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Yep, I admit it, I drive the speed limit. I know a lot of
you out there don’t, but here is my reasoning:
1) It’s
the law I picked up on say…ah…a generation ago
2) I
don’t have enough money to pay for a ticket or higher car insurance costs
3) My
father always told me I was supposed to
I look to the subject of academic honesty in much the
same way so it can be difficult for me to understand why a student would choose
to plagiarize. In considering the idea of constructivist learning theory, one
might say that my choice to become a rule follower has been constructed from
meaning and experience tied to the notion of being obedient to higher
authorities. If that is where I draw my source of societal law abiding, how
come my children and grandchildren view rules and authority from another
angle? Perhaps, my words and actions are
inconsistent? Perhaps their experiences
differ greatly than mine or perhaps I’m missing the boat all together.
If as 21st century scholars we propose to value the balance of free speech, social learning and citing sources, how come we find it such a struggle to translate the notion of just how wrong it is to plagiarize to the millennium generation?
Of the students surveyed for the Center for Academic Integrity survey, well over 1 in 2 students felt that using another person’s text, concepts or phrasing without citation was only minor issue (McCabe as cited by Chao, Wilhelm, & Neureuther 2009). These must be the guys passing me in the fast lane assuming they won’t get pulled over. Online and campus based instructors have dedicated plagiarism detection software and throughout most academic introduction students are continually admonished about the seriousness of adhering to the rules of scholarly writing requirements. So how come the problem continues? I believe it is simply human nature. If one is not able to connect personal meaning to a rule, than they are more likely to disregard it.
An important task within an instructor’s role is to educate students about how to appropriately use source material to build their own knowledge upon. Within this role, discussions on fair use, copyright, citations and scholarly writing techniques should be fostered (Laureate Education, Inc. 2012). Before we frighten millennial students with the wrath of expulsion upon any intentional or unintentional plagiaristic error, perhaps we should stop to view the issue from their perspective.
As a generation, they’ve known
the internet as a primary source for fun, social connections, information
gathering and oh yeah…learning. Is it
any wonder that what they consider traditional old school requirements of
citing sources as inapplicable in their ever changing technical learning atmosphere?
I believe that students of the
millennium generation have and will continue to surprise us with their collaborative
moral compass. Ideas such as crowd
sourcing, mobile activism are paramount to the millennial footprint. Dubbing them the impatient
optimists, blogger Jennifer James (2013) asks the big question…can the millennial
generation change the world while I suggest another…are we willing to let them?
As faculty members, the best
course of action to deter academic dishonesty resides in how the message is
shared. Are we telling students what
must be done or are we allowing them the chance to interpret the traditional
scholarly requirements within a 21st century technical setting. Step one – educators should begin to get to
know their students on the students own turf.
Creative Commons is today’s answer to
the age old problem of copyright issues.
With the advent of Web 2.0 the internet has grown from a place of information
resource into a platform for collaboration.
Many students who have grown up learning through team classroom activities
quickly adapted this shared learning experience process onto the internet
stage. To meet students at their level,
the discussion of copyright should begin from their version and work backwards.
For an instructional design,
I would begin collaborative small group discussions regarding the choices to
either use Creative Commons or traditional copyright licensing for one’s body
of work. Then I would move into a role
playing scenario modeling the value of intellectual property. Finally I would suggest a personal journal
assignment reflecting on the reasons that traditional copyright laws were
instituted, the affect these laws or absence of laws had on citizens of the day
and a personal statement crafted within the context of the classroom
experiences. Each student would then
work with a peer for creative support, editing and rough draft critique.
Through use of a collaborative learning experience from
the millennial student’s perspective, the instructor can not only facilitate
learning through constructive meaning making, they also gain insight into each
student’s values, online experiences and writing styles. Because as a group the students form an
understanding of the terms copyright, plagiarism and intellectual property, this
group of future scholars are less likely to cheat or allow others to get away
with it either online or in the classroom.
Looking back at my history on the highway, I did start to
make choices based upon authority figures.
When I think about my driving skills now, I realize that being in
control is important to me. In having
the experience of a head on collision I felt just how close the margin is to getting
out alive. I drive 55 because that’s the speed in which I
can handle the unexpected twists and turns.
Shouldn’t we give millennials the chance to let us know what is
important to how they make their choices as well?
References
Chao, C., Wilhelm, W., & Neureuther, B. (2009). A
study of electronic detection and pedagogical approaches for reducing
plagiarism. Delta Pi Epsilon Journal,
51(1), 31–42. Retrieved through the Walden University databases.
