One of the concerns that always seems to be leveled at online education is that online education is rife with cheating in general and plagiarism in particular (Simonson, Smaldino, & Zvacek, 2015). While this may be the case in some situation, as Dr. Pratt states in this weeks learning resource video, plagiarism exists just as much in on-ground courses as it does in online courses (Laureate Education, 2010). To assist with the detection of plagiarism, there are several technological tools available to instructors. Below is a list of just a few of these.
Turnitin: This is one of the more popular plagiarism detection programs on the market. Turnitin allows students to submit their papers prior to submission to get a sense of whether or not their paper contains plagiarized sections. The program scans the paper and gives a rating of how much similar content is contained in the paper. It also goes into detail about which areas are possibly plagiarized and provides suggestions on where it may have come from. Turnitin can also be used by instructors to check student submissions with the same results above. In either case, Turnitin provides a robust scan of student work to detect possible violations.
Grammarly.com: While Grammarly is for the most part a tool to help students write better in terms of grammar and mechanics, it also provides a plagiarism detection service to both students and instructors. Like Turnitin listed above, grammarly provides an overall rating of the submission and highlights specific portions that may be plagiarized. This is another excellent choice for students and instructors that may be concerned about plagiarism in their classroom.
iThenticate: iThenticate also performs a scan of uploaded documents and/reports for similarity matches. It then highlights specific phrases and/or sections that appear to be similar to other documents. Again, instructors and students can take advantage of the service to detect problems in papers and act accordingly based upon the academic integrity policies of their specific institution. In this case, as with the others, the software performs the scan relatively quickly and delivers easy to read results.
How can the design of assessments help prevent academic dishonesty?
While plagiarism detection is certainly of value, a better strategy would be to try and prevent plagiarism from occurring in the first place. One of the best ways to prevent plagiarism in assessments is to design them with a clear and precise definition of what plagiarism is according to the academic integrity policies of the institution (Simonson, et al, 2015). When designing an assessment, be sure to leave no doubt in the mind of students what plagiarism is in relation to the assessment. Also, place this description/definition right into the instructions of the assessment, do not rely upon the student to read the syllabus or academic policies handbook. Leave no doubt in the mind of the student. A second strategy that could be used is provide separate but intensive instruction about plagiarism in the course (Jocoy & DiBiase, 2006). Students that received specific instruction about plagiarism are half as likely to commit plagiarism than students that received no instruction related to plagiarism (Jocoy & DiBiase, 2006). If possible within the confines of the course, having students analyze sample assessments for plagiarism can reduce plagiarism occurrences and give students a greater understanding of how to avoid plagiarism (Jocoy & DiBase, 2006).
What facilitation strategies do you propose to use as a current or future online instructor?
As an online instructor, I will facilitate a combination of technological tools (such as Turnitin) with some of the strategies listed above. Specifically, I believe that one can never share information enough so I would design assessments with plagiarism definitions built into the instructions as well as provide a workshop early on in the course for students as a means of trying to reduce plagiarism when they get to the assessments. I will have them look at samples and highlight and/or define the elements that are plagiarized as the assignment for the workshop. This will of course need to be a graded assignment to ensure participation. Additionally, I will provide tutorials on how to use turn it in so students can take advantage of the product before turning in their submission.
What additional considerations for online teaching should be made to help detect or prevent cheating and plagiarism?
In addition to what was listed above, I believe that one additional consideration that should be made is the opportunity for students to re-work their papers if plagiarism is detected. In cases where the occurrence of plagiarism is relatively low, it is likely that the similarity is accidental and/or the student forgot to cite the appropriate work or did not cite it correctly. In these cases, students should be directed again to the definition relating to plagiarism and offered the workshop once again. The student can then revise their paper and run it through the Turnitin software again and see how it rates. If it rates in the acceptable range, they can submit the paper as is. If the paper is still in the unacceptable range, they will need to continue their revisions. The student needs to be made aware that he/she must submit the paper for review prior to submitting it to the instructor.
