The puzzle of Internet plagiarism and instructional design: Helping high school teachers put the pieces together

Student plagiarism of Internet materials has been shown to be problematic in middle/high schools. Enhancing instructional design practices to minimize or avoid plagiarism is a critical issue for educators. Better understanding of how students and teachers approach computer technology and Internet plagiarism can provide a foundation for the exploration of instructional design practices in secondary schools. Using a sample of secondary teachers, this mixed method action research study utilized pretest/posttest questionnaires and teacher interviews to measure and explore teachers' computer efficacy, knowledge of Internet plagiarism, and knowledge of students' attitudes about Internet plagiarism. A treatment intervention (where students were asked to respond to scenarios depicting ethical situations related to Internet plagiarism) was also used to gain insights into student thinking. Computer self-efficacy was measured using Bunz's 2004 Computer-Email-Web Fluency scale. Knowledge of Internet plagiarism was measured using an Internet plagiarism survey, and views about student Internet plagiarism were measured using a modified version of Scanlon and Neumann's 2002 survey and interviews. Results showed a high level of computer self-efficacy in the sample population. No significant differences were noted in the pretest/posttest data of participants' general knowledge of Internet plagiarism, their understanding of the degree to which their students engage in Internet plagiarism, and in how participants characterize their students' attitudes about Internet plagiarism. Interview data indicated that participants were cognizant of student Internet plagiarism and recognized that utilizing instructional strategies designed to limit student Internet plagiarism was critical to the instructional process. Participants expressed an understanding of the crucial role teachers play in incorporating instructional design practices that inform students about plagiarism, in general, and Internet plagiarism specifically. Teachers must analyze and reevaluate their own instructional design practices to explore their role in the problem of student Internet plagiarism. Providing teachers with professional development opportunities that explore Internet plagiarism and examine best practices for instructional design to discourage and prevent Internet plagiarism will help reduce the amount of Internet plagiarism occurring. Presented is a professional development plan that highlights a comprehensive training program addressing the relationship between instructional design and Internet plagiarism.