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Sign up with Google Sign up with FacebookQ: How do you catch your students plagerizing?
Plagerizing is a big deal here. Is there any software or any other way to catch students plagerizing?
Yes, there is software available, and in some 'schools' it is used. Turnitin is a popular one .
Personally, I found google and baidu to be my best source for checking plaigarism! I take a few, fairly unique phrases, and search for them online. 90% of the time - bingo! It does take time, but it's nice to be able to show the student that I found the same thing they did!
Also, when they do reference, look mistakes and styles. I found 1 kid who had whole-heartedly copied from wiki - including the mistakes (or just poor technique).. AND left in the note number.. [1], [2] etc.
Regarding Coin's comment above - it will depend on who you're working for. When I was working for a UK based university group, yes - they took it (more) seriously than other places (that just didn't care). However, even then, I was asked to give them a 'fail' grade (ie, 59%) rather than the 0 they deserved - "because it would affect their overall score". Tough!
Explain 'big deal here', first!
Is plagiarism widely used/implemented or is it strictly prohibited?
If former, why would you catch anybody if everybody plagiarise?
You could be student, so I'm not telling anything about the software.
from what i understand, plagiarism is less punishable here. western universities would fail students if there is too much copied content in their work. chinese universities simply allow a do-over stating: "rewrite this until our software detects less than X% plagiarised passages."
it's pathetic, but the system is designed for a culture that discourages free thought. students were never taught how to develop original thoughts.
as teacher, you are expected to conform to this system. rocking the boat will get you fired. be careful how you implement anti-plagiarism software.
Yes, there is software available, and in some 'schools' it is used. Turnitin is a popular one .
Personally, I found google and baidu to be my best source for checking plaigarism! I take a few, fairly unique phrases, and search for them online. 90% of the time - bingo! It does take time, but it's nice to be able to show the student that I found the same thing they did!
Also, when they do reference, look mistakes and styles. I found 1 kid who had whole-heartedly copied from wiki - including the mistakes (or just poor technique).. AND left in the note number.. [1], [2] etc.
Regarding Coin's comment above - it will depend on who you're working for. When I was working for a UK based university group, yes - they took it (more) seriously than other places (that just didn't care). However, even then, I was asked to give them a 'fail' grade (ie, 59%) rather than the 0 they deserved - "because it would affect their overall score". Tough!
No it is not a big deal (big deal means its taken very seriously)
Many of my students have asked me how I check. They want to know how to avoid detection. Websites are getting smarter also.
So I don't believe its a good idea to answer your question.
Software? Read their papers and search on the internet, baidu or yahoo. It's easy, but takes time.
There is no recourse for the professors and teachers either. If they do catch a student basically coping/ cheating there is nothing they can do , with little support from their learning institution and fear of the wraith of the parents.
i have this first hand from a professor who asked me what would I do.
their hands are tied.
Just a corrupt system, that is taught to all from birth and overtakes everything done in day/ day life
I'm not going to tell you how I catch them, but I will tell you what grade they get for it... 0%
How can you not to?
If this is about academics, as a professor/lecturer in your own research field, you should have read enough to be able to tell by merely look those work. Like I have published enough paper to be able to remember those who came up with what suggestion in which year in which books or journals. If anyone's using those ideas without siting them I knew it.
Also, the consistency in their writing style. If the student just copied and pasted a paragraph, you can easily pick it out.
If you know your students, you'll be able to see if their work match with their level.
And as shining pointed out, there are plenty of soft wares and websites that you can use to check, Turnitin is one of them.
By saying that...this is China and intellectual work here is not cherished or protected.
One of my strong interests lies in neurology, I now work at a massage parlor and provide 'Japanese fingering massage' to secretly carry on my research.
PM me if you want to know the rest of the story as it contains sensitive contents and is not suitable for reads under the age of 18.
Shining_brow:
"Also, the consistency in their writing style. If the student just copied and pasted a paragraph, you can easily pick it out."
It's one thing to know it - it's a different thing to prove it.
there was a job on this website last year for writers to write papers not plagarized for students assignments, that's all you need to know about how this country works.
I don't, they catch themselves. I had students turn in the exact same paper. I guess they thought I didn't read them. I talked to the boss and told him I'm carving out 30 min/class for the students to write. No more problems.