Student attitudes to questionable work practices.
Preamble: Academic staff within the School Information Technology are concerned about the incidence of cheating and plagiarism within its courses. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the problem is widespread amongst the undergraduate and postgraduate students. In collaboration with a similar study at Monash University, this project will establish students' perceptions of what constitutes cheating and plagiarism and what practices are acceptable to them in this context. It will help clarify the motivation and factors that influence cheating behaviour.The longer term aims of the project will assist in determining measures that can be taken to address this problem and will facilitate the development of an informed policy on student plagiarism and cheating, and assist in the review of teaching and assessment practices within the school.
Aims of the research:
- establish students' understanding of what constitutes cheating and plagiarism
- determine the extent of cheating and plagiarism amongst undergraduate and postgraduate students
- identify motivations for cheating and plagiarism
- suggest measures which may be taken to discourage the practice of cheating and plagiarism
Outcomes to date:
Cheating and Plagiarism: Perceptions and Practice of 1st Year IT Students (2002) Sheard, J., Dick, M., Macdonald, I. D. H. & Walsh, M. E. Paper submitted for publication.
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