LISTEN to this podcast from Jessica Delaney, Coordinator for SUNY New Paltz’s Center for Student Success, on how to spot and confront plagiarism in a student’s work
Plagiarism from the Tutor’s Perspective: The College of DuPage
As Bailey Bridgewater and her co-authors discuss in the article “Designing a Writing Tutor-Led Plagiarism Intervention Program,” tutors are often viewed as a more objective person to talk to than a member of the faculty, who is involved in finding and punishing plagiarism. Tutors also work closely with students and their writing, becoming familiar with not only the student’s voice but the student’s thought processes. Tutors are in a unique position to identify plagiarism and talk to the student on a more even footing (though it is not an entirely even footing) (Bridgewater, et al 14).
The Writing Centers and tutors at different colleges address this issue in different ways. Here are two articles that explain and explore their methods. Neither are required reading, but you should read the take-aways from each article.
To learn more about how some tutors at the College of DuPage are encountering plagiarism and handling plagiarism, you can read the article below:
“Writing Center Tutors Take on Plagiarism” by Elyse Pelzer
Questions to Think About as You Read:
Does it make sense to use a three-strike system for plagiarism in a tutoring context? Why or why not? Would you use it?
How can you address a tutee’s plagiarism?
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Open in new tab Important Takeaways
Challenges
The problems that exist for tutors include faculty being allowed to decide how to handle plagiarism violations, confusion following instructors’ interpretations of standard citation rules, and the roadblocks presented by cultural differences and various comprehension levels.
The fact that faculty have a right to alter citation requirements to fit assignments can further lead to student confusion and result in acts of plagiarism. Students may carry those altered versions of citation rules onto their next class and beyond, even if they no longer apply in a different setting . . . Often times, tutors share the students’ vexation with assignments that require challenging citations.
. . . writing tutors face a variety of roadblocks while trying to enforce academic honesty. The first roadblock encountered is the discomfort of addressing plagiarism suspicions. After inquiring where the information came from and then explaining the definition of plagiarism and importance of citing, tutors are often unsure how far they can go when questioning a student’s authenticity.
The second roadblock consists of cultural differences, as demonstrated in the vignette of Ida and the Iranian student. Because some cultures view using another’s work as a sign of respect and do not hold the same idea that other people’s work/ideas need(s) to be cited, unintentional acts of plagiarism may occur. Regardless of intent, these students may be penalized just the same.
The third roadblock occurs with some assignments and requirements that may be beyond a student’s comprehension level or ability. The problem arises when these students receive extra ‘help’ from parents or peers.
Their New Policy
A new plagiarism policy based on a three-strike model has been created in order to better serve the students in terms of how plagiarism is handled in the writing center. The policy had to best serve the tutors so that their role was not to judge a student’s authenticity, but rather to educate and provide every resource available to help students improve in this area. After piloting the new plagiarism policy for the duration of one semester, our tutors were more diligent in informing students of plagiarism guidelines and more expressive with plagiarism concerns, resulting in a number of students placed on a plagiarism-monitoring list. We have, through our new policy, created a program that gives tutors a clear path on how to handle, record, and report plagiarism suspicions, while providing lessons and monitoring where needed. Policies that encourage learning opportunities may not only help students in their understanding of plagiarism and its consequences, but also guide writing tutors in addressing this ongoing issue.
Plagiarism from the Tutor’s Perspective: Indiana State University
Another way that tutors are helping address plagiarism on a college campus is Indiana State University’s Tutor-Led Plagiarism Intervention Program.
To learn more about indiana S.U’s Tutor-Led Plagiarism Intervention Program, read the article below:
“Designing a Writing Tutor-Led Plagiarism Intervention Program” by Bridgewater, Bailey, et al
Questions to Think About as You Read:
How effective are various measures taken against plagiarism?
What does being “effective” even mean? Students not repeating plagiarism, student punishment, or something else entirely?
Important Takeaways
THeir Old Policy
Until 2015, Indiana State left the handling of plagiarism cases to Student Conduct and Integrity, who generally punished it with a warning to go along with the failed assignment (and possibly class). At the second offense, the student was in danger of being removed from the university. These punitive measures have long been the standard. After all, our students are told time and time again that plagiarism is wrong and will not be tolerated. Yet it continues to happen.
