Plagiarism

[Bluenoise]

Well having recently started my academic career, I have a tonne of marking to do recently. (By far the worst part about it...)

And having my first big batch of important assingments infront of me I've found my first case of obvious plagerism. multiple lines in a row copied word for word from an on-line source.

 

Now for some reason I feel like I'm in a moral dilema. I know I should report it. It'd be the right thing to do. But just the idea of do so makes me feel... ...well like a sack of shit. I feel guilty having to do so, eventhough I've never commited the same act. So it's not some sort of guilt for being a hypocrite. I just feel like I'd be an extree jerk for doing so. However I'd still feel guilty if I didn't report it.

 

It is a first year class so some might say "give them some slack". However, personally I see that as even more reason to report it. Since getting caught this early really wont result in much more than lost marks on the assingment and a slap on the wrist. However if this same student gets caught say 3 years from now, well they'll likely get expelled. So by far they could stand to use this as a lesson right now. (plus I've already had suspisions about other work from them, it just wansn't worth marks so I didn't bother to investigate) It may save them some serious greif later...

 

To top it off once a long time ago I had work stolen from me. And I got accused for it. Eventually it became obvious what actually happened and everything was fine for me. So I should have some huge grudge against people who plagerise right??? should I???

 

But I still feel like a big ol sack of shit for having to do so!!! Why?? what the hell is wrong with me?

Don't tell me that I'm some lame bleeding heart. I don't think I could bear to hear that.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Think of it this way: You're doing them a favor. If they learn to do their own work, they're actually learning, and they're not going to be plagiarizing later when they'll be expelled for it.

 

Reporting it is the right thing to do.

[Phi for All]

As an alternative, can you give the assignment back to the student without reporting it and say, "I need *your* work by tomorrow. Whoever wrote *this* is trying to get you into trouble for plagiarism"? Implying that someone else wrote the assignment lets the student save face and reminds him you're on top of things and won't tolerate copying the work of others.

 

I think you want to be liked AND you want to be a good teacher. Doing what will make you popular isn't always what a good teacher would do.

 

Be the good teacher and the right ones will like you. And they'll ALL respect you.

[Bluenoise]

As an alternative, can you give the assignment back to the student without reporting it and say, "I need *your* work by tomorrow. Whoever wrote *this* is trying to get you into trouble for plagiarism"? Implying that someone else wrote the assignment lets the student save face and reminds him you're on top of things and won't tolerate copying the work of others.

 

I think you want to be liked AND you want to be a good teacher. Doing what will make you popular isn't always what a good teacher would do.

 

Be the good teacher and the right ones will like you. And they'll ALL respect you.

 

That's an excellent idea!! I'll definatley do that next time.

But unfortunatley for this assingment they had to submit both hardcopies and an electronic version and they have to be identical so it's not really possible. Plus I just informed my supervisor like 20 mintues ago...

 

Dammit Phi!! Where were you 20 minutes ago????

[Glider]

To top it off once a long time ago I had work stolen from me. And I got accused for it. Eventually it became obvious what actually happened and everything was fine for me. So I should have some huge grudge against people who plagerise right??? should I???

 

But I still feel like a big ol sack of shit for having to do so!!! Why?? what the hell is wrong with me?

Don't tell me that I'm some lame bleeding heart. I don't think I could bear to hear that.

I have the same thing. I have been teaching for 10 years at undergraduate levels and 8 years at postgraduate level and last year got my contract as senior lecturer. It'e still upsetting to have to deal with cases of palgiarism.

 

However, consider the following: Plagiarist students are attempting to steal their degree. If they succeed, they will be unqualified to hold that degree. When they are subsequently employed and their employer finds out how crap they are, they will blame the instition that awarded the degree. Thus, all those students who earned their degree will have their qualification devalued.

 

In the long term, academic plagiarism is not a victimless crime, it is theft (of previous work and of the resulting qualification if they get away with it). So, don't look at it as being nasty to one student, look at it as protecting the interests of all those students who are working for their qualification. That is a part of your job.

 

As long as all the students have plagiarism and it consequences fully and clearly explained to them in their first year (ours do), then your reporting the cases you find is simply fulfilling your duty to all your other students.

 

If you let cases of plagiarism slide, you might make a friend and help one 'student' (I use apostrophes because in my experience, those who plagiarise rarely actually 'study'), but you are letting all the others down.

 

Of course, you can use your judgement case-by-case, depending on degree of plagiarism/collusion and how deliberate you find the act was as to whether or not you take the formal route and report it, but you can never let it slide. You would be failing your other students if you did so.

 

As Phi says, it sounds like you want to be liked and be a good teacher. I admit, teaching is a lot easier if the students like you, but to be effective, you have to be liked for the right reasons (i.e. respected). The students have to trust that you will be fair and do right by them and that includes not letting certain students get away with something the good students feel they would not get away with themselves.

[swansont]

I think you did the right thing. I agree that the plagiarist is trying to steal their grade, or degree. And it's not so much more effort to use a quote and properly cite it, or reword a thought to make it your own anyway.

[Bluenoise]

However, consider the following: Plagiarist students are attempting to steal their degree. If they succeed, they will be unqualified to hold that degree. When they are subsequently employed and their employer finds out how crap they are, they will blame the instition that awarded the degree. Thus, all those students who earned their degree will have their qualification devalued.

 

In the long term, academic plagiarism is not a victimless crime, it is theft (of previous work and of the resulting qualification if they get away with it). So, don't look at it as being nasty to one student, look at it as protecting the interests of all those students who are working for their qualification. That is a part of your job.

 

Well I think that settle my mind a little. I guess it's not just this one student it effects. Thanks.

[the tree]

Well if I'd got to this thread on time then I'd have recommended that as it's a first offence you deal with it at your level rather than taking it up.

What did your supervisor say/do?