I certainly agree with the need to include in the focus on plagiarism a
critical view on assessment task design and its concomittant resposibility.
There is no excuse for cheating, but it is rather like a shopkeeper who
regularly leaves the shop with the keys in the door. Someone is pushing
temptation to its limits!
Both P.Waterhouse's point:
>> I often wonder if plagiarism is related to a lack of understanding of
> > the educational process. I am sure students know they need to
> > use the work of others - but often cannot use it in any more
> > meaningful way than by quoting verbatim. Also the issue as to
> > when do you quote and reference and when do you paraphrase?
and Arlene Gilpin's observation that:
> >Half the problem *may* lie in the nature of the tasks set, which require
> >regurgitation rather than application and interpretation, or which may
> >be so poorly structured that students don't really know what is
>> expected/what is the focus.
indicate, in my view, that lack of clarity in course design and assessment
design, lack of explicit criteria for course participation and assessment
and lack of clear alignment of course material and activities with the
assessment tasks and criteria can very probably contribute to the kind
confusion and 'mental space' where cheating appears to be a realistic
option.
Also, if you are involved in teaching students from other cultures, you may
also be dealing with people who have been acculturated in a 'culture of
learning' where the prevalent view is that you are a fool if you don't
cheat!! (Here in Portugal, for example, the teachers often help the students
to cheat!)
Sally
Sally Mavor, MA Ed.
Escola Superior de Educação
Instituto Politécnico de Leiria
Rua Dr. João Soares
Apartado 4045
2411-901 Leiria
Portugal
Tel.: (2)44 829 400
Fax.: (2)44 829 499
[log in to unmask]
|