Keeping plagiarism at bay—A salutary tale

This editorial examines the question of whether plagiarism may be on the increase in the social sciences and, if so, what needs to be done to keep the problem in check. It was prompted by the discovery of an alert reader in June 2007 that a 1993 paper in Research Policy appeared to have plagiarised a 1980 article in the Journal of Business. The allegation was investigated, and it was agreed by the Editors that the 1993 paper constituted a clear and serious case of plagiarism. However, the author concerned has published over 100 articles and books. Already, two other publications have been judged by the editors of the journals concerned to have plagiarised previous publications. Two more are under investigation, but the great majority of the remainder still remain to be checked. The fact that academic misconduct on this scale has gone unchecked over such a prolonged period raises serious issues about the efficacy of the processes used to police the conduct of researchers. Furthermore, the unexpected discovery that a paper by the author under investigation appears itself to have been plagiarised poses a fundamental question as to whether plagiarism may be far more common than previously assumed. The editorial concludes that a measured degree of vigilance and a greater willingness to pursue any well-founded suspicions of research misconduct are required by editors, referees, publishers and the wider academic community if the scourge of plagiarism is to be kept at bay.     

How the experience of assessed collaborative writing impacts on undergraduate students’ perceptions of assessed group work

A time-series analysis was used to investigate Arabic undergraduate students’ (n = 50) perceptions of assessed group work in a major government institution of higher education in Qatar. A longitudinal mixed methods approach was employed. Likert scale questionnaires were completed over the duration of a collaborative writing event. Additionally, open-ended questionnaires were administered after the students received their grade for their term paper. This study found that the participants’ perceptions were positive towards assessed group work throughout the duration of the event, changed in a statistically significant way after the submission of the first piece of formally assessed work, and are temporal and liable to change depending on what is experienced. The results of this study suggest that: assessed collaborative writing is a feasible pedagogical tool within higher education; undergraduate learners place value on group work as it enables them to collaboratively generate, share and develop their ideas; and researchers who investigate perceptual or attitudinal changes should consider whether their study requires time-sensitive methodology.     

The development of student feedback literacy: the influences of teacher feedback on peer feedback

Abstract

Although the concept of student feedback literacy has drawn increasing attention in higher education, empirical research on this matter is still in its infancy. In the area of peer feedback, little research has investigated the role of teacher follow-up feedback on peer feedback in the development of student feedback literacy. To address the research gap, a multiple-case study of three Chinese master’s students enrolled in an academic writing course was conducted, drawing on the students’ drafts with peer feedback, teacher written feedback on that peer feedback, semi-structured interviews, retrospective verbal reports, observation field notes and class documents. Three students’ epistemological and practical knowledge about, attitudes towards, and self-efficacy beliefs in peer feedback were found to improve at different paces and to different degrees. However, considerable individual variations were observed with two high-achieving, highly motivated participants becoming more feedback-literate than their under-achieving, minimally motivated peer. Teacher feedback on peer feedback was found to have distinct impacts on individual students, depending on learner factors including language ability, beliefs and motivation. These findings suggest that teacher feedback on peer feedback, if consistently provided and compatible with learner factors, can scaffold both cognitive and social-affective aspects of student feedback literacy.     

Can higher-proficiency L2 learners benefit from working with lower-proficiency partners in peer feedback?

Informed by Vygotsky’s conceptualization of the Zone of Proximal Development, this case study investigated the benefits of peer feedback on second language (L2) writing for students with high L2 proficiency and the factors that may influence their learning in peer feedback in the Chinese English-as-a-foreign-language context. Specifically, the study examined whether, what, and how higher-proficiency (HP) English learners can learn when they collaborate with their lower-proficiency counterparts. Analyses of multiple sources of data – video-recordings of peer feedback sessions, interviews, stimulated recalls, and drafts of student texts – revealed that while group peer feedback in the writing classroom can provide learning opportunities for HP students, their learning can be influenced by several factors, including their beliefs about peer feedback, motives and goals for peer feedback, and medium of group discussion. Implications are drawn from these findings for peer feedback practice and research in L2 writing.     

Continuing professional development in the Greek early childhood education system

Over the past years, Greece has been undergoing a severe financial crisis. The main purpose of this study was to examine how early childhood teachers perceive continuing professional development (CPD) under such societal turmoil. More specifically, this study examined the perceptions of 45 in-service kindergarten teachers attending the ‘Didaskaleio’ training institute. Results showed that although Greek early educators express a positive attitude towards CPD, there are certain contradictions in their views regarding the way they perceive CPD and their expectations regarding CPD activities. Results indirectly reflect the changing context, the systemic weaknesses and the antinomies of Greek early childhood education.     

