Plagiarism is an opportunity for teaching, UM Press editor tells Salon.com
When Salon.com decided to respond to a New York Times piece on skyrocketing plagiarism rates in high school and college in the age of the Internet, they turned to Caroline Eisner, coeditor of the University of Michigan Press book Originality, Imitation, and Plagiarism: Teaching Writing in the Digital Age.
In the extensive Q&A for Salon.com, Eisner discusses her feelings about plagiarism in general, why it appears to be so prevalent now - which may surprise you - and what she thinks instructors should do about it.
"Plagiarism at the K-12 and college level should not be considered a crime," she said to us after the Salon.com interview. "It should be considered a failing of good teaching.
"Across the disciplines, all teachers and professors should create writing assignments that ask students to use higher-order critical thinking skills - analysis, synthesis, induction, and deduction - rather than simple summary and 'compare and contrast.'
"The best critical process for all types of writing, but especially academic writing, involves recursivity. That involves drafts, evidence building, thesis construction, and peer review. The faculty member or professor should be involved throughout the process with the writer."
Click here for more details on Eisner's book for purchase or course use.