James, J. (2013, August 13). Can the millennial generation
change the world. [Blog message]. Retrieved from http://www.impatientoptimists.org/Posts/2013/08/Can-the-Millennials-Change-the-World
Laureate
Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012). EDUC 6179: Online Instructional
Strategies for Adult Learners [Video Program Transcript]. In Plagiarism and Cheating. Retrieved from http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/Walden/EDUC/6179/06/downloads/WAL_EDUC6179_06_A_EN.pdf
I have discovered some reasons as to why people plagiarize. Some reasons are: (1). Some people have writing issue, talented and intelligent but does not necessary mean they are great writer. According to Jocoy & Dibiase (2006), someone can be a magnificent educator, researcher, artist, musician, scientist, etc. without being a writer. (2). Intelligent people seem to have more pressure placed on them as with pressure to excel pressure to get things done and pressure to pressure to be the best at everything they do even when it is not practical.
ReplyDeleteReference
Jocoy, C., & DiBiase, D. (2006). Plagiarism by adult learners online: A case study in detection and remediation. International Review of Research in Open & Distance Learning, 7(1), 1–15.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases
You bring up a great point. Showing that you have learned a subject should not only be done through writing essays. I am a strong believer in the portfolio assessment. I would encourage students to do presentations, artistic renderings, service learning or multi-media videos. Still, references should be cited. As students learn the value of attribution and they find personal satisfaction in creating their own form of assessment, plaggiarism will decrease.
DeleteAn excellent commentary on ways to instill a greater appreciation of academic writing in students of the new millennia. As an "old school" student I can appreciate academic writing skills in the required format. It doesn't seem to me that it is that much more difficult to adhere to proper formatting than it is to plagiarize. However, you touch upon another issue altogether: With immediate and unlimited information access, how important are the "old school" rules to the millennial generation?
ReplyDeleteImposing our "old school" values upon the younger generation may be a futile attempt to get them to conform to our version of the "right way to do things." Perhaps in an open source, open education world citation and credit for composition and creation will become less important. Perhaps it is those of us from the "old school" who need to loosen up and let go a little. I suspect (and hope) that scholarly and academic writing will maintain a place in academia, but how important is it for the masses who simply want to advance in their career or pursue a new direction? While I do believe we should teach and encourage academic writing skills and formatting, I think a greater focus should come in methods of assessment. Utilizing assessments which neutralize the benefit of plagiarism can encourage the learner to comprehend core concepts and apply what they are learning in the real world applications in which they intend to use them.
In much the same way, my own driving skills apply. My pet peeve is all the drivers who ignore HOV lane limitations. While agonizing over other driver's conduct, I can find myself defocused and a hazard to those in my own lane! By being present, and focusing on my own driving in my own lane, I don't even notice what others are doing. Much the same, if we in education can allow our students to focus their energies in their own personal path to real world application, maybe how they get there should be less of a concern.
Varied assessment is definitely the way to go! However, I think no one pursuing higher education can avoid writing a paper during their course. Therefore they need to be prepared to face the challenges. I think we as educators need to provide them with the necessary skills to avoid plagiarizing. However, this can be a difficult task in an online environment that meets only between 4-6 weeks. Providing the resources during the start of the course may help those who need to refer to the information do so.
ReplyDeleteMarie, let's turn the table around on our learners. Ask them, "How would you feel if you labored on a project, did all the research, cited properly, with honesty and integrity, and then someone else copied and took credit for all your hard work?" Do you think they will then understand the importance of giving credit to the person who deserves the credit?
ReplyDeleteHi Marie,
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is part of the instructor's role to educate students about how to appropriately use resources and to cite them. Some millennial students don't have any idea that even though you use the information given over the internet, it's not just a "free for all". Sources must be cited appropriately in order to use them. Citing a source or not citing a source could be the difference between an excellent grade or academic probation or worse.
Kecha
I thoroughly enjoyed your piece, and can relate to your anecdote about driving. My father taught me how to drive. His lessons were unforgettable. They involved a great deal of swearing.
ReplyDeleteI couldn’t help but notice that every blog I’ve read has different statistics on plagiarism, but the fact remains that it is a growing problem.
I believe the reason millennial students are more likely to cheat and plagiarize may be due to the lack of prefrontal cortex development. Seriously. This area of the brain is responsible for critical thinking skills, decision-making, problem-solving, impulse control and the integration of information. Studies have shown that the prefrontal cortex does not fully develop until 25-30 years old. Substance abuse can further delay or prevent development, so if a young adult is taking drugs and drinking, it is likely their cognitive skills are underdeveloped (Beck, 2012).
It follows that undergrads may plagiarize because of (a) poor reasoning: They have not considered the consequences (because there may not be any), and (b) They lack the analytical thinking skills to complete the assignment.
For these reasons, I advocate harsher consequences for plagiarism: The first offense should result in the student being placed in a remedial academic writing class, where they can learn how to paraphrase and make proper citations. The second offense should result in suspension, and the third offense: expulsion.
As for learning how to make choices based on modeling authority figures like our parents and teachers: This is precisely why their guidance is so crucial when we are growing up: We are not playing with a full deck until well into adulthood!
Beck, M. (2012, August 23). Delayed development: 20-somethings. Blame the brain. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10000872396390443713704577601532208760746