Abstract:

Online education is characterised by major learning challenges to both students and instructors. In this paper, we are looking at one particular issue – plagiarism – and ways to offer extra support to virtual students to ensure that they are aware of basic academic standards and their significance to their studies and future academic progress. We have identified the role of instructors as being crucial in this process, as they need to be able to develop responsible and formative feedback that support, coach, guide and help students progressing and complying with basic academic requirements. Feedback should be understood as the bridge between students’ and instructors, since students’ work and efforts are reviewed and put into an appropriate learning context. In this regard, instructors should be able to convey a clear message that deals with academic integrity and its impact and plagiarism should be at the centre of the message to be transmitted to students. At the same time, students should be able to develop reflective and critical thinking skills that allow them appraising the work done, but at the same time, they should be able to understand what plagiarism is about, its major implications, and reconsider how their practice aligns to academic basic standards. In this regard, we argue that plagiarism and its implications should be at the centre of the course work and instructors and students alike should be able to recognise and discuss academic integrity issues in an open manner. Early plagiarism detection on course assignments should be viewed as an additional vehicle that allows students achieving settled academic standards. Our research have identified responsible feedback as a way to move on in the fight against plagiarism and personal development journals is considered as an efficient tool that is well implemented could help instructors and students alike to get a better understanding of challenges faced in the classroom when trying to understand plagiarism and its ramifications.

Keywords:

Plagiarism, Online Education, Responsible Feedback, Personal Development Journals, Academic Standards.