InPSYights 'N PSYnippets: 2012

I thought this was an excellent article with a strategy on handling it in a classroom. Anyone have any feedback, comments, or thoughts about this?

A Positive Solution for Plagiarism

September 18, 2012

William Brown for The Chronicle

We know that students plagiarize. We suppose that plagiarism, as well as academic dishonesty in general, has increased over the past few years, decades, or century—depending on which academic ax we choose to grind. The caveats are familiar: Perhaps cheating just is easier than it used to be (most honors students who are caught plagiarizing say they did so because it was "easy"). Perhaps we are better at detecting plagiarism because of software such as Google and Turnitin. Or perhaps we forget that every generation, at least since the ancient Romans and Greeks, complains that the next one is composed of lazy, possibly illiterate, youngsters willing to cut ethical corners.

But a good dose of skepticism toward the doomsayers doesn't make the worry go away. For example, a July 21 article in The Chronicle on a New York University professor who vowed to stop pursuing plagiarists has drawn 249 comments, several of which were impassioned denunciations of institutional responses to the problem. Dealing with student plagiarism is a nagging, seemingly endless problem for academics, judging from the number of articles, blog posts, and forum discussions on the topic. Indeed, I've contributed to some of those discussions but have yet to find any consensus emerge. I've organized and participated in conference panels on plagiarism, held workshops for college instructors and schoolteachers on the subject, and for several years have used the methods I'm about to describe. I also began my teaching career with a zero-tolerance policy, which meant that I have been involved in campus judicial proceedings, a step that drains just about everyone touched by the accusation.

But as the Internet has matured, I decided that I did not want to spend time as a cyber-cop. More important, my goal should be to help inculcate honor and integrity rather than build a culture of fear and accusation.

It's easy to find excellent articles and Web sites on dealing with plagiarism. From those sources, we can develop four general guidelines for an effective response:

1. The solution should be positive; that is, show students how to act as responsible scholars and writers. The same tone should be reflected in the syllabus. I have seen many syllabi in which the penalties for plagiarism are laid out in excruciating detail, with no positive models or behavior mentioned. Surely by now we know that positive motivation trumps the negative variety.

2. It should help students avoid plagiarism rather than focus on our catching it.

3. The solution should objectively strengthen both students and teachers.

4. It should also make students and teachers feel as though they are stronger.

Those seem to me to be minimal requirements, yet they often are not met in practice. Before laying out a workable solution, let's review some approaches whose weaknesses contribute to the seemingly endless discussions of plagiarism.

Draconian consequences. The instructor who threatens maximum damage if plagiarism is detected usually stakes out the moral high ground. Syllabi and accompanying class discussions list everything that will befall the student, including possible expulsion.

Strength: If applied consistently, without regard for extenuating circumstances, this approach seems to work particularly well for teachers who are both imperious and admired by their students. I knew one colleague, a tenured professor of literature and writing, who threatened to ruin, as nearly as possible, the reputations of offending students. Somehow he still inspired them.

Weakness: Instructors who use this tactic set an adversarial tone at the beginning of a course. Although some can inhabit the Professor Kingsfield character from The Paper Chase, many simply come off as nasty or suspicious. And approaching plagiarism this way is dispiriting—it never energizes students or teachers. In the end, it often doesn't prevent enough plagiarism to counter its weaknesses.

Preventive construction. A teacher who is concerned about plagiarism and has read about strategies may attempt to construct every assignment in a way that precludes plagiarism.

Strength: Rethinking assignments—freshening them up—often produces new energy in a course. Those who reflect often on pedagogy will be attracted to this approach.

Weakness: The approach often means devising assignments with a narrow scope. But it's important to train students to explore widely. They need to be able to sift through all sorts of sources, and closely tailored assignments may be too restrictive. Such assignments certainly don't simulate the strengths needed in graduate or professional school. And sooner or later, we either will run out of ideas for assignments or will be lulled into a false sense of security.

Dedicated discussion. Some teachers discuss extensively in class the nature and consequences of plagiarism, believing that such time is well spent.

Strength: Some students may not understand what constitutes plagiarism or its consequences. By discussing it carefully in class, instructors demonstrate an awareness of that problem.

Weakness: Merely talking with students, especially about a critical topic, is a poor way to ensure that they will act correctly. Giving quizzes on the topic is a move in the right direction. But a quiz still encourages passivity. Plagiarism and academic dishonesty are actions taken by people; powerful lessons about it require actions as well.

