Comments on: Wikipedia and Homework Plagiarism

By: Ricky Mondello

Ricky Mondello — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 21:55:14 +0000

I came across this post while googling “plagiarizing Wikipedia”, because I was curious to find out how plagiarism changes when you’re not stealing from one author, but instead stealing from a collaborative, open source work like Wikipedia. I haven’t yet found my answer, but this is a great blog post, so I’ll throw in my two cents:

This last year I finished a ridiculous high school ‘health’ class, which had a focus on research. The class itself was a joke, and I feel confident saying that as someone who considers himself an intellectual in training, because the teacher wasn’t able to practice what she preached. She ranted almost daily about how plagiarism would end in severe consequences, but was never able to spot it. Meanwhile, I was able to. For example, the class had to work on different research projects and distribute their findings to the rest of the class. I found it odd when many student’s documents used different fonts throughout, and had underlined hyperlinks. I kid you not, there were hyperlinks _everywhere_, a sure sign of very sloppy copying and pasting.

Furthermore, the teacher’s PowerPoint presentations were taken straight from Wikipedia! How could I tell? She had underlined hyperlinks in her presentations. I even wrote down a sentence and googled it in quote to see where it came from. Low and behold, Wikipedia.

One day, I was sick of it and stayed after class to discuss this with her. I pointed out half a dozen examples of plagiarism from the latest round of research projects and how you can spot it, and all she simply said was, “I didn’t know that.”

Today, none of the plagiarizing students were punished for their crimes. Now, that teacher has since taken a job at a great college, where she’s sure to be making a great sum of money. I can’t figure some things out.

Relevance to your daughter? Very little. But, I hope she and you are doing well.

By: Lindsey

Lindsey — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 20:57:28 +0000

One of the first things that ALL my undergrad professors mentioned was that Wikipedia was not considered a valid source. It always amazes me that people get to college and don’t know how to do proper research. I guess they didn’t all have someone teaching them how to do it right in the first place. Hard lesson to learn, but better from you than from the teacher!

By: Lisa

Lisa — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 18:49:27 +0000

Kind of how I look back now and wish that changing diapers was my biggest concern? Yea - something like that lol

By: Redfred

Redfred — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 16:31:05 +0000

In a couple of years you will look back and wish that plagarised homework was your biggest concern!!!!!

By: Astro

Astro — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 15:04:26 +0000

She hasn’t come home with a stained dress lately, has she?????

By: Lisa

Lisa — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 04:08:12 +0000

I HOPE you would do something like that . . otherwise my membership in the Astro Fan Club would need to be re-thunk.

By: Astro

Astro — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 04:00:04 +0000

I can’t see me doing something like that, can you??????

By: Lisa

Lisa — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 03:27:53 +0000

Astro, you’re not suggesting that honesty and ethics don’t mix well with politics, are you?

By: Astro

Astro — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 03:21:20 +0000

Look on the bright side, maybe this is the start of a successful life in politics for her. If so, you’re only standing in her way by teaching her things like “ethics” and “responsibility”…

By: Lisa

Lisa — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 02:42:57 +0000

InkandPen - thanks for stopping by. My daughter reads my site once in awhile and I pointed her to your response here to show her an explaination from a teachers point of view. I know she’s learned a lesson.. and understands why it was wrong and dishonest.

Really, students do themselves NO favors by plagiarising homework, research projects, or anything else. Even if they don’t get caught (and in todays world of technology, getting away with it is much hard then it used to be!) - they are doing two things to themselves:

1. Getting by dishonestly
2. Not really learning anything at all

Thank you for your comments. I feel better about this than I did the other night when I wrote it. I don’t want to make her feel stupid - but on the other hand, she needs to know how crucial my point was on it.

By: inkandpen

inkandpen — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 01:50:08 +0000

Lisa,
I found your page while searching blogs for mentions of plagiarism. I am a college-level writing teacher, working with first year students. Tonight, I find myself utterly aching for ‘my kids,’ that is, my students– because two of them never had a parent as firm and ethical as you. I just encountered the first two cases of plagiarism in my (brief) teaching career, and I feel awful for these kids. They’re young, and under a lot of pressure, and my assignment was difficult. The students who struggled, and worked hard, and produced mediocre but original work, are getting B’s and C’s. The two who copied from the internet… they’re failing, and facing disciplinary hearings.

This is something that needs to be more firmly stressed, and understood as a moral value (honesty) rather than just a tricky rule. You did the right thing by your daughter. The world needs more moms like you. I hope I can be one, someday.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 18:29:31 +0000

Yes, Charlie, you are correct about that. She did learn a good lesson and now realizes that Wikipedia is a research TOOL - not a homework writer.