Abstract:

This paper examines one private training provider’s reflections on implementing a new approach versus current best practice, for explaining referencing and plagiarism to adult learners, who were studying in an online learning environment.

This paper builds upon previously presented research by the authors, which proposed that using Behavioural Science theories and positive messaging to explain referencing and the responsibilities of academic writing to adult learners returning to education, could reduce their plagiarism scores, improve the quality of assignments, increase confidence in their own opinions and how they related to subject matter experts in the field, while also reducing the workload of the lecturers in the report writing associated with documenting non-malicious plagiarism scores.

A group of 50 adult learners were given a writing skills course to run concurrently with an end of module assignment. Their plagiarism scores and assignment grades were compared to a group of adult learners who completed the same assignment, but instead of the writing skills course this other group were given standard negative messaging regarding plagiarism and referencing, and the penalties associated with poor referencing.

The results of the positive messaging approach were compared to the negative messaging approach using the analytical lens of behavioural science, to draw any conclusions between the effectiveness of the different systems with respect to the grades and associated plagiarism scores that these students received.

This paper is broadly practitioner research using case studies as illustrative of real-world phenomena. The methodology for comparison draws heavily on Bereday’s model of comparative styles and their predispositions (Bereday, 1964).

A post-COVID world is likely to increase the proportion of online learning relative to classroom-based teaching in many courses. Therefore plagiarism in an online environment and strategies for mitigating it, will become a central element of many university’s quality standards. It is expected that the current referencing and plagiarism strategies which have been built around an on-campus, in-person delivery and assessment method for courses, are not entirely implementable in their current format in an online learning environment.

Key findings include:
- Understanding the strong satisficer tendencies of adult learners, and how to appeal to the optimiser abilities of this group.
- The current best practice awareness campaigns on plagiarism promote a negative message about the consequences of poor referencing, and this negative messaging did not have the desired effect of reducing high plagiarism scores.
- The areas of Nudge Theory, Simplification and the Messenger Effect, could provide insights for future studies into changing from current best practice of a negative messaging campaign, to a positive messaging campaign.

This research could give insights to Government policy-makers and universities looking to implement strategies to improve overall success metrics in the key area of referencing and plagiarism in online assessments.

Keywords:

Online Learning, Referencing, Behavioral Science, Online Assessment, Plagiarism, Adult Learners, Best Practice.