Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Students will be able to differentiate their own words and ideas from those of others in a piece of writing.
- Students will be able to discuss how citing sources relates to academic honesty.
- Students will be able to explain how plagiarism effects academic integrity.
Relevant Threshold Concepts
- Information has value.
- Scholarship as conversation.
Suggestions for Use
- This activity should be helpful in classes where beginning researchers will be using the work of others. It illustrates why researchers cite the work of others, helps instructors begin a discussion on academic integrity, and prepares students for learning citation styles for their academic writing.
- Putting students in the role of author gives them a sense of what it’s like for others to use their words. They also have the experience of making use of the works and ideas of a person they know, which could heighten their feeling of acting responsibly.
- Having at least one student purposely plagiarize the work of another in the context of the activity may cause a strong reaction by the plagiarized student, which makes a discussion of how plagiarism affects academic integrity more immediate for all.
- The activity also helps students understand how the proper use of others’ work protects their own academic integrity.
Pre-Class Preparation
- Review the handouts for this activity.
- Review In-Class Procedure below.
- Ask a suitable student to play the role of “plagiarizer,” to whom you will give Handout 7A-3 instead of Handout 7A-2 during class. Be sure he/she understands what you would like him or her to do in class.
- Print Handouts 7A-1 (1 copy per student and 1 for yourself) and 7A-2 (1 copy per student and 1 for yourself) and 7A-3 (1 copy for the “plagiarizer” and 1 for yourself).
- Prepare your remarks and points of discussion based on the Possible Script below or create your own.
- Download and/or print In-Class Procedure so you can take it with you to class.
In-Class Procedure
- Introduce students to the activity, using the Possible Script below or your own remarks.
- Distribute Handout 7A-1 to all students.
- Instruct students to complete the writing assignment on Handout 7A-1 in 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, collect the completed Handout 7A-1 from students and redistribute so each student has the work of another.
- Distribute Handout 7A-2 to all students except the student you selected earlier to be the “plagiarizer.” Give Handout 7A-3 to that student. Do not let any other students know about Handout 7A-3.
- Instruct students to complete the writing assignment on their handout in 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, say something like, “Now that you have all had the chance to create a work and then use the work of another, let’s discuss your experience. As some of you share, please read your response and tell us how your use of the other student’s work is academically honest. You should have all cited the work as instructed on the second handout.” As time permits, give a couple students a chance to respond, and then call on the ”plagiarizing” student to share as though nothing is amiss.
- Watch for a reaction from the “plagiarized” student and, if there is one, use it as an entry point to discuss the difference between using sources ethically and plagiarizing. If the “plagiarized” student doesn’t react, you might ask whether anyone noticed how the “plagiarizing” student’s reflection was different or whether there is anything “off.” (There should have been no citations or attributions. This may be a chance to point out that instructors often detect plagiarism and that often it is the absence of citations that is the give-away.) You may need to “give up the game” and tell the class that the student “plagiarized” at your request. You could ask the “plagiarized” student how he/she felt when he/she found out that the other student used his/her words without attribution. Did it make them sad, angry, outraged, etc.? If he/she spoke up, what did she hope to accomplish? If he/she did not speak up, why not? Also ask the “plagiarizing” student how it felt to present someone else’s work as his or her own.
- Thank both “plagiarized” and “plagiarizing” students for helping with the class and finish the activity by pointing out that using sources ethically protects a person’s academic integrity (and reputation) and helps him/her participate in the scholarly conversation in an honest and meaningful way.
Possible Script
As a student, you are both a creator and user of knowledge. Through your academic work you will enter into ongoing scholarly conversations, learning from others and contributing new knowledge. You will often use the ideas and works of others to strengthen an argument or create projects and in a variety of other ways. It is vital that your work is your own and that you use the work of others ethically and honestly, always giving credit where credit is due by clearly citing the creator and source. This is often referred to as academic honesty or academic integrity. Using the work of another without giving them credit, intentionally or unintentionally, is plagiarism, and may have dire consequences for your academic standing.
In today’s activity you will take on the role, first, of an author creating a new work and then, later, as a scholar using the work of another. Each of you will start by taking about ten minutes to write a few paragraphs that make a claim or argument about a topic you are familiar with and perhaps passionate about. About 10 minutes later, I will collect and redistribute those completed handouts. You will use the author’s words and ideas in a short scholarly response. As you use the work of another, make clear distinctions between your words and ideas and theirs. You can use direct quotes or summarize their words making it clear that you are summarizing their words. By the end of the activity, you will hopefully have a sense of what it is like to participate honestly in a scholarly conversation and a better idea that your contributions have value for others.
Relevant Choosing & Using Sources Chapters:
Chapter 7 , Ethical Use of Sources.