References
Jocoy, C., & DiBiase, D. (2006). Plagiarism by adult learners online: A case study in detection and remediation. International Review of Research in Open & Distance Learning, 7(1), 1-15.
Laureate Education (Producer). (2010). Plagiarism and cheating [Video file]. Retrieved from: https://class.waldenu.edu.
Simonson, S., Smaldino, S., & Zvacek, S. (2015). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (6th ed.). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
Thursday, June 9, 2016
Thursday, June 2, 2016
EIDT 6510 - Week 5 Application - Impact of Technology and Media
For this week's blog assignment, we were asked to consider the impact of technology and media on setting up online learning experiences. To that end, we were asked to answer four questions related to the topic given what we have read this week in our learning resources and our experience in designing an online learning experience in EDUC 6153. My answers are below.
What impact does technology and multimedia have on learning environments?
The short answer is, a great impact. Technology-based instruction offers many benefits over traditional teaching methods (Morrison, Ross, Kalman, & Kemp, 2013) and these benefits greatly change how education can be delivered in the online environment. For example, the video in this week's video (Laureate Education, 2010) talks about how in a training course on presenting a sales pitch, Web 2.0 multimedia tools such as YouTube can allow students at a distance to present their pitch via video without having to travel long distances. Clearly this is a far cry from the early days of having to give a class presentation while standing in front of the course at a lectern. In addition, much of the technology included in the course management system we used to build our course allowed students to interact in ways that would not be possible otherwise. For example, the use of blogs, wikis and discussion forums allowed students to interact with each other and with the instructor and have a great impact on the individual learner's feelings of connectedness and overall satisfaction with the course.
What are the most important considerations an online instructor should make before implementing technology?
When planning to design a distance education course, an instructor must first consider what makes up essential content that needs to be delivered to the learner (Simonson, Smaldino, Zvacek, 2015). What are the important pieces of information that need to be delivered to the learner? What activities will be created to deliver that information in a way that assists learners in meeting the learning outcomes for the course? These are the first consideration that must be taken into account. Once that is determined, an instructor needs to examine and evaluate the available technology tools and decide which those are best suited for the learning goals of the course (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). There are a vast number of tools available for use but not all of them will be effective for specific courses and activities. It is the responsibility of the instructor or designer to make the appropriate choices that will best serve his/her students. Additionally, the potential for learner interactivity must be considered (Simonson, et al., 2015). In an online environment, interaction with peers and the instructor is imperative so what tools encourage said interaction? These tools should be a priority in the planning process.
What implications do usability and accessibility of technology have for online teaching?
The implications for usability and accessibility are great for online teaching. As an instructor or designer of a course, it is critical that you understand that the technological tools being used are intuitive for learners to use (Simonson, et al., 2015) or at least are easy to use with the help of a tutorial. Additionally, the interface with the online course should also be intuitive (Morrison, et al., 2013). If the students can't figure out how to use and access the course or the tools contained in the course, the experience will be a negative one and students may be less inclined to seek out further online learning experiences. When planning for online teaching, instructors and designers should always try to put themselves in the place of the student and see if it makes sense and is easy to access and use from their perspective.
What technology tools are most appealing to you for online teaching as you move forward in your career in instructional design?
For me personally, I try to take advantage of the Web 2.0 tools that already exist as well as attempting to find new and better ways to deliver content and experience through gamification or simulations. I believe with the prevalence of synchronous meeting tools listed in the course text (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010), creating group projects in which students can meet together synchronously can be effective. Obviously there is the challenge of learners living in different time zones and/or countries that may not have the infrastructure to support such tools, but wherever possible, I believe synchronous meetings, if done properly can really add an excellent opportunity for interaction. As for games and simulations, I believe that these will become more and more important as the gaming generation enters the education marketplace and competition for these students intensifies. While there is no empirical evidence that shows adding games or simulations influences student achievement (Morrison, et al., 2013) there is no question that technologies such as these can present students with engaging experiences that may be closer to real world situations they may face in their workplace.
