Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Snowkr]

I work in a teacher training program for public school teachers and have been having trouble getting the message across to them that plagiarism is unacceptable.

To their credit, they have been trying very hard to improve their skills in this class but it seems that no matter how many times I have to caution them against copying words or even ideas from other writers without giving accurate citations, which is usually to be expected when they're simply writing based on articles they've found online, they still try to pass the work of others off as their own.

I think they believe that plagiarism only occurs when you open up a textbook and copy the contents or use an encyclopedia and copy it verbatim.

I know there probably aren't too many f/t's on this board who teach academic writing, but for those of you who do, could you please reply here or send me a pm and tell me how you deal with this?

Our program doesn't tolerate this at all, and if someone is caught doing it, the consequences are pretty severe. I'd hate to see anyone punished for this if they genuinely do not understand what they're doing wrong and why it's wrong.

I've heard that there was a recent report of a Korean professor who plagiarised almost an entire dissertation. If anyone knows of a link to this report online, could you please send it to me?

I'd really appreciate as much feedback as possible here from those of you who have dealt with this problem!

[OiGirl]

Just give them a zero. No discussion, no excuses. "Try again next time."

Usually after 2 or 3 zeros they get it.

I've recently been known to give a beginning-of-session lecture listing all the famous high-profile cases in Korea lately. I tell them I'd rather they have a small amount of embarrassment and pain now than a huge amount 10 or 20 years from now.

[R. S. Refugee]

Quite a daunting task. Why don't you start out with something a little easier. Like maybe teaching the American ruling class that invading other countries, killing hundreds of thousands of their civilians, making millions refugees, while looting the working and middle classes of their own country is naughty.

It might be easier. Just a thought.

See Myth of Sisyphus:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sisyphus

And Good Luck with those naughty Koreans.

[ajuma]

I've taught writing, and at the beginning of every semester, I would give a talk about plagiarism. If they copy from the internet, book...anything, they get a 0. No second chances. Most of my students were advanced and wanted to study abroad, so a 0 in my class would pretty much have destroyed their chance. I only had to do it 3 times in 4 years.

Here's a link with some stories on plagiarism.

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/search/index.html?query=plagiarism&x=10&y=8

[Roch]

[R. S. Refugee]

[Veruvia]

I don't teach other teachers, but I do teach high level middle school students essay writing and other various writing assignments at a Hagwon.

I let them know at the beginning of the course that copying work from other people is unacceptable and, since many of them want to go to American universities, what happens if you plagiarize there. If a student still plagiarizes an assignment, they get a 0 for the assignment, detention, and I nonchalantly make it known in class that they copied.

Usually, the thought of detention and being singled out is enough to prevent any plagiarizing.

[bondjimbond]

[Scott in Incheon]

I think it might depend on what/how you teach. I have been teaching writing for about 4 years now and had almost no copying. I think it might be how I teach. The students have to go through a conference/portfolio system so they have to talk to me about what they are writing.

Their portfolio mark is based on improvement, so if they bring in perfect copy the first time, they are still expected to improve it to get a good mark. This has never happened.


I have the same rule as another teacher on the thread. If I suspect copying, then I don't accept the paper. I won't allow it into their portfolio.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

One way is to get them to write the introductory paragraph for an assignment in class. You can go around and provide assistance to anyone who may be stuck and start them on a bit of an outline from there. After that it's a bit harder simply to cut-and-paste from somewhere and they'll hopefully feel confident enought that they feel they don't have to resort to that.

[poet13]

From a collegaues teachers class last week. Three of us take turns teaching this class each week.

"When is spring thought me, the friends.

When every year is spring me and the breast runs.
Again, like with 20 murderous intent me, going back.
When thought it tries and 20 flesh time truth is same the eye-catcher.
All possibilities it was being opened and also the body and mind kicked
vigor always.
When it speaks like this, it appears the inside age to be being many
but me they are 33 flesh.
Friendship of the friends and the college life of 4 year for to do to
comprehend the many thing in me was the hour when too much it is
valuable.
Exchange the sunlights which it does and 20 flesh the laugh sound of
the joyful friends is fresh yet in the campus.
Every year it is a spring but when the magnolia blooms to looking
downward and also the inside mind comes off some.
The time the truth is quick.
After graduating, some changing mind meets with asks a with each other
welfare but the thought which will increase is born.
To this spring hour it is a thought which tries to meet the inside U
friends.
Also the talk which lives during that time how to share and the campus
where it dawns and to walk to see and and a fine time to do will have.
The friends Oh, it will meet all and it was prepared?"

[Joe Boxer]

There's an article in the Korea Herald today, called "A call for a campaign against plagiarism" (page 1.

Couldn't find a link for the online edition, though.

[Saxiif]

A lot of people cheat but a lot of people just don't know how to cite properly. I've gotten essays by my students with massive chunks copied straight out of websites and then at the bottom of the page was a list of the student's sources with the URLs of all of the websites used. The student was lazy, but wasn't trying to trick me about anything.

I'd teach a class on proper citation. Print out a few snippets of internet articles and have them write paragraphs using those articles as sources. Keep on doing that over and over until they get the hang of citing and using sources properly.

Then, if their entire assignment is plagarized give them a zero but if only parts of it are and it's obvious that the students did at least SOME work (however little) then act like you don't think that what they did was cheating, just improper citation and then go over how they could use the stuff they plagarized as sources and how to cite it properly.

I find that in a lot of cases "you need to learn how to cite your sources properly" works a lot better than "you cheated! how dare you!" even if the student was in fact doing some pretty blatant plagarism.

But then there's the students who just spend ten seconds on the assignment to copy and past a whole webpage, there's nothing to be done with them except giving them a zero.

[poet13]

Received this from a teacher. It was his or her homework assignment.

"As teacher first day.
I entered the classroom door with glad mind.
4 grades of seashore village, Information about the students whom I have was this whole of it.
The too much lovable eyes me when to see, me it trembled and too much it was happy.
The students in me tried to ask the many things. And me it was a position too much and to answer.
It will teach the students eagerly with determination, With the mind which is happy my first day was started.
Of the students and first meeting, inside life most it was glad instantaneous public opinion one.
Only 1 years only the crane doctrine which does not work. I cannot forget that school yet.
With the that time 4 grade students it contacts yet.
Them becomes the senior in high school, it grows finely and me it does gladly.
Now, it is living in the multi place, it gives a news and it receives and to be happy it does.
Them yet in me, are only elementary school 4 grades one.
The today of all days lovable guys want report."

So I wrote this,

"The assignment was to write about your first day of teaching. I think it's disrespectful and not very honest to submit an online translation as your own work. I will not read an online translation. "

...submitted it to http://www.worldlingo.com/en/products_services/worldlingo_translator.html ...
got this....

"지정은 가르치기의 당신의 첫번째 날에 관하여 쓰기 위한 것이었다. 나는 당신의 자신으로 온라인 번역을 복종시키기 위하여 그것이 예절이 없고 아주 정직하다는 것을 일 생각한다. 나는 온라인 번역을 읽지 않을 것이다."


...changed it back to English getting this....

"The designation it teaches at you first day regarding the writing was for. Me in order to obey an on-line translation with you oneself the thing quite there is not this manners of it and honesty is one it thinks. Me will not read an on-line translation."

I sent both the Korean and the re-tread English back to the teacher.

I feel better.

[ajuma]