Rather than lecturing students about plagiarism, this lesson lets the class hunt for answers to solve a what-if worksheet. The students, working in groups, complete worksheets (linked at right) that encourage them to explore the meaning and consequences of academic dishonesty. They then present their answers to the others in the class. You guide their presentation as needed.
Time Required
- Total time: 50 minutes
- 25 minutes to investigate plagiarism in general and at UTA (complete worksheet)
- 20 minutes to present the results of their exploration to the class through prompts
- 5 minutes to wrap up and cover any Instructor Talking points missed in the presentation
Required Equipment
- One computer for each group.
- One demonstration computer (connected to a projection system).
- Enough worksheets so each group gets at least one copy.
Plagiarism Sources To Explore
- UTA Website - Academic Integrity page from Judicial Affairs
- Google search (to find real-life examples of plagiarism)
Worksheet
- Using the worksheets provided, students will look for definitions and examples of plagiarism in general and at UTA. The questions are designed to help students discover what they can expect from the University if they engage in academic dishonesty in their coursework or research assignments.
- The worksheet is a PDF and the Instructor Talking Points is an editable Word document. Feel free to make additional notes or bring specific examples of plagiarism directly related to the discipline area the students are studying.
Session Details
- Introduction
- Indicate what students will be doing and why you are asking them to do it.
- Break students into groups of no more than 4 students.
- Let them know that they will be teaching the rest of the class how to recognize and avoid plagiarism. They will want to make certain to teach their fellow students those things they find most important.
- Show students how to get to the UTA Judicial Affairs page and if necessary, help them with prompts for their Google search for real-world plagiarism examples (see ideas on Instructor Talking points page).
- Group Activity
- Each group gets at least one copy of the worksheet.
- Every group should be filling out answers to each of the questions.
- Let the groups know that they will be called on to present one of their answers.
- If you have more than 5 groups, two groups can present the same question.
- Students work together to discover the answers to the questions on the worksheet.
- Teaching the Research Tools
- Each group will present their assigned question, giving examples.
- If there is time at the end, throw out a couple of bonus questions (below) and award a prize to the group that comes up with the most examples after 1 minute of brainstorming.
- Make certain that students address the following:
- The definition of plagiarism
- How to recognize plagiarism
- What the consequences of academic dishonesty are at UTA
- How to avoid plagiarism in class assignments and research papers
- BONUS: How professors are expected to discourage plagiarism in their classes
- BONUS: Where to get help finding sources and citing sources appropriately
Instructor Talking Points
- See the Acknowledging Sources Talking Points document at right.
