Combating the Wide Web of Plagiarism: the Discussion Continues (Abstract Only)

Plagiarism is of great concern to faculty in all fields, including computer science as it leads to one certain outcome -- a compromise not just in student learning but also in the entire academic process. Faculty have tried to find ways to deal with this epidemic such as writing new course materials each semester, putting a larger or entire grade focus on exams, or even asking individual students to explain their assignments. However, plagiarism remains a source of frustration for both faculty and administrators. This BOF will bring interested faculty together to discuss the various and surprising ways in which students plagiarize, the methods of countering plagiarism, and the currently available tools for detecting plagiarism. Questions we will be discussing include: Do students understand plagiarism in the context of writing software? How can we develop an atmosphere that discourages plagiarism? Does such a thing as a "plagiarism-proof" assignment exist? If programmers go to online repositories, modify the code, and use it in professional programs then is it fair to expect the students to do just the opposite?