Module: What is Plagiarism?
Summary
This 30-45 minute in-class activity begins with a short, individual free-writing exercise to tap into students' prior understanding about the topic. Following a discussion to share their thoughts, the students will work in small groups to broaden their understanding of plagiarism and academic integrity.
How It Works
- Students write for about 5 minutes in response to the following prompt: "List examples of plagiarism."
- Following their writing, students should report out to generate a list, which someone should write on the board, etc.
- The teacher might add some of the following examples to the students' list:
- Buying a term paper
- Copying from a book without acknowledgment
- Copying a friend's work
- Cutting and pasting from a website
- Failing to give credit for someone else's words/ideas
- Using in-class readings without citation
- Quoting the teacher's lecture
- Paraphrasing without citation
- Quoting words and phrases without credit
- Breaking into groups of 3-4, students should discuss the following prompt for about 10 minutes: "Why is plagiarism considered a form of cheating, and whom does it affect?"
- Groups will report out to the entire class. The teacher might highlight who is affected by plagiarism:
- Student who plagiarizes
- Professor
- Author or creator of original idea
- Lehman College community
- The larger Academic community
Did they get it?
The teacher might want to ask the students if the discussion has changed their opinions or attitudes about plagiarism and academic integrity.
Further Suggestions
Distribute a copy of John Donne's "No Man is an Island" and discuss the poem's significance in the context of your discussion of academic integrity.
Key terms/ideas for understanding
- Academic Integrity
- Original Idea/Source
- Academic Community
- Plagiarism vs. Cheating