AI Plagiarism in Student Work: A Teacher's Comprehensive Guide

Most schools and universities across the world have strict regulations against plagiarism. Several universities have banned the use of ChatGPT for fear of students plagiarising their work.

But, besides completely dodging around technology, which is impractical, to say the least, what else can be done if you detect plagiarism? How can you empower your students with knowledge, so they can stay away from plagiarism?

It’s important to educate yourself about the various types of plagiarism so that you can identify and rectify it. The advent of the latest AI tools has expanded the methods of plagiarism available for students, too. Here’s a guide for some useful steps to deal with plagiarism, in the academic world.

Types of Plagiarism

As an educator, it's only a matter of time before you come face to face with plagiarized content. You may have already come across it! For many educators plagiarism, and the correct way to deal with it, is becoming the cause of concern and anxiety.

In the academic world, plagiarism is unfortunately growing at an alarming pace. According to a survey, 36% of undergraduates have admitted to plagiarizing their work. A further study showed that 54% of students plagiarized using the internet.

However, plagiarism can vary from student to student. Here’s how:

1. Deliberate Plagiarism

There’s no mystery behind this one. There will be times when you come across direct quotations being used without any references to the original author. There can be several giveaways that point to this deliberate plagiarism, and any keen teacher can identify them easily.

Here are some ways to identify plagiarism at first glance:

• The student may use different types of English language. Most commonly, they will switch between English and American English.
• The vocabulary used will become more complex. You won't need to make as many corrections, and linking words and adjectives will vary.
• And in some cases, if the student becomes very careless, the font size, type, and color may change.

But let's give the students the benefit of the doubt, they may have intended to make these changes, but were too busy to, or simply forgot! Therefore, it’s best to run the text through a reliable AI detector before approaching the student.

2. Accidental Plagiarism

One of the biggest dilemmas of the age of ChatGPT is that entirely human written content can often get flagged as plagiarism. This can become a nightmare for students if they have to correct and edit their content due to false positives.

Although most universities allow for 15%-20% plagiarism, because of false positives, it can still be a headache for students.

But, there have been more times when a student has indulged in accidental plagiarism by copying someone else’s work and then minutely modifying it to make it seem original.

Here are some more ways students can be involved in accidental plagiarism:

• Paraphrasing without providing references
• Not citing the source
• Not adding quotation marks where required
• Misquoting sources.

Unfortunately, even accidental plagiarism is a serious offense and needs to be addressed accordingly.

What to Do When You Find Plagiarism

It’s bound to happen, sooner or later! It’s best that as a teacher, you prepare a well-thought-out plan, in accordance with your school policies to deal with plagiarism in your classroom.

Here are some steps you can take when dealing with it:

1. Verify the Plagiarism

The first and most important step is to verify that your student has in fact copied another author’s work. There are several authentic and efficient AI detector tools available online.

At isgen we provide you with an in-depth analysis of the text you provide. Our tool is trained against millions of written samples to pinpoint any plagiarism, therefore providing you with a 96.4% accurate result.

Our detailed insight tool points out the exact problem areas that need editing. You can then compare the highlighted text to the original text to see if it has been plagiarised.

2. Review the Extent of the Plagiarism

The next step you need to take is to understand the context and extent of plagiarism. Ask yourself: Is it deliberate plagiarism? Is the whole text plagiarised or a small portion of it? Could it be a misunderstanding of the student or citation rules?

Review the past work of your student. Has this occurred previously? Is the student a diligent and hardworking individual? If so, this could be accidental.

If the student has used AI to generate ideas and then structure the assignment, it could be flagged as AI-generated. In this case, it becomes essential to use a reliable AI and plagiarism detector to ensure the content is original.

3. Discuss with the Student

The next step can often be the most difficult. You need to approach your student. The best way to talk to your student is to openly discuss the problem rather than adopting and accusatory tone.

You can allow the student to prove that they haven’t plagiarised or used AI by showing you a roadmap of how they researched or came up with their content.

In several cases, the student may have used AI to generate ideas and then written the content themselves.

In such cases, using a reliable AI detector can help clarify any doubts.

Here’s what you can do:

• Before you take any formal action, according to school rules, you need to talk privately with the student. Often times students may not understand the rules and regulations surrounding AI and plagiarism.
• If the student is from another country, they may have trouble understanding the language itself. This could have led to accidental plagiarism.
• Provide the student with academic support. Explain how and why plagiarism is a serious offense and what the consequences can be.
• Give the student the opportunity to reflect on what they have done, whether deliberately or accidentally. Let them make corrections and revise their work if they understand the severity of the problem.
• Offer them additional academic support, such as writing guides, guidelines regarding plagiarism, and the use of AI, etc.

4. Follow School Policy

Since you are a teacher, you are bound to follow school policy regarding plagiarism.

• Check your school policy, and ensure that you understand it thoroughly.
• If the plagiarism committed falls under the category of severe, you will have to report it and apply the consequences. If it is accidental or minute, you can discuss it with the student and give them the chance to correct it.

5. Apply the Consequences

Once you are clear regarding your school's policy for plagiarism, you can continue to apply the consequences. These can vary according to the context and extent of the plagiarism.

Some consequences of plagiarism may be:

1. Failing the student in the assignment.
2. Resubmission of the work or assignment.
3. Reporting the assignment to the head of the department or dean.

Moving Forward After Plagiarism

When you find plagiarism in your student’s work it's important that rather than immediately jumping to negative consequences, you use the opportunity and make it a learning experience for your student.

For instance, you can use this chance to discuss with the student the pros and cons of AI, its shortcomings, and hallucinations. You can also discuss the effect that AI is having presently and the future it holds.

As a teacher, you can use this chance to not only teach your subject but also help improve your students' future.

1. Document the Incident

As a teacher and member of the staff at an academic institute, you must document each step of the incident.

• Begin by highlighting the plagiarised content.
• Include all the evidence that shows the plagiarism.
• Keep a record of the discussion with the concerned student.
• Finally, record the consequences and action taken against it.

This record is necessary for any further actions.

2. Promote Honesty On and Off Campus

Honesty and integrity are one of the most fundamental building blocks of any society. No matter which institute you teach at, it is crucial that you instil integrity and honesty in your students.

• Take this opportunity to teach your students how important honesty is in their academic and professional lives.
• Make it a part of your routine to discuss the importance of academic honesty regularly, while also touching upon plagiarism and its drawbacks.
• Show your students what is acceptable and what is unacceptable when it comes to citations, quotations, and paraphrasing. Ensure that it is clear to all students.
• Also ensure that all students are aware of acceptable plagiarism detectors, and citation guides.

Conclusion

As a teacher, your primary goal is to impart practical, and honest knowledge, to your students, and support their journey of learning.

There’s no doubt that students today face a lot of pressure to stay up to date with their academic goals. They may fall into the plagiarism trap by mistake, or knowingly. Either way, as a teacher, a mentor, and a guide it’s your duty to nudge them towards the right path while supplying them the tools to ensure they stick to it.

When you choose isgen’s plagiarism and AI detector tool you can rest assured that your original work won’t be flagged for plagiarism. That’s because it's designed while keeping educators and students in mind, and the least possible false positive ratio is our top priority.