Activities & Assignments to Prevent Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a serious offense that can incur high penalties both within the academic community. Many people think of plagiarism as the borrowing or rewriting of work that is not their own without giving credit to the original author; however, according to Plagiarism.org, this can disguise the seriousness of the action, which is essentially no less than literary theft. A teacher's first step towards preventing plagiarism is to understand why students do it and then to develop activities and assignments that help them desist.
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Create Strong Assignments
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Strong assignments provide students with the best writing and research skills. Before handing out the assignment, clarify to what extent the use of research material is acceptable. Avoid open-ended topics that overwhelm the student and create assignments that require specific formatting. Poor planning is a common cause of plagiarism, so scheduling assignment delivery dates, requesting submission outlines or drafts and asking for work in instalments will all make it harder for students to plagiarize.
Check the Sources
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Provide source restrictions and request that students turn in an emailed copy or CD version that can be scanned on the Internet to check for literary theft. Add photocopies of sources used as an additional requirement when turning in the assignment. Students need not photocopy the entire book but just the specific page referenced in their work. Add oral presentations as a method for testing how well the students really know the subject they have written about.
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Anti-Plagiarism Activities
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Colorado State University believes one of the most effective strategies for preventing plagiarism is to discuss the concept with the class. This will reinforce the seriousness of the offense and explain why plagiarism is unacceptable. Hold a classroom debate that asks your students to define what they believe plagiarism to be and why they think it happens. Discussing the possible consequences of plagiarism will also act as a deterrent for students looking to cut corners. In addition, teach the students that they need to write down all the citation information for any sources they use while they are consulting each source, and explicitly document any direct quotes as such.
An Open Environment
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Besides setting the boundaries for your students when it comes to "stealing" or "borrowing" other people's work, creating an open environment in which students can engage with the concept of plagiarism is conducive to effective learning. In this way all students are clear on what is expected of them and can be held accountable for their actions should they decide to plagiarize.
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