Transcript Librarians against plagiarism: How Imperial College London

Imperial College
London
Librarians against plagiarism:
How Imperial College London is
using blended learning
techniques to combat the cut
and paste generation
Julia Garthwaite and Ruth Harrison,
Liaison Librarians
the Library
Imperial College
London
• Plagiarism in HE
• Who should be responsible for anti-plagiarism
teaching?
• Imperial College London Library’s approach to
tackling plagiarism
• Using blended learning in teaching
• Issues for discussion
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Imperial College
London
Plagiarism in context
• Plagiarism is a significant problem in the education
sector
• Increasing number of cases in the UK
• Causes include 
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Online resources / Internet
Lack of referencing skills
Lack of time
Do not understand the assignment
Cultural attitudes
the Library
Imperial College
London
Plagiarism in context: pre-course
survey (Olivia)
2005/06
Can you define plagiarism?
There were 86 recorded answers to
this question. Common answers
were identified and the number of
times these answers were given by
the students was recorded. Two
couldn’t provide a definition and four
answered ‘yes’ but didn’t provide a
definition.
The four most common types of
answer were that plagiarism is:
using/copying work
without
acknowledgement/
credit/permission
42
copying and passing
off/presenting
someone else’s work
as own
23
claiming someone
else’s work as own
original ideas
10
copying someone
else’s work
4
the Library
Imperial College
London
Plagiarism in context: pre-course
survey (Olivia)
2006/07
Can you define plagiarism?
There were 77 recorded answers to
this question. Common answers
were identified and the number of
times these answers were given by
the students was recorded. Four
couldn’t provide a definition.
The four most common types of
answer were that plagiarism is:
copying & passing
off/presenting
someone else’s work
as your own
30
using work without
acknowledge/credit/
permission
26
copying work
10
claiming someone
else’s work is your
original idea
5
the Library
Imperial College
London
Plagiarism in context: pre-course
survey (Olivia)
• 2005/06
 using information from
internet without webmaster
permission
 using the work from others
 against copyright
 use resource without
understanding it
 faked
 submit other’s work as your
own
• 2006/07
 theft of work
 submitting work that is not
your own
 A number of students in
both years said plagiarism is
cheating, one stating that it
is ‘shameful’ and another
that it is a ‘bad thing’
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Imperial College
London
Definition – for students
Plagiarism is when you copy someone
else’s work or use their ideas in your essay,
coursework, thesis etc, and then do not
acknowledge that you have done this
This is used in Olivia and lectures to students
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Imperial College
London
An educational process
• It is important that students understand the issues
surrounding plagiarism
 What it is
 Why it is wrong
 How to avoid it
• Information literacy skills are key in developing this:
from searching resources to retrieving and evaluating
information to understanding the ethical issues
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Imperial College
London
What is an information literate
student?
An independent learner who has the confidence
and ability to retrieve, evaluate, exploit and
manage information with an understanding of
the legal, economic and social issues that
surround the use of information
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Imperial College
London
It is with this definition in mind that Olivia
(Online Virtual Information Assistant) was
developed:
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Imperial College
London
Teaching the skills?
• As librarians teach IL skills to students, is it also their
responsibility to cover plagiarism and referencing?
• At ICL we think it is and have introduced the following
teaching tools:
 units on referencing and plagiarism in Olivia
 Anti-plagiarism DVD
 referencing handbook
• The Library is leading on anti-plagiarism teaching within
the College and is on the College Working Party on
plagiarism
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Imperial College
London
Blended teaching
Structure of anti-plagiarism teaching session
 Pre-2006/07: traditional lesson followed by online quiz using Olivia
 2006/07: introduction of Active Learning
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Presentation
Group Discussion
PRS quiz
DVD
Results of quiz sent by email after session
Supported by Olivia unit, including self-tests
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London
Why not the usual presentation and
handouts?
Interactivity enhances the learning
process
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Ensures motivation and participation
Keeps students interested and focussed
Increases retention
It’s fun – and there is chocolate!!
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London
Life on campus: hosted by David Battenburg
• Imperial / Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
• Can be viewed as complete unit, or divided
into chapters to highlight discussion points
• Accompanied by teaching notes
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Imperial College
London
Learning in action!
Part 1 – Introduction, presentation and
discussion
Part 2 – Using the PRS and viewing the DVD
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London
Initial results from the ‘clicker’
exercise
• 2 departments: Civil Engineering (85
students), and Earth Science and
Engineering (33 students)
• Roughly similar spread of correct/wrong
answers in both groups
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London
Which of the following statements is correct?
a) information that is freely available online can be used in an
assignment without acknowledgement
b) information that is freely available online can be used in an
assignment as long as there’s a © symbol on the website
c) information that is freely available online can be used in an
assignment as long as it’s acknowledged
d) information that is freely available online can be used in an
assignment as long as there isn’t a notice on the website to say
it cannot be copied
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London
Civil Engineering
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London
Earth Science and Engineering
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Imperial College
London
When should you use a quotation?
a) when you want to support a point
b) when you are summarising ideas
c) when you have paraphrased another person’s work
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Imperial College
London
Civil Engineering
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Imperial College
London
Earth Science and Engineering
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Imperial College
London
Whose bag?
• The College is keen for the Library to take
responsibility for anti-plagiarism teaching and
referencing skills
• Do we have the right formula?
The Library’s next move . . .
the Library
Imperial College
London
the Library
Imperial College
London
Final thoughts and discussion points
• By the time a student reaches HE institutions
the “cut and paste” habit can be deeply
ingrained
• Is what is currently offered too little too late at
university?
• Whose responsibility is it to ensure that the
issues surrounding plagiarism are
the Library
understood?
Imperial College
London
Julia Garthwaite, Liaison Librarian
Biosciences
[email protected]
Ruth Harrison, Liaison Librarian
Civil Engineering and Earth Science & Engineering
[email protected]
Imperial College London Library
www.imperial.ac.uk/library
the Library