The best way to deal with academic
dishonesty is to prevent it from occurring. First, it helps to consider
why students act dishonestly. In many cases, academic dishonesty is not
intentional. Therefore, a lecture designed to prevent intentional forms
of plagiarism will have little or no effect on students whose plagiarism
is simply the result of sloppy notetaking habits, and may further paralyze
those who are lacking the confidence to express their own ideas in writing.
Much of academic dishonesty
arises out of fear and panic of unprepared students. One way to combat
that is to be approachable. Tell the students that it is okay to come
to talk to you during office hours about workload, writer's block, other
work due, and other non-academic circumstances (no access to a computer,
etc.) that may adversely affect their work. Try to work with them to find
a solution that is acceptable to both of you. Fear of approaching the
GSI can contribute to non-intentional plagiarism. Here are some other
causes of, and solutions to, academic dishonesty:
Poor Study Habits
One of the most common causes
of academic dishonesty is poor study habits. Students may leave assignments
or preparation for a test until the last minute, take poor notes, or fail
to adequately prioritize their work.
Cause: Simultaneous Assignments
Students often leave assignments
or test preparation until the last minute because several assignments
or tests have fallen at the same time. Often this is simply an unfortunate
co-incidence. Remember that most students face this problem from time
to time and that most deal with it without resorting to academic dishonesty.
Sometimes, however, the problem is exacerbated by an overly heavy courseload.
Students eager to graduate more quickly sometimes forget that taking an
unusually heavy courseload will almost inevitably affect the quality of
their work. They panic because they are afraid that lower grades will
drag down their GPA, and, intentionally or unintentionally, resort to
academically dishonest practices in an attempt to raise their grade.
Solution: Discuss Workload
Much unnecessary academic
dishonesty can be prevented by discussing study habits with students,
and explaining how and why good study habits are important. Discourage
students from taking on very heavy courseloads or make them aware that
doing so will inevitably have a detrimental effect on their work. You
might want to share any first-hand experiences you have had with this.
Cause: Fear
Another reason that students
procrastinate is fear. A common reaction to writer's block or concerns
about understanding the course material is to put off writing the assignment
or preparing for the test for as long as possible. Students who feel they
don't have their own ideas or who are afraid to express their ideas may
be tempted, often unconsciously, to borrow the ideas of others. Likewise,
students who don't understand the material are often tempted to resort
to an unacceptable paraphrase of either the original material or other
material that discusses the same topic.
Solution: Help Students Develop
their Ideas
Encourage students to express
and develop their own ideas in class or in office hours. Explain to them
that one of the primary purposes of class is to help them develop their
own ideas in a safe environment--before they have to write a paper. If
some students are hesitant to talk in class, then encourage them to come
to talk to you in office hours or talk to them casually after class. Offer
threaded discussion online*for
students to exchange questions and ideas in a less stress-producing environment.
Cause: Lack of Confidence
in Writing Skills
A related phenomenon is the
desire to appear more sophisticated or intelligent, or to have a better
grasp of the English language . Students who want to sound more erudite
than they are may resort to using someone else's words or ideas because
they "sound better" than their own words or ideas. In some cases,
this comes from a desire to project a certain image or to impress the
instructor. In others, particularly in the case of students unused to
the style of writing demanded in a particular discipline, it may be the
result of a lack of confidence either in their use of English or in their
writing skills.
Solution: Discuss Writing
Before the first assignment,
engage students in a discussion about the expected writing style of the
discipline. Different disciplines require different writing styles, and
even advanced students may be unsure about how to tackle an unfamiliar
type of assignment. Showing students sample papers can be helpful, although
it is important to discuss them thoroughly so that students understand
both their strengths and weaknesses. Familiarize students with campus
resources, such as the Student
Learning Center, that can help them with their writing. This is especially
helpful for students whose native language is not English, who may still
be learning to express themselves clearly in English.
Here are some additional resources
for learning more about teaching students about writing:
Students often leave assignments
and test preparation until the last minute because of poor time management
and lack of general organizational skills. Often students have not been
taught how to organize and prioritize their work, and many let outside
interests or personal problems interfere with their academic work. And
sometimes, students simply procrastinate (as does everyone else!). Such
disorganization or procrastination inevitably affects the quality of the
students' work: in an effort to increase their grade, or simply to improve
the quality of their work, some may, intentionally or unintentionally
resort to academically unacceptable practices.
Solution: Discuss Study Habits
and Exam Preparation
Discuss the paper writing process
with students. Explain the importance of writing drafts and ask students
to bring a one-page draft of essay assignments with them to section or
office hours. It is not necessary for the GSI to grade each draft, although
some GSI feedback is helpful. Often simply being forced to write a draft
helps students to gain in confidence and develop their ideas. Peer feedback
can be helpful but students are often wary of it, worrying either that
other students will steal their ideas or that comments given to them by
other students will not be of the same quality as those given to them
by the GSI. If you decide to use peer feedback, read a little about effective
ways to use peers in the feedback process.
In addition, discuss different
strategies for studying for an exam. Do this several weeks before the
exam to help alert students to the problems associated with cramming.
If there are students are taking an exam in your discipline for the first
time, it is helpful to provide sample questions and to discuss how to
answer questions of that type in the available time. Also discuss the
format of the exam with students. Explain how many questions there will
likely be, and their likely format. Talk about good strategies for answering
the questions, and how students can best divide up their time in an exam.
For example, some students do badly in exams because they do not plan
out answers before they write them, they spend too long on the first few
questions, or they second guess themselves, changing their answers many
times until they've lost confidence.
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