Hobbs’ fourth chapter, she offers an important list of questions for students to ponder when engaging in film composition (p. 69).

Credit: bridgethegapmedia.com