time the instructor should devote to marking up errors with formatting and grammar in students' written work.
Some instructors prefer to use mark-up features within the LMS to insert corrections and comments into each student's assignment file.
Other instructors prefer to download the file and use the MS Word or Adobe markup and review features to correct and comment on students' work. These external programs offer a more robust set of markup tools than the LMS, but they require several extra steps of downloading, saving, then uploading the file back into the LMS.
Whatever the markup tools and method an instructor uses, the instructor should score the written assignment using the rubric and provide substantive, summative feedback to each student. Some instructors will prefer to write a few sentences of feedback to the student; others will prefer to record a short video message using the tools in the LMS. In either case, the instructor should adopt the tone of an encouraging coach – unafraid to identify areas of improvement while remaining committed to, and focused on, helping the student improve and achieve success.
The LMS includes tools that assist instructors in deterring and detecting plagiarism. This is essential to upholding the KYSU Online’s policies and safeguarding the quality and results of the school’s degree programs. Even so, the use of plagiarism detection software alone is not enough. Instructors in online courses have an active, and perhaps more influential, role in promoting a culture of academic integrity among the students.
When instructors introduce writing assignments in their weekly announcements or other communication with students, they should remind students that all their work will be scanned for plagiarism. This allows students to contact the instructor to discuss strategies for engaging secondary sources and citing them in a way that avoids plagiarism. Instructors might find that performance anxiety, inexperience, or cross-cultural differences can influence students' research and engagement with sources. By reminding students to be vigilant in avoiding plagiarism, the instructor invites opportunities for academic engagement with students.
Instructors know that the results of automated plagiarism detection software in the LMS are not definitive. The software’s scores and reports require an instructor’s interpretation and professional judgment. For example, it is not uncommon for these platforms to return a score above 30% on the average paper; every correctly formatted and cited quotation of a source will be flagged, contributing to the overall plagiarism score returned for the file. Instructors should carefully evaluate these results. Should further action be required, based on the instructor’s professional judgment about the plagiarism detection report, the instructor should consult with their supervisor to navigate the relevant Academic Conduct policies and procedures.
The bottom line is that online instructors can help deter plagiarism by reminding students of the expectations and that their work will be scanned by software.
See the document, KYSU Online Academic Code of Conduct, and the document, KYSU Online Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), for more information.
Online faculty will participate in discussion assignments by actively interacting with the students and content. This should take several forms for optimal effect, including responding in the forum.
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Commented [JM74]: We need to revisit which platform is selected.