"I know this paper sucks, but..."

In my intro to psych class, I assign a portfolio. It's basically a series of research term papers where the students pick a topic from the chapters we're covering at the time, and then, depending on which assignment it is, there are different goals to be met. For the first paper, it's just to show me how well the student writes, the second is to start using data beyond just using the Web as a resource and to get a bit more familiar with APA format. The third is to look at more than a few sources, with nothing from a commercial web site (or Wikipedia), and the final portfolio is to rewrite all entries to make them the best they can. After the first two rounds, I have the students meet with me to review what they've written and my comments -- it helps them understand what is going on. It's a process that has worked since I first implimented it over a year ago, and I continue to tweak it as I go along.

Now, I have don't use a true APA format. For the most part, I follow the guidelines; for example, the citation/reference procedure is the same with the exception of electronic sources. Below, I'll explain why I do this a little bit further down here....

I started requiring my students to turn in an electronic version of their papers this past semester. For my own mental health as a teacher, I purchased a software program that will check documents for plagiarism. It's not the best of programs as it only searches material on the Web; it doesn't check academic journals online that require subscriptions. Still, doing a check of just Web sources is fairly productive. It helps me identify what I tend to think of as the cheap and lazy cheaters.

I passed back the first portfolio last week. Out of 20 papers read, five had elevated scores (25% or higher). Not a bad ratio. I have had MUCH higher in the past.

So, this morning, I had a few students scheduled to discuss their portfolios. The first one was a young lady who had a paper that scored 66% on the plagiarism checker. Typically, when I meet with a student about this type of stuff, they know that the paper they've written is not what it should be, and that they should listen to the advice I want to offer. Why would I meet with the, after all, if I didn't want to make their writing better?

The student walked into my office, not even knocking or anything, just walked in and fell heavily and dramatically into the chair we have in our office for student meetings. "I know that this paper sucks," she started, "but, I just didn't have the time to do it right the first time, and my cousin told me that you're easy the first time..."

I know the cousin of whom she spoke -- a cousin that did the same thing this young lady had done. She also turned in papers that were cut and paste jobs straight from web sites. Her cousin is also the first student that I had proof that she purchased a paper off the Internet from a papermill. (It was funny, too...I overheard her telling a friend that it was the best $120 she had ever spent; I'd already found the paper online, asked for a quote, and was cautioned that a student at my institution had already purchased that paper for a psych class that semester and that I should be careful. This is why I've modified the APA format for my classes; it'll at least cost them more to cheat.

I shot her a look that stopped her in midsentence. "First off, the fact that you ran out of time has me concerned, especially since you've known about this assignment since the first day of the semester.

"Second, 2/3rds of this paper is plagiarized." I handed her the print-out from my program, showing all the places information came from and indicating in the paper what had been borrowed. "This indicates to me that you don't believe this assignment has any value.

"Finally, in case no one has ever told you, I want you to understand right here and now that this IS CHEATING; clear and simple."

I let that sink in, then continued.

"So, here's what you're going to do. You're going to take this paper, you're going to rewrite it properly, and you'll turn it in again. You will also turn in a new electronic copy. If, when I score the new one, the score is above 25%, you will fail the entire portfolio project; not just this part of it.

"Let me ask you this; are you a good enough student that you can basically give up ONE COMPLETE TEST and still pass the course? Because that's what you lose by failing this."

I turned, looked at the calender, and then gave her a rewrite deadline. Wrote it on the coverpage, and then said, "I want you to think about this, and if you have questions, come see me Friday. We'll talk then." (I am only on my campus MWF's this semester). With that, I looked at her and said, "I won't be the one failing you if this happens again. You'll be failing yourself."

With that, she nodded, and tears started to squeak out of the corner of her eyes and left my office without saying a word.

Helluva way to start a Wednesday.