A workable solution. The first writing assignment I give students in my writing courses involves plagiarism as a topic. I ask them to investigate and read resources on the Web assembled by experts on the subject such as Nick Carbone, a new-media consultant for Bedford/St. Martin's, and Bruce Leland, a professor emeritus at Western Illinois University. I ask students to take notes on the readings, especially on how both authors are unhappy with standard approaches to preventing plagiarism and academic dishonesty. I tell them to pay special attention to Carbone's discussion of Dos and don'ts, a list he developed after deciding that his previous approaches to fighting plagiarism adopted an inappropriate tone, and to Leland's extensive list of resources that instructors can use to deal with plagiarism.

Then I ask students to find a Web site that offers free essays for download. I provide a central source, such as "Cheating 101: Internet Paper Mills," available at www.coastal.edu/library/presentations/mills2.html, though there are many others. Each student has to download one paper (or as much of one as is permitted by the site) and analyze its strengths and weaknesses. They must bring to class a copy of the paper as well as their notes on their reading, and deliver oral reports. The idea is for students to read materials written by teachers for teachers, rather than something written just for students. The explicit lesson is for them to learn about plagiarism and academic dishonesty. An implicit lesson is that instructors already are aware of free papers and other Internet dodges. Even if you, as a faculty member, are not particularly computer-savvy, students will assume from this assignment that you understand how to track down plagiarism.

By analyzing these "free essays" before the class, students learn firsthand that the papers available over the Internet often are far inferior to what they could produce on their own. When they occasionally happen on a strong paper, they will remark that it is too good: No professor would believe that such a professionally written piece had come from a student for a course assignment.

You need not guide the students' choices of papers: Their own interests and majors will do that. Through this assignment, they are engaging in research from the first day of the course, and are practicing critical reading. They understand that you will treat them like adults, since you have assigned them to read authoritative, friendly articles from Web sites that speak to adult professionals. And other than require that they concentrate on a paper's strengths and weaknesses, you need not guide the analyses: Students of all writing levels will demonstrate that they can pick apart someone else's work.

You can substitute other Web sites or articles, of course. But you should give students separate credit for their Web-site notes and for their critique of the downloaded paper—both of which should be physical copies. Students who took notes can be distinguished easily from those who did not, which allows you to teach the lesson that strong scholars or professionals take notes. The physical copies also allow you to collect the assignments if you run short on time for the oral reports, though I encourage you to allow everyone to present.

This assignment builds: (1) a direct awareness of plagiarism and its responses; (2) research skills, since students immediately follow and analyze reliable Web sources; and (3) presentation skills, all without creating a hostile or adversarial atmosphere. The assignment can be adapted for large (or online) courses by creating a blog or online discussion area, although nothing beats the in-person connection. (I also ask students to introduce themselves by name every time they present. My philosophy is to maximize what any assignment can achieve.)

I have employed this approach with undergraduate and graduate, traditional and nontraditional students. During the past two semesters, I used it in online classes to great effect. Any method that makes both students and professors feel strong is worth trying.

-- Jeff Karon is a visiting instructor in the English department at the University of South Florida. Retrieved October 6, 2012, from http://chronicle.com/article/article-content/134498/?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRokvaXJZKXonjHpfsX57%2BovUaa3hYkz2EFye%2BLIHETpodcMT8dqM6%2BNFAAgAZVnyRQFE%2FCUboFE8%2FJQGA%3D%3D

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Quick tip about better writing

A fun short rap version (2+ min.) of William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White's classic "Elements of Style" - improve your writing quicker and easier after viewing this YouTube rap based on the aforementioned book:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNIZvTIyFy0

Four students at the Columbia Journalism School in the M.S. program created a clever and entertaining rap video using the classic book, “The Elements of Style” by William Strunk and E.B. White. Available on Amazon for $9.95, this go-to book about writing has been widely used by students since the 1950′s and is required reading in many journalism classes.

One of the creators, Jake Heller, told Poynter that it only took about an hour to write the lyrics, although the concept and other components took a few months to put on the whole thing together. The Huffington Post referred to the 2:26 minute rap video as “a must-watch for all grammar nerds“, but anyone who knows anything about writing will be able to find the entertainment in it. “Do not join independent clauses with a comma. Read all the lyrics on AGBeat.

