UniSA Open Journal System (Univ. of South Australia)
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International postgraduate students' experiences of plagiarism education in the UK: Student, tutor and expert perspectives
No full textThe role of plagiarism education is being increasingly highlighted as a key area of learning good academic practice, but to date, few case studies have focused on international1 postgraduate students' experiences of plagiarism education. Therefore, this study examines the experiences of eight Asian and North African international students at the end of Master's degrees at a UK university. In addition, interviews with their postgraduate tutors were made in order to gather further insights. The students and tutors reported different understandings of the university's plagiarism definition and problems with the availability of plagiarism education. Students reported that support was limited and they had many concerns about plagiarism; tutors reported that they lacked time or thought instruction should be provided elsewhere. At the same time, the tutors recognised that they required students to use sources at a high level. Interviews were also made with a number of global plagiarism education experts, who called for a greater focus on learning rather than just following regulations, less outsourcing of the problem, and more awareness about the tendency to connect international students with plagiarism. The study emphasises the need for more attention to plagiarism definitions and to international students' experiences of plagiarism education through continuous pedagogical support during their study
Try it on: Voice, concordancing and text-matching in doctoral writing
No full textAppropriate use and acknowledgement of sources continues to be a central concern of academic integrity. A major challenge for research students in using sources is the development of a confident authorial voice that matches disciplinary expectations in language use, yet manages to do so without plagiarising through inappropriate text- matching or recycling of language. This is a daunting challenge for all research writers, particularly for English as an Additional Language (EAL) researchers who are still grappling with English grammar and syntax. In order to develop novice research writers' understanding of acceptable use of sources and mastery of disciplinary language, we have developed a process called "Try it on" that uses concordancing software alongside text-matching software (Turnitin). Here we present textual analyses of two cases using this process: in one, the student's percentage of matches decreased as he developed his authorial voice; in the second, the percentage of matches increased as the student's language choices came to reflect more closely the expected usage in the discipline, thus replicating the expected authorial voice for that particular audience. These cases demonstrate how "Try it on" can be used to help students write in an appropriate authorial voice while also avoiding plagiarism
Parent Involvement according to Education level, Socio-Economic Situation, and Number of Family Members
No full textParents are one of the most influential factors on the lives of the pupil sons. They have the ability to shape, sustain and develop pupils who will be active, interested, diligent, creative and tolerant… by showing their positive involvement in the learning process and educational activities of the pupils, and on the other hand are also capable of repressing and destroying the motivation and ability of the pupils through neglect and indifference to their achievements.
This study examines the personal characteristics that may explain the involvement of parents with their sons and daughters through a research project in which 408 parents of 408 pupils participated. They were asked to fill in a questionnaire to measure their involvement, and the results pointed to a clear correlation between the educational level and socio-economic status of the parents and the degree of their involvement. In addition, a new characteristic that had not been previously examined was included among the factors to be measured, which was the number of children in the family. The findings showed a negative correlation between the number of children in the family and parental involvement, but which existed only among parents of boys and not those of girls
"Opening Doors Early to Academic Integrity" – aiding the transition to and managing expectations of academic practice at University
No full textThe Geography Department at Durham University has long recognized that Freshers/newly arrived undergraduate students are suddenly asked to juggle a whole new skills set on arrival at University, often without the level of assistance they have previously experienced at school. As Smith states:
The first year is widely acknowledged as a critical period in determining a students? success at University. However, the period immediately prior to commencing University is also critical. (Smith, 2010, p. 1)
This pilot project was designed to help new undergraduate students understand the differences between studying at school and reading for a degree (this British-English term is useful in this context as it refers to a requirement for students to read widely and engage critically with their "major" discipline) and to becoming active participants in a community of practice while at university. Collaboration between the Geography Department, English Language Centre, Learning Technologies and University Library developed a set of discipline specific study skills exercises, based around the concept of Academic Integrity.
The study skills packages were launched within the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) on September 1, 2011 with an expectation that students would have completed the tasks by mid-October. Answers were collected using the test canvas and students received comprehensive online feedback after they submitted their responses. Postgraduate tutors and module convenors monitoring answers were able to identify areas of concern in terms of student comprehension, powers of analysis and identifying which students had not engaged with the tasks.
Using data from focus groups with tutors, student surveys and comparison of essay writing performance over past years, we were able to show that cases of recorded plagiarism had fallen to zero saving staff time on plagiarism panels, whilst there was a marked improvement of marks from 2:2 to 2:1 grades
How do faculty members respond to their students' discussions of academic misconduct and academic integrity?
