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.