References
Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. M. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Laureate Education (Producer). (2010). Enhancing the online experience [Video file]. Retrieved from: https://class.waldenu.edu.
Morrison, G. R., Ross, S. M., Kalman, H. K., & Kemp, J. E. (2013). Designing effective instruction (7th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., & Zvacek, S. (2015). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (6th ed.). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
What impact does technology and multimedia have on learning environments?
The short answer is, a great impact. Technology-based instruction offers many benefits over traditional teaching methods (Morrison, Ross, Kalman, & Kemp, 2013) and these benefits greatly change how education can be delivered in the online environment. For example, the video in this week's video (Laureate Education, 2010) talks about how in a training course on presenting a sales pitch, Web 2.0 multimedia tools such as YouTube can allow students at a distance to present their pitch via video without having to travel long distances. Clearly this is a far cry from the early days of having to give a class presentation while standing in front of the course at a lectern. In addition, much of the technology included in the course management system we used to build our course allowed students to interact in ways that would not be possible otherwise. For example, the use of blogs, wikis and discussion forums allowed students to interact with each other and with the instructor and have a great impact on the individual learner's feelings of connectedness and overall satisfaction with the course.
What are the most important considerations an online instructor should make before implementing technology?
When planning to design a distance education course, an instructor must first consider what makes up essential content that needs to be delivered to the learner (Simonson, Smaldino, Zvacek, 2015). What are the important pieces of information that need to be delivered to the learner? What activities will be created to deliver that information in a way that assists learners in meeting the learning outcomes for the course? These are the first consideration that must be taken into account. Once that is determined, an instructor needs to examine and evaluate the available technology tools and decide which those are best suited for the learning goals of the course (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). There are a vast number of tools available for use but not all of them will be effective for specific courses and activities. It is the responsibility of the instructor or designer to make the appropriate choices that will best serve his/her students. Additionally, the potential for learner interactivity must be considered (Simonson, et al., 2015). In an online environment, interaction with peers and the instructor is imperative so what tools encourage said interaction? These tools should be a priority in the planning process.
What implications do usability and accessibility of technology have for online teaching?
The implications for usability and accessibility are great for online teaching. As an instructor or designer of a course, it is critical that you understand that the technological tools being used are intuitive for learners to use (Simonson, et al., 2015) or at least are easy to use with the help of a tutorial. Additionally, the interface with the online course should also be intuitive (Morrison, et al., 2013). If the students can't figure out how to use and access the course or the tools contained in the course, the experience will be a negative one and students may be less inclined to seek out further online learning experiences. When planning for online teaching, instructors and designers should always try to put themselves in the place of the student and see if it makes sense and is easy to access and use from their perspective.
What technology tools are most appealing to you for online teaching as you move forward in your career in instructional design?
For me personally, I try to take advantage of the Web 2.0 tools that already exist as well as attempting to find new and better ways to deliver content and experience through gamification or simulations. I believe with the prevalence of synchronous meeting tools listed in the course text (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010), creating group projects in which students can meet together synchronously can be effective. Obviously there is the challenge of learners living in different time zones and/or countries that may not have the infrastructure to support such tools, but wherever possible, I believe synchronous meetings, if done properly can really add an excellent opportunity for interaction. As for games and simulations, I believe that these will become more and more important as the gaming generation enters the education marketplace and competition for these students intensifies. While there is no empirical evidence that shows adding games or simulations influences student achievement (Morrison, et al., 2013) there is no question that technologies such as these can present students with engaging experiences that may be closer to real world situations they may face in their workplace.
References
Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. M. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Laureate Education (Producer). (2010). Enhancing the online experience [Video file]. Retrieved from: https://class.waldenu.edu.
Morrison, G. R., Ross, S. M., Kalman, H. K., & Kemp, J. E. (2013). Designing effective instruction (7th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., & Zvacek, S. (2015). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (6th ed.). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
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