Journal of Academic Development and Education JADE Issue 8 | Page 54

HIGHLIGHT #2 | 54 HIGHLIGHT #2 Title Reflections on an issue of student diversity: unintentional plagiarism among international students Authors Dr. Heidi R. Fuller DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.21252/ KEELE-0000019 Contact [email protected] School Postgraduate Medicine, School of Medicine Faculty Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Abstract There is a growing body of literature to suggest that the rates of plagiarism without intention to deceive are higher among international students. In this article, I reflect upon the literature and my own experience and practice, to explore the possible reasons for this. When taken together, these findings suggest that a pedagogical approach to academic literacy development, embedded within taught programmes, is likely to offer an inclusive solution for plagiarism prevention. Introduction Throughout academia students are typically drawn from a diverse range of geographical and cultural backgrounds; each with their own unique circumstances, and each potentially bringing with them an individual set of requirements. In recognition of this diversity, universities have a moral and legal obligation to “protect the rights of individuals and advance equality of opportunity for all” (Equality Act, 2010). Accordingly, at the heart of Keele University’s mission, is the core value of Equality and Diversity. In line with the Equality Act (2010), this value takes account of the nine protected characteristics (i.e. age, disability, gender, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation), though morally, it extends far beyond this to anticipate issues relating to the individual learning needs of students; their expectations; and how their previous experiences may influence these. The desired outcome is to create “a diverse, inclusive and professional academic community that respects individuals and enables them to strive for success….” (Keele University, Our Vision 2020). The aim of this article is to explore how the concept of plagiarism raises an issue relating to student diversity, particularly with respect to international students. “Unintentional” plagiarism and cultural concepts Plagiarism is an example of academic misconduct that is recognised throughout higher education in the UK (HEA, 2014), and at Keele University, is defined as “the unacknowledged use by a student of someone else’s work being presented for assessment as if it were the student’s own” (Keele University, Regulation 8). Within some disciplines, such as my own in Postgraduate Medicine, for example, the consequences of academic misconduct may extend beyond the University, and constitute a breach of professional misconduct; the outcome of which could, in its most serious form, result in the School informing the student’s employer and/ or professional regulatory body. Given the potentially devastating consequences, we, as a department, are particularly keen to develop ways in which we can apply pedagogical approaches to prevent plagiarism. This is by no means a straightforward task, however, because plagiarism is a multifactorial phenomenon, and the lack of a universal consensus around its definition and clear, universally-accepted guidelines for the process of plagiarism detection, begins to offer a glimpse into potential problems around student expectations (Gu and Brooks, 2008; Hayes and Introna, HIGHLIGHT #2 | 55 REFLECTIONS ON AN ISSUE OF STUDENT DIVERSITY: UNINTENTIONAL PLAGIARISM AMONG INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS 2005). It should perhaps be no surprise to learn, therefore, that published reports (HEA, 2014), and our own anecdotal observations at departmental level, indicate that the majority of plagiarism cases seem to be attributed to a misunderstanding, rather than a deliberate act of cheating. This raises an important issue relating to student diversity because there is a growing body of literature to suggest that the rates of plagiarism without intention to deceive are higher among international students (e.g. HEA, 2014; Pecorari et al., 2003). As an undergraduate student in the UK in the 1990s, plagiarism was not a concept that I can recall being introduced to explicitly in my taught classes, though I did experience a rude awakening that helped to shape my understanding in a less direct way! During a group discussion, the course tutor read out a sentence from my assignment submission that he “was very impressed with”. Much laughter ensued before he finally explained that the “joke” was on me; I had paraphrased the sentence from an article that he had written, without referencing the source material! This was by no means an intentional act of plagiarism, and though paraphrasing of one short sentence may not be sufficient grounds upon which to trigger a formal academic misconduct process, it serves to illustrate how a lack of understanding about academic writing conventions has the potential to manifest as an incident of plagiarism. In the Western World plagiarism is accepted to be morally wrong (Kolich, 1983), but in some other parts of the world, plagiarism is ill-defined, if at all. One could easily imagine, therefore, how the concept of appropriate attribution might be even more confusing for an international student with very different, or little, expectations about “what plagiarism looks like”. There are anecdotal reports, for example, of students from cultural backgrounds in which it is thought to be complimentary to copy sections of work (i.e. “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”) (Chuah, 2010). It has also been suggested that, in some cultures, students may feel that it would be disrespectful to cite a well-known source because it would suggest that their professor is unfamiliar with the work (Divan et al., 2015). Similarly, upon receipt of formative feedback on her written work, an international Masters Dissertation student once told me that she was anxious about referencing sections of her work that offered critical insights into limitations of the studies in question. She felt that in her culture, this would be viewed as a direct insult to the author, and that this practice would not be encouraged. In order for such a student to adapt to—and develop their understanding of—Western academic conventions, they must first reflect on, and challenge, their own cultural values and previous educational experiences. From the perspective of a teacher, this can be a daunting process to facilitate; it requires a great deal of sensitivity and a clear pedagogical approach.