Ha. My students can't say that. I just posted the first assignment for a summer class today. Here's part of it:
Warning: Be sure to review the section in the syllabus on plagiarism. One instance of plagiarism will fail you for the entire course, even on this first assignment. This is a closed-book test. This is not a "group" project and you may NOT consult your classmates when composing your answer. Suspiciously similar essays will be scrutinized very carefully.
Then I make them post a heading on their paper that says that the work submitted is all theirs, that they understand plagiarism, and the consequences of plagiarism in my course is immediate failure.
If they don't tack on this statement, they get a zero for the assignment. Fuck you, students that pretend not to know what plagiarism is. Fuck you.
If they were born and raised in the U.S.A. anytime prior to when "Baby on Board" signs became common in cars, when they claim they "weren't aware" that copying and pasting is not OK, they're lying.
I take no chances, however. Immediately after the statement about plagiarism that my university requires me to have in my syllabus, I add the following:
- DO NOT EVER copy and then paste anything with a computer, without enclosing it in quotes and citing a reference. This is plagiarism, and the first instance of it that the [course] instructor or lab instructor finds will earn any student who does it a grade of F for the entire course.
- DO NOT EVER take papers from the Internet, and turn them in as your work. This is now easy for instructors to detect, with www.plagiarism.org. Modifying someone else's paper slightly, or changing the word order, or stringing someone else's paragraphs together, even if they're cited, are also forms of plagiarism. Remember, always: you are responsible for anything with your name on it.
- Never turn in homework assignments that are exact copies of someone else's work. If you collaborate with other students, write up your results separately.
To prevent plagiarism, the instructor will be scanning both the paper titles and summaries and the research papers themselves. If the instructor finds any work that is plagiarized, the student will receive an F for the entire course. The instructor may also send the plagiarized work to the Dean and other university authorities (e.g. coaches) and recommend the student be expelled from the University—or the degree be revoked, if the student has graduated. Do NOT plagiarize!
Of course they are lying. I was just floored by the blatant stupidity of the excuse. One of them is still flailing around in outrage at having been accused of cheating. Poor baby.
...(assuming you really are in Fresno). I have checked and double- checked this, and there is precedent wherein it was ruled that grades may reflect only academic achievement an d may not be punitive. At least for institutions covered by the Educational Code. We can only F them over for the assignment in question.
How I wished this were not true when two students handed in identical notes after an exam where they could use
...5flash cards or the equivalent area on a sheet of paper. One student handed in a printed sheet, and the other, 5 flash cards with printed info cut and pasted onto the pretty pastel cards. Guess what? Right! It was the same info, with the same misspellings and Wikiplagiarisms.
Not only did they plead ignorance that copying notes off the web did not satisfy the requirement of distilling the material themselves, but they seemed to think that I was the one in need of instruction, repeatedly explaining that their notes were different, see, because his were on a SHEET, see, while hers were on CARDS.
It came up on an image search for "wow just wow." It was perfect (and that entirely leaves out the fact that I'm a big fan of both the actor and that particular movie).
I feel lucky that I don't need to have them do any sort of "project" outside of class. If it's not done in class, I just assume they (maybe most of them) will cheat in some fashion. For example, homework: if it's taken from a standard text, the solution will be copied from a manual in 90 percent of the cases. So I just use it as a "cushion", to compensate for the grades they get when they have to solve a problem on a test using what they know. Without this "cushion", most would fail.
I'd guess they try this once a class. If it slips by, they continue. If the professor calls them on it, they play the "didn't know" card.
This, of course, is the argument for turning in every student who plagiarizes, no matter how small the assignment. In a functional system, one of the roles of the honor council (or equivalent) is to track a student's behavior across courses.
Of course, such functional systems are, sadly, rare, and even those of us who do have them may hesitate to go through all the necessary rigamorale to report cheating on a homework assignment. This kind of behavior is, of course, why we should.
Ha. My students can't say that. I just posted the first assignment for a summer class today. Here's part of it:
ReplyDeleteWarning: Be sure to review the section in the syllabus on plagiarism. One instance of plagiarism will fail you for the entire course, even on this first assignment. This is a closed-book test. This is not a "group" project and you may NOT consult your classmates when composing your answer. Suspiciously similar essays will be scrutinized very carefully.
