Engineering Integrity: Using text-matching software in a graduate level engineering course

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dc.contributor.authorCrossman, Katie
dc.contributor.authorPaul, Robyn
dc.contributor.authorBehjat, Laleh
dc.contributor.authorTrifkovic, Milana
dc.contributor.authorFear, Elise C.
dc.contributor.authorEaton, Sarah Elaine
dc.contributor.authorYates, Robin Michael
dc.date.accessioned2019-07-25T17:52:40Z
dc.date.available2019-07-25T17:52:40Z
dc.date.issued2019-04-18
dc.description.abstractAcademic misconduct is an unfortunate reality for many post-secondary level educators across disciplines; however, there is currently a paucity of Canadian research on Academic Integrity (Eaton, 2018). This study describes an inter-disciplinary project to investigate the potential for text-matching software to prevent and avoid plagiarism by graduate level engineering students. Conceptual/Theoretical Framework: Our study was informed by the potential for text-matching software to help students understand and avoid plagiarism (Zaza & McKenzie, 2018) and faculty identify instances of plagiarism in an engineering course (Cooper & Bullard, 2014). Although text-matching software has been commercially available since the 1990s, its acceptance within academic contexts is uneven. Reasons for this are manifold, but the most commonly expressed concerns are about a) the punitive nature of the software use; b) the potential for it to be used as a tool for cheating students to “beat the system”, and c) privacy concerns (Savage, 2004). Methodology / Approach: In this project, approved by the institutional REB, assignments submitted in a graduate-level engineering communication course were analyzed using text-matching software, Ithenticate. The first phase of the study involved collecting baseline data from students enrolled in a graduate-level Engineering course (N=132). As per REB protocol, individual results were not shared with the professor or teaching assistants and sharing of aggregated results is not permitted until after February 15, 2019. In our presentation, we share baseline results, as well as outcomes of the second phase of the research, in which the research associate revealed the deception, explained the study, and solicited consent from students to have their next assignment harvested and analyzed. The research associate also introduced the software and provided a workshop on academic integrity including strategies for avoiding plagiarism, such as paraphrasing. Subsequent to these workshops, assignments written by consenting participants were analyzed with Ithenticate to determine whether a reduction in textual similarity occurred. Results / Findings: The results of this study indicate that text-matching software can be useful to students and educators to prevent and identify academic misconduct. This study will add to the growing body of empirical research about academic integrity in Canada and in particular, in engineering contexts.en_US
dc.identifier.citationCrossman, K., Paul, R., Behjat, L., Trifkovic, M., Fear, E. C., Eaton, S. E., & Yates, R. M. (2019). Engineering Integrity: Using text-matching software in a graduate level engineering course. 1-12.en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/36770
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/110670
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisher.facultyWerklund School of Educationen_US
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen_US
dc.rightsUnless otherwise indicated, this material is protected by copyright and has been made available with authorization from the copyright owner. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.en_US
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0en_US
dc.subjectacademic integrityen_US
dc.subjectacademic dishonestyen_US
dc.subjectacademic misconducten_US
dc.subjectCanadaen_US
dc.subjectCanadian Symposium on Academic Integrityen_US
dc.subjecthigher educationen_US
dc.subjectplagiarismen_US
dc.subjectEngineeringen_US
dc.subjectiThenticateen_US
dc.subjecttext-matching softwareen_US
dc.subjectplagiarism detection softwareen_US
dc.titleEngineering Integrity: Using text-matching software in a graduate level engineering courseen_US
dc.typeconference paperen_US
dc.typeotheren_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrueen_US
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