References

Moos, Julie. “‘The Elements of Style’ reinvented as rap video by Columbia J-school students”. Poynter. December 15, 2011. http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/156124/the-elements-of-style-reinvented-as-rap-video-by-columbia-j-school-students/

Plumb, Alastair. “‘The Elements of Style’ Rap Is A Must-Watch For All Grammar Nerds (Video)” The Huffington Post UK. January 4, 2012. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/01/04/the-elements-of-style-grammar-rap-video_n_1182841.html

Retrieved September 25, 2012, from https://blog.writecheck.com/2012/01/04/elements-of-style-funny-rap-video/

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Defining Critical Thinking

Defining Critical Thinking
Lots of useful tools on this website to improve your thinking skills to become more scholarly, i.e. "critical."

"Critical thinking...the awakening of the intellect to the study of itself.

Critical thinking is a rich concept that has been developing throughout the past 2500 years. The term "critical thinking" has its roots in the mid-late 20th century. We offer here overlapping definitions, together which form a substantive, transdisciplinary conception of critical thinking..."

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Brain study reveals the roots of chocolate temptations

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Your memory is like the telephone game, altered with each retelling

James M. Lang: Learning from Cheating

James M. Lang: Learning from Cheating: To have a cheating scandal erupt at the most prestigious university in America just after the publication of your new book on cheating would...

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Bypass Not To Blame For Heart Patients' Mental Decline, Study Suggests

Is There Long-term Brain Damage After Bypass Surgery? More Evidence Puts The Blame On Heart Disease

'Brain training' may lessen cognitive impairments associated with coronary bypass surgery

'Brain training' may lessen cognitive impairments associated with coronary bypass surgery

Do you know anyone who had heart surgery? Seems like there are more of them today as well as pacemakers, so this might be worthwhile to look into for them...

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Quiz yourself while studying; testing effect

‘‘If you quiz yourself while you study . . . why do you do so?’’ (the testing effect)

Our basic laboratory studies suggested that students are not aware of the testing effect, leading us to predict that they may not practise retrieval while studying in real-world settings. The results of our survey support this prediction. The majority of students indicated that they repeatedly read their notes or textbook while studying.”

“Basic research on memory has shown that spending extra time maintaining or holding items in memory does not by itself promote learning (Craik & Watkins, 1973) and students may spend large amounts of additional time studying despite no gain in later memory for the items, a phenomenon called ‘‘labour-in-vain’’ during learning (Nelson & Leonesio, 1988).”

“ A clear practical implication is that instructors should inform students about the benefits of self-testing and explain why testing enhances “learning.” “Testing enhances learning not only if instructors give tests and quizzes in the classroom but also if students practise recall while they study…Repeated testing enhances learning more than repeated reading…”

Excerpts from: Karpicke, J. D., Butler, A. C. & Roediger III, H. L.(2009) Metacognitive strategies in student learning: Do students practise retrieval when they study on their own? Memory,17:4, 471 — 479. Retrieved December 26, 2011, from http://duke.edu/~ab259/pubs/KarpickeButler&Roediger(2009).pdf (prepared by Mary R. Noble, PhD)

See also:

Slagter, H.A., Davidson, R.J. & Lutz, A. (2011). Mental training as a tool in the neuroscientific study of brain and cognitive plasticity. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 5(17). doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2011.00017. Retrieved 4/21/12, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3039118/?tool=pubmed#__sec15

Chiesa, A., Calati, R. & Serretti, A. (2011). Does mindfulness training improve cognitive abilities? A systematic review of neuropsychological findings. Clinical Psychological Review, 31(3), 449-64. Retrieved April 21, 2012, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21183265

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Why do you need to use APA to cite references?

APA – CITING REFERENCES: WHY?? HOW?
Prepared by Mary R. Noble, PhD
December 28, 2011

What is APA Format Citation? APA (American Psychological Association) format is a structured system that organizes research papers, including the citation of sources in text and in the corresponding reference list, commonly called a bibliography. Many academic disciplines, particularly business, nursing and the social and behavioral sciences, require use of APA style, according to Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL).

What is the Purpose of Using APA Formatting? A primary purpose for using the APA format, according to the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL), is to guide readers. Purdue's OWL claims that APA style helps readers locate information found in your paper with ease. As Brigham Young University (BYU) linguistics and English language professor Lynn E. Henrichsen explains, readers often want to verify information included in your paper or simply learn more about the subject. They can do this by following your cues to the original source.