Peer Assessment Learning Sessions (PALS): an innovative feedback technique for large engineering classes

This paper reports the development of innovative assessment sessions within two core technical courses in Civil Engineering at the University of Queensland. Peer Assessment Learning Sessions (PALS) facilitate a student's peer assessment of a colleague's problem-based learning assignment or tutorial within a ‘traditional’ whole-class setting, under guidance from the lecturer. The assessment is carried out against worked solutions, with a template marking scheme. Following the class, submissions are reviewed by the lecturer and marks moderated if required. In combination, the review and the PALS provide very clear indication where the class or individuals have misconceptions, and where knowledge is below required criteria. This enables the lecturer to provide an accurate synthesis of these points to the class. Students obtain summative feedback, individual formative feedback and whole-class formative feedback within a few days of submission. This significantly improves student's self-reflection and their review of class material. Feedback is very positive and demonstrated here through the presentation of anonymous survey results. PALS address the challenge of providing frequent, efficient and timely assessment for large classes of 100–200+students while simultaneously enabling and providing high quality formative feedback.     

Student perceptions of predictability of examination requirements and relationship with outcomes in high-stakes tests in Ireland

Entirely predictable examinations are ones for which the questions are known in advance. Some assessments are designed this way, but in public examinations, predictability is subtler. Students familiarise themselves with the requirements broadly: likely topics that will come up, question formats and how to maximise their marks. If students can predict what they have to do, they can memorise performances, such as essays, and restrict their learning to fit only with examination requirements. The danger is that this focus could undermine curriculum aims. Further, examinations that are overly predictable might produce results that do not generalise to other performances or have predictive validity. This paper presents part of a broader project investigating whether the Higher Level Irish Leaving Certificate (LC) examinations were too predictable. Here, the development of a rating scale for students’ views of examination predictability is described. Data were collected from 1002 Irish LC students taking higher level examinations in biology (n?=?536), English (n?=?749) and geography (n?=?387). Students’ views on predictability of the examination could be grouped consistently across subject areas into three factors: valuable learning, predictability and narrowing of the curriculum. Belief that narrowing of the curriculum was a good examination preparation tactic had a negative relationship with examination scores and perceived learning value of examinations was positively associated with students’ scores in biology and English. These findings indicate that the scoring system rewards students who believe they must study the discipline broadly.     

Exploring tertiary English as a Foreign Language writing tutors’ perceptions of the appropriateness of peer assessment for writing

Despite the increasing volume of research in peer assessment for writing, few studies have been conducted to explore teachers’ perceptions of its appropriateness for writing instruction. It is essential to understand teachers’ perceptions of peer assessment as teachers play an important role in whether and how peer assessment is implemented in their instruction. The current study investigated tertiary English writing tutors’ perceptions of the appropriateness of peer assessment for English as a Foreign Language writing in China, where peer assessment has been increasingly discussed and researched but only occasionally used in teaching. The current study scrutinised the reasons behind its limited use via in-depth exploratory interviews with 25 writing tutors with different teaching backgrounds. The interview data showed tutors’ limited knowledge of peer assessment and unanimous hesitation in using it. The former was explained by insufficient instruction and training in peer assessment. The latter relates to the incompatibility of peer assessment with the examinations-oriented education system, learners’ low English language proficiency and learning motivation, and the conflict of peer assessment with the entrenched teacher-driven learning culture. Suggestions are made about training and engaging teachers to effectively use peer assessment in instruction.     

A case study of third grade students’ perceptions of the station rotation blended learning model in the United States

The purpose of this case study was to explore the experiences of 31 third graders who experienced learning in a Station Rotation blended learning setting over the period of one semester in the United State. These students participated in student focus group interviews and completed student questionnaires during the middle and the end of the semester. The student focus group interviews were first transcribed and coded. The students’ responses from the questionnaires were then coded and compared with the findings from the student focus group interviews. The results revealed five positive themes (variety of activities, technology, learning, fun, and getting help) and two negative themes (challenging work and technology). These emerged themes from the student focus interviews and the student questionnaires explain the perceptions the students had about the Station Rotation blended learning model. Finally, discussion for current study as well as recommendations for future research were provided.     

The role of relationships and emotions in student perceptions of learning and assessment

The paper addresses the way in which participants in a qualitative study drew upon accounts of relationships and emotions in sharing their perceptions of assessment. By first exploring ideas about emotions and relationships in learning and assessment through the literature and subsequently discussing an interpretation of participant narratives, the author suggests that emotions and relationships surrounding past learning and assessment contexts can influence current perceptions of assessment and learning in powerful ways. The study also reveals how students value opportunities to express their beliefs, feelings and emotions during the assessment process. They also expect teachers to balance objectivity in assessment with empathy for those parts of themselves shared in the process. The conclusion is drawn that there are important implications for learning in the emotional response of students to assessment and in the nature of teaching and learning relationships that are worthy of further investigation.