Then I make them post a heading on their paper that says that the work submitted is all theirs, that they understand plagiarism, and the consequences of plagiarism in my course is immediate failure.
If they don't tack on this statement, they get a zero for the assignment. Fuck you, students that pretend not to know what plagiarism is. Fuck you.
If they were born and raised in the U.S.A. anytime prior to when "Baby on Board" signs became common in cars, when they claim they "weren't aware" that copying and pasting is not OK, they're lying.
ReplyDeleteI take no chances, however. Immediately after the statement about plagiarism that my university requires me to have in my syllabus, I add the following:
- DO NOT EVER copy and then paste anything with a computer, without enclosing it in quotes and citing a reference. This is plagiarism, and the first instance of it that the [course] instructor or lab instructor finds will earn any student who does it a grade of F for the entire course.
- DO NOT EVER take papers from the Internet, and turn them in as your work. This is now easy for instructors to detect, with www.plagiarism.org. Modifying someone else's paper slightly, or changing the word order, or stringing someone else's paragraphs together, even if they're cited, are also forms of plagiarism. Remember, always: you are responsible for anything with your name on it.
- Never turn in homework assignments that are exact copies of someone else's work. If you collaborate with other students, write up your results separately.
To prevent plagiarism, the instructor will be scanning both the paper titles and summaries and the research papers themselves. If the instructor finds any work that is plagiarized, the student will receive an F for the entire course. The instructor may also send the plagiarized work to the Dean and other university authorities (e.g. coaches) and recommend the student be expelled from the University—or the degree be revoked, if the student has graduated. Do NOT plagiarize!
I like these examples!
DeleteOf course they are lying. I was just floored by the blatant stupidity of the excuse. One of them is still flailing around in outrage at having been accused of cheating. Poor baby.
DeleteMuch as I applaud your syllabus, Frod, I regret to tell you that state law doesn't allow us to assign an F for cheating ( )
DeleteStupid tablet!
Delete...(assuming you really are in Fresno). I have checked and double- checked this, and there is precedent wherein it was ruled that grades may reflect only academic achievement an d may not be punitive. At least for institutions covered by the Educational Code. We can only F them over for the assignment in question.
How I wished this were not true when two students handed in identical notes after an exam where they could use
Grumble grumble
Delete...5flash cards or the equivalent area on a sheet of paper. One student handed in a printed sheet, and the other, 5 flash cards with printed info cut and pasted onto the pretty pastel cards. Guess what? Right! It was the same info, with the same misspellings and Wikiplagiarisms.
Not only did they plead ignorance that copying notes off the web did not satisfy the requirement of distilling the material themselves, but they seemed to think that I was the one in need of instruction, repeatedly explaining that their notes were different, see, because his were on a SHEET, see, while hers were on CARDS.
Just wanted to say that I love the picture!
ReplyDeleteIt came up on an image search for "wow just wow." It was perfect (and that entirely leaves out the fact that I'm a big fan of both the actor and that particular movie).
DeleteI wish I could pull off that look as well as him.
DeleteI feel lucky that I don't need to have them do any sort of "project" outside of class. If it's not done in class, I just assume they (maybe most of them) will cheat in some fashion. For example, homework: if it's taken from a standard text, the solution will be copied from a manual in 90 percent of the cases. So I just use it as a "cushion", to compensate for the grades they get when they have to solve a problem on a test using what they know. Without this "cushion", most would fail.
ReplyDeleteI'd guess they try this once a class. If it slips by, they continue. If the professor calls them on it, they play the "didn't know" card.
ReplyDeleteThis, of course, is the argument for turning in every student who plagiarizes, no matter how small the assignment. In a functional system, one of the roles of the honor council (or equivalent) is to track a student's behavior across courses.
Of course, such functional systems are, sadly, rare, and even those of us who do have them may hesitate to go through all the necessary rigamorale to report cheating on a homework assignment. This kind of behavior is, of course, why we should.
And yes, great pic. If I had tenure, I'd be very tempted to emulate the pose in my faculty headshot.
Delete