There are many challenges for students and universities alike with regard to plagiarism and the Internet. Because I often publish articles and other types of work from my online management course on the web, I am worried that someone may copy them. I am also aware that another student or professional person could feel that I have inadvertently copied their work.
Plagiarism is a controversial subject, and not always black and white. Opinion is often divided as to what constitutes plagiarism. Some high profile court cases have shown that. With the Internet becoming increasingly a tool for education organisations in providing online degrees and other online courses, more educational resources are being shared on the web.
Internet publishing of articles and other learning material has in some ways increased the scope for situations where plagiarism can happen, either intentionally or unintentionally.
The problem for students is that even if they have been found to plagiarise someone else’s work unintentionally, this can still be construed as recklessness, as the obligation is on the students to make sure that their work is original and that references include the relevant source information.
Perhaps there is a temptation when a student is on a web-based distance learning degree course, to use source material they have discovered through research on the Internet in an incorrect way. But most students find this is not the best way to learn a subject, and that understanding the topics and content of their course will achieve far better results.
Likewise many students can be over cautious when allowing their work to be placed on the web, whether entire pieces of work or extracts. Within the learning environment, most students and colleges are there to engage and develop their knowledge rather than just simply copy other people’s work.
It is always best to discuss concerns about plagiarism with your teacher or learning provider. Colleges will have plagiarism guidelines and a set procedure with dealing with plagiarism and avoiding plagiarism in the first place. Definitions of plagiarism are made by a range of educational organisations and the problems posed by the Internet are widely recognised and included in plagiarism guidelines.
It can be very difficult to pinpoint when plagiarism occurs, but any type of publishing, whether in print or online, is at risk of plagiarism. Of course, your ideas and themes in your own work once published online, can influence others to produce original work based on your topics and ideas.
This is a good thing about the Internet for colleges and students, that despite the threat of plagiarism, there are many ways for information to be disseminated and shared in a way respectful of the original author’s work.
Because some types of plagiarism can be difficult to prove, the Internet will probably always be a source of information for students to reproduce as their own. But throughout an online degree course, students need to be aware that teachers can tell the difference between a student copying another’s work and true understanding of the subject.
Article Source: http://www.orbitaloc.com/
Sarah Maple writes about marketing courses and distance learning.
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