Their New Policy
The Plagiarism Intervention Program is based on the concept that preemptively teaching students proper writing skills, as well as how to use sources responsibly, will decrease the number of plagiarized papers turned in (Chankova, 2017). The program also supports the theory that understanding plagiarism should not be framed so much as a moral issue, but as a part of learning to write well (Lee, Anderson & Spronken-Smith, 2017). The fact that students are talking about plagiarism with a peer allows them to open up and have a more casual, honest conversation than they might with a professor or student conduct professional. Finally, the program addresses the need for campus-wide support for faculty dealing with plagiarism (Vehvilainen, Lofstrom & Nevgi, 2018).
how the Program works
In the first meeting, the student presents the plagiarized paper to the tutor, and the two discuss what about the assignment constituted plagiarism. The student also completes a self-evaluation of his or her writing (Appendix A), which allows the tutor to better focus the sessions. The student and tutor discuss the self-evaluation and choose two to three areas on which their meetings will focus. Throughout the session, the tutor may also refer to the PI Reformatting document (Appendix B) which offers suggestions for topics to cover in the sessions. Together, the pair decides on two to three issues from the Reformatting document that deserves their focus. Since it is not possible to cover all the issues listed in just three sessions, this prioritization requires careful thinking about which skills will benefit the student the most in his or her future academic career.
Aside from determining how the student feels about their writing, the tutor must also determine whether the plagiarism was accidental or intentional, as this sets the course of the rest of the session. If the offense was accidental, for example, a student had incorrectly cited information, the tutor covers the rules for how to cite properly. If the student intentionally cheated, the conversation instead turns to the ethics of plagiarism and its implication in the academic community, as well as for the student.
During the second appointment, the student and tutor work on the particular issues that led to the plagiarism. For students who copied or bought work because they were not confident in their own skills, the sessions aim to build up their confidence. For those with citation problems, the sessions involve learning how to consult resources that help students cite in whatever format their professor requires. During the third session, the tutor and student begin correcting and re-writing the plagiarized paper. The faculty member decides whether or not they want to offer the student any credit for this revision. At the end of each session, the tutor writes comprehensive notes in the center’s online system, which allows the tutor to remember what they were working on during the intervention, as there may be several days between appointments. The notes also allow anyone reading (the coordinator or other tutors) to see the focus of the meeting. In cases where the student does not always get to see the same tutor, session notes allow communication regarding what has already been covered and what still needs to be covered in sessions.
Results
During the three years in which the program has been in place, recidivism rates have steadily dropped (see Table 1). The number of students who finish the Plagiarism Intervention Program and repeat the offense is now less than 1%. This initial look at the data on student recidivism indicates that the program may have a positive impact on students. The staff of the MWC is optimistic that the content of the intervention itself is responsible for keeping students from plagiarizing, as students who did not understand how not to plagiarize learn how to avoid it, and those who intentionally plagiarized understand by the end why it is wrong and what could happen if it continues.
challenges
Implementing the PIP program came with several surmountable challenges. Firstly, tutors had to be carefully trained on how to deal with plagiarism issues, especially when the student was hesitant to admit that he or she plagiarized. Tutors are not and should not be in the business of establishing plagiarism cases–the tutor’s challenge is to get the student to open up about the issue and understand that the tutor is not there to punish them, but to help them address the problem. Though some tutors were initially uncomfortable in their first session of plagiarism intervention, they are all now adept at helping those students and gaining their trust.
Sunset at New Paltz
EXERCISE (optional):
Imagine what you would do if you caught a student plagiarizing. How would you react? How would you address it?
WORKS CITED
Bridgewater, Bailey, et al. “Designing a Writing Tutor-Led Plagiarism Intervention Program.” Learning Assistance Review (TLAR), vol. 24, no. 2, Fall 2019, pp. 11–27. EBSCOhost, search-ebscohost-com.libdatabase.newpaltz.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=139610169&site=ehost-live.
Buranen, Lise. “A Safe Place: The Role of Librarians and Writing Centers in Addressing Citation Practices and Plagiarism.” Knowledge Quest, vol. 37, no. 3, American Library Association, 2009, p. 24–33. ProQuest. Web. 1 July 2021.
Pelzer, Elyse, “Writing Center Tutors Take on Plagiarism.” Praxis: A Writing Center Journal, col. 16, no. 3, 2019, http://www.praxisuwc.com/163-pelzer.
