COURSE OVERVIEW:

Plagiarism is using the words or ideas of others and passing them off as your own. Plagiarism is a type of intellectual theft. Plagiarism can take many forms, from deliberate cheating to accidentally copying from a source without acknowledgement. Consequently, whenever you use the words or ideas of another person in your work, you must acknowledge where they came from.

Plagiarism has been widely condemned by academics, largely due to the negative impact it has on student learning. Students, who either intentionally or unintentionally submit unoriginal work as their own, are hindering their ability to extract meaning from the information they read and are limiting their opportunity to develop higher level cognitive learning skills.

Plagiarism is unethical for three reasons:

·       Firstly, it is unethical because it is a form of theft. By taking the ideas and words of others and pretending they are your own, you are stealing someone else’s intellectual property.

·       Secondly, it is unethical because the plagiariser subsequently benefits from this theft.

·       Thirdly, a degree is evidence of its holder’s abilities and knowledge. If a student gains employment on the basis of a qualification they have not earned, they may be a risk to others

No doubt some students do cheat. They deliberately take the results of other people’s hard work, use it to gain credit for themselves, and learn little or nothing in the process. But most cases of plagiarism are accidental and could be avoided if students became more conscious of their own writing and research practices. Most students who plagiarise do so unintentionally, usually because they don't have the skills to avoid over-reliance on the work of others or because they aren't sure what constitutes plagiarism.

The first part of this course explains the many differences that currently exist between researchers, educators and students about what constitutes ‘plagiarism’ and how it is viewed by Western educational institutions. Then discusses a theoretical model using the ‘Expectancy-value model’ theory of planned behaviour to explain why plagiarism occurs. Then proceeds by exploring alternative perspectives of plagiarism as used by educators, trainers, assessors, researchers, RTOs and universities.

The second part explores the different types and forms of plagiarism and the ways to detect it. Then explains how to respond to incidents of cheating and plagiarism. Finally, provides an example of a cheating and plagiarism policy for a fictional RTO.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand:

·       What is meant by plagiarism?

·       How students plagiarise in four different ways?

·       Why plagiarism occurs using the ‘Expectancy-value model’

·       The reasons why students plagiarise

·       What influences the process of plagiarising

·       The significant link that exists between intention and behaviour in relation to plagiarism

·       The disadvantages of plagiarism to the reputation of the educational institutions

·       The difference between deliberate and accidental plagiarism

·       The relationship between awareness and intention to plagiarise

·       The relationship between attitude to plagiarism and awareness

·       The Ajzen’s (1991) theory of planned behaviour and plagiarism

·       The beliefs and values associated with plagiarism

·       The strategies to minimise plagiaristic behaviour

·       Plagiarism in the VET sector

·       How to create awareness of student integrity requirements?

·       The RTO’s responsibilities in relation to plagiarism?

·       The student’s responsibilities in relation to plagiarism?

·       How to detect plagiarism?

·       The plagiarism detection software

·       Detecting plagiarism through the RTO’s learning management system?

·       How to detect plagiarism in hard copy submission?

·       Why RTO’s should take the necessary steps to detect plagiarism and cheating?

·       What is meant by Academic Dishonesty?

·       The possible forms of plagiarism   

·       How to respond to incidents of cheating and plagiarism?

·       How to avoid plagiarism?

·       The difference between quoting, summarising and paraphrasing      

·       An example of an RTO cheating and plagiarism policy

COURSE DURATION:

The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

You must have access to a computer or any mobile device with Adobe Acrobat Reader (free PDF Viewer) installed, to complete this course.

COURSE DELIVERY:

Purchase and download course content.

ASSESSMENT:

A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.

CERTIFICATION:

Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.