Simply put, APA format helps keep your paper neat and organized. This helps readers better focus on your ideas, claims Purdue's OWL, since they will not be distracted by unfamiliar formatting. Henrichsen contends that by using APA style, you show yourself as "a detail-oriented researcher." This is crucial because, as Henrichsen states, if you make an error involving punctuation or some other area covered by APA style, a reader might question your aptitude in other areas as well, such as statistical analysis.

What Are the Benefits of Using APA Format? Writers use the American Psychological Association (APA) citation and format style in professional and educational contexts, meaning that professionals and students often can't avoid APA formatting. By learning to use this type of formatting, writers learn acceptable standards for citing sources. APA style also improves technical aspects of a person's writing style.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Second-hand smoking damages memory

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Eclectic therapy approach

What is “Eclectic?”
(as in an ECLECTIC approach in therapy)

Definition (Encarta Dictionary)

1.      varied – made up of parts from various sources (such as an eclectic collection of paintings)
2.      choosing what is best or preferred from a variety of sources or styles (such as an eclectic taste in music)
        Synonym: diverse, extensive, wide-ranging, assorted

Two articles that use and discuss an eclectic therapy approach:

1) Livesley, J. (2008). Integrated therapy for complex cases of personality disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 64(2), 207-221. doi:10.1002/jclp.20453

Abstract: In this article, the author presents and illustrates the treatment of a patient with dependent and borderline personality disorders and other maladaptive traits using an integrated and eclectic approach tailored to the patient's psychopathology and personality. Interventions are selected where possible based on evidence of what works. However, because empirical evidence on treatment efficacy for personality disorder is limited, interventions were often selected based on a rational analysis of the most effective way to treat a given problem. The delivery of an eclectic array of interventions was integrated and coordinated through an emphasis on generic methods and on a phases of change model that targets symptoms and problems in a systematic way based on evidence of the stability of symptoms and personality.

2) Lancaster, G., Keusch, S., Levin, A., Pring, T., & Martin, S. (2010). Treating children with phonological problems: does an eclectic approach to therapy work?. International Journal Of Language & Communication Disorders, 45(2), 174-181. doi:10.3109/13682820902818888

Abstract: Background: A survey of clinicians made by Joffe and Pring in 2008 revealed that different approaches exist between researchers and clinicians in the treatment of children with phonological problems. Researchers have examined specific approaches to treatment often giving substantial amounts of therapy and have obtained encouraging results; clinicians, with less time available, often use an eclectic approach mixing different treatment methods. The reasons for this difference are discussed.
       Aims: We examined the effectiveness of an eclectic approach giving amounts of therapy more consistent with clinical practice and involving parents in treating their children.
       Methods & Procedures: We report two small experiments conducted within Speech and Language Therapy clinics.  In the first, a group of treated children are compared with a group of children whose treatment is delayed. Parents attended therapy sessions and were given homework tasks to do with their children. The second compared children treated as in the first experiment with children treated at home by their parents who had attended training sessions and with untreated children.
       Outcomes & Results: In the first experiment, a general trend towards improvement was seen in all children. Change during treatment periods was statistically significant. In the second experiment, children treated by therapists showed strongly significant gains. Lesser but significant gains were made by children treated by their parents; no change was found in untreated children.
       Conclusions & Implications: The findings offer encouragement to clinicians who use an eclectic approach and who are only able to offer limited amounts of therapy. They also suggest that parental involvement is helpful. However, we find the current incompatibility of research and clinical work worrying and a hindrance to our efforts to understand and treat these children.
       What this paper adds: Phonological impairment in children has been a particularly active research area with many authors advocating, and in some cases, assessing the effects of different forms of therapy. However, there is evidence that clinicians are largely unwilling to commit to one method and use an eclectic approach which combines therapy techniques from different sources. It is important that this approach is shown to be effective. We report two small experiments which obtain positive results for the method and which suggest that a larger and better controlled study should be undertaken.

(prepared by Mary R. Noble, PhD; Dec. 2011)

Bits and pieces of fun/interesting facts about PSYchology

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Monday, November 19, 2012

Friday, November 16, 2012

Friday, November 9, 2012

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Friday, October 12, 2012

Monday, October 8, 2012

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Friday, October 5, 2012