Preventing Plagiarism and Cheating in Schools

Plagiarism is one of the education system's pervasive problems. Students at almost every grade level are participating in this form of cheating. Plagiarism is defined as being the process of stealing the work or ideas of others. This work is passed off as an original work, rather than that of its author. In some states, plagiarism has risen to epidemic proportions. Schools understand the important role that they play in preventing plagiarism. This can be one of the most important roles in the student's life.

One of the first steps in this process is teaching the finer points of this issue. Stressing the penalties associated with cheating is also crucial. Teacher resources are helpful to educators as they address the topic of plagiarism. Most educators are equipped with worksheets that explain fully what this problem is. Addressing the infraction of plagiarism is simply a small part of the topic.

Students need to fully understand what is expected of them and their work. Each year these students receive assignments requiring them to write essays and research papers. Documenting research properly is an instrumental way to not plagiarize. For this reason, teachers include in their lesson plans topics about documentation in writing. This issue addresses such things as works cited, and giving credit to authors.

Plagiarism is a problem in college too. Schools like Indiana University have set about the process of preventing this issue. They have incorporated their Code of Students Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct. This document explains what is expected of students by their schools. It addresses plagiarism, as well as, the school's penalty for this action. Enforcing such as code is a good way to show its importance in your school.

Individual school systems, schools, and educators are responsible for this enforcement process. Many schools at all levels have invested in preventive measures to address cheating. The internet has a direct effect on the progression of plagiarism. There is such a wealth of information online at any given time, students are tempted to cheat. Virtually every topic can be found somewhere on the internet, along with the writings about them.

This vast material is often found incorporated in the work of students. In some cases, they completely copy papers of others posted online. This is where the detection process becomes quite difficult. Fortunately for teachers there are wonderful resources available to them. Software for detecting plagiarism is a good tool to use. Products like Plagiarism Stoppers are staples in the arsenal of many educators.

There are also effective websites dedicated to this problem. These sites offer educators resources and preventive helps for dealing with plagiarism. An example in this category is the site Plagiarism.org. Although these state of the art techniques are important, so is communication. Keeping an open line of dialogue with students can be helpful in preventing this issue. When students feel comfortable conversing about this topic, they are more likely to ask questions. This process, many times, can prevent them from indulging in plagiarism.