No full textThe present study conducted a qualitative analysis of faculty members? perceptions, beliefs and instructional concerns regarding academic integrity in their classrooms following their observation of their students engaged in a 45-minute interactive presentation on academic integrity. Overall, seven overarching themes and a series of sub-themes were identified including the following: comfort level and knowledge about academic integrity issues (for faculty and for students), impressions about the interactive presentation, student engagement in the presentations, learning outcomes for faculty, safeguards against misconduct, and issues, consequences and proposed solutions to concerns. Key findings within these themes suggest that faculty members perceived themselves to be confident in their own understanding of what constitutes academic integrity; however, there were inconsistencies regarding whether their students had the requisite knowledge to make appropriate decisions. Faculty members were surprised by the frank and engaged interactions of their students during the interactive presentations. Only half of the faculty found the presentation content enhanced their own current knowledge. Faculty identified several methods they use to safeguard against academic misconduct, and identified the importance of both faculty and the institution providing a consistent and clear model to promote academic integrity in students. Discussion explores insights gained as a context for informing instructional practice
Examination of the Score Reliability and Validity of the Statistics Anxiety Rating Scale
No full textR. J. Cruise and E. M. Wilkins’ (1980) Statistical Anxiety Rating Scale (STARS) was administered to 201 college students in China to measure their levels of statistics anxiety. The acceptable score reliability and validity indicates that the STARS can be used with this population. In addition to examining the reliability and validity of the STARS scores in a sample of Chinese college students, a comparison of the means on the six original subscales were also undertaken between different studies conducted in the USA, the UK, and China. The Chinese population reported the lowest anxiety on the dimension of Test and Class Anxiety, and a low anxiety on Fear of Asking for Help and Interpretation Anxiety. Possible explanations are discussed
Plagiarism in three acts
No full textThree brief studies are conducted regarding plagiarism in the age of the internet. The first identifies the disparity between cited and un-cited examples of brief media catchphrases used on the internet. The second uses a thesaurus to generate alternative wordings of established definitions and tests them for legibility. The third asks respondents to spontaneously generate definitions for common concepts and uses Google to test those spontaneous definitions for plagiarism. In all three cases, results are such that they call into question current views on the nature of plagiarism itself
An investigation of Iranian EFL Masters students' perceptions of plagiarism
No full textThis study examined the understanding, perceived seriousness, and prevalence rates of different forms of plagiarism among Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Masters students studying at universities in Iran where their courses were taught in English. A survey questionnaire was used. The results indicated that plagiarism was pervasive among the students, and that they had an inadequate understanding of different forms of plagiarism. Second, prevalence rates of plagiarism were negatively correlated with both perceived seriousness and understanding of plagiarism at significant levels. Third, perceived seriousness of plagiarism was a predictor of prevalence rates of plagiarism among Iranian EFL Masters students. Finally, no significant relationship was found between the understanding of plagiarism and the respondents' years of study implying that the recognition of various forms of plagiarism remains a challenging task for the students during their whole academic lives. These findings highlighted the need for instructing students in the issues related to plagiarism in order to minimise its prevalence rates
Developing Reflective Function:The Advocacy Model as a way of developing a sense of meaning in young people
No full textThe psychological development of children and adolescents, however broadly or narrowly conceived, is central to the purpose and function of schools. However, insufficient attention may be paid to a key aspect of psychological development in adolescence ― the reflective function. This paper outlines the rationale for a specific systemic intervention in the schooling experience of adolescents. In a number of schools in Victoria the provision of one-to-one relationships between teacher-advocates and students is coupled with the use of a bank of electronic tools (the Student Achievement Inventory) designed to support the development of refective function and with it the capacity to construct a meaningful experience of learning within the school context. The Advocacy Model is discussed within the framework of developmental psychology and attachment theory
YouTube: An international platform for sharing methods of cheating
No full textThis study investigated the video sharing website www.youtube.com for the presence of instructional videos that teach students how to cheat on academic work. Videos were analysed to determine the methods of cheating, the popularity of the videos, the demographics of viewers and those uploading the videos, and the opinions of viewers after watching these types of videos. A total of 43 videos were included in this study. Those featured in the videos taught viewers how to cheat on exams, homework, and written assignments using modern and traditional technologies. The far majority of those featured in the videos, and their viewers, were males within the age range of those who attend middle school, high school, and college. Videos were watched by people from several different nations, including the United States (US), Canada, Australia, India, and the United Kingdom (UK). The study's results suggest that instructional cheating videos are popular among students around the world. Positive viewer feedback indicates that the videos have educated and motivated students to put the methods of cheating found in the videos to use. Educators should consider YouTube as a resource in order to become familiar with various methods of cheating