Peer Reviewed Journal via three different mandatory reviewing processes, since 2006, and, from September 2020, a fourth mandatory peer-editing has been added.
Many universities are facing the prospect of a significant increase in online teaching and assessment for the coming 2020-21 academic year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. On-campus, in-person delivery and assessment methods are often transposed to an online environment with little modification. This does not always work.
This paper looks at the experience and effectiveness of implementing a standard plagiarism awareness campaign within an online learning environment. It uses the analytical lens of behavioural science to examine the results (where the plagiarism scores for almost 20% of the adult learners were High due to poor referencing abilities) with a view to reducing these scores.
The data set has been gathered over a two-year period with 275 adult learners, coming from a variety of educational and employment backgrounds, with 5 to 25 years of work experience. All were exposed to the same lessons on plagiarism and referencing.
This paper is broadly practitioner research using case studies as illustrative of real-world phenomena. The methodology for comparison draws heavily on Bereday’s model of comparative styles and their predispositions (Bereday, 1964).
This presented the key question: How can the poor referencing abilities of otherwise capable learners be addressed to produce work that is Low plagiarism scoring?
The analytical lens of behavioural science theories (in particular Bounded Rationality and the Framing Effect)
suggest some explanations for the poor referencing abilities of otherwise capable learners. Likewise, Nudge Theory, Messenger Effect and Simplification suggest opportunities for insight into how to motivate learners to produce work with lower plagiarism scores.
The key outcome is the suggestion of the need for further research into creating a positive environment for learners to explore referencing and building more credible arguments through the proper use of Subject Matter Experts (SME) opinions that support their own, rather than the current situation where referencing is seen as a box-ticking exercise that results in punishment if not done correctly.
