Paraphrasing tools are getting more sophisticated

[downer]

I just caught a student using a paraphrasing tool for some work. It was obvious because of the bizarre language of their work. I tracked the orginal text down to Wikipedia.

But I also found on using a few that they are getting better and probably harder to detect.

I'm inclined to raise the stakes with this. With a lot of plagiarism I just give a 0 for the work submitted. But with the use of paraphrasing tools, I'm inclined to fail the student for the course. Not because it is a worse form of cheating, but because it needs to be a dangerous thing for students to attempt.

Have others found this kind of cheating is in getting more common?

[ciao_yall]

I just caught a student using a paraphrasing tool for some work. It was obvious because of the bizarre language of their work. I tracked the orginal text down to Wikipedia.

But I also found on using a few that they are getting better and probably harder to detect.

I'm inclined to raise the stakes with this. With a lot of plagiarism I just give a 0 for the work submitted. But with the use of paraphrasing tools, I'm inclined to fail the student for the course. Not because it is a worse form of cheating, but because it needs to be a dangerous thing for students to attempt.

Have others found this kind of cheating is in getting more common?

Yes. They copy/paste and run it through the tool. Feels suspicious but can't match it to anything.

The goal is to create assignments that are hard to copy/paste, then hope for the best and get over yourself if you miss something.

[Parasaurolophus]

Yeah, I get this a lot. I dunno what the best response is.

I also once had someone just paste 1k words from the middle of the assigned as the reading for their 1k word essay. That actually took me a long time to figure out.

[marshwiggle]

I just caught a student using a paraphrasing tool for some work. It was obvious because of the bizarre language of their work. I tracked the orginal text down to Wikipedia.

But I also found on using a few that they are getting better and probably harder to detect.

I'm inclined to raise the stakes with this. With a lot of plagiarism I just give a 0 for the work submitted. But with the use of paraphrasing tools, I'm inclined to fail the student for the course. Not because it is a worse form of cheating, but because it needs to be a dangerous thing for students to attempt.

I'd want to have incredibly solid evidence to back up failing someone for what is not demonstratable plagiarism.

In any kind of court, where one is innocent until proven guilty, the student would have the benefit of the doubt on that.

[downer]

A court? What?

My course, my rules.

[the_geneticist]

I just caught a student using a paraphrasing tool for some work. It was obvious because of the bizarre language of their work. I tracked the orginal text down to Wikipedia.

But I also found on using a few that they are getting better and probably harder to detect.

I'm inclined to raise the stakes with this. With a lot of plagiarism I just give a 0 for the work submitted. But with the use of paraphrasing tools, I'm inclined to fail the student for the course. Not because it is a worse form of cheating, but because it needs to be a dangerous thing for students to attempt.

Have others found this kind of cheating is in getting more common?

Fail them for every assignment that is proven to be paraphrased.  It might be enough for them to fail the course already.
I'd contact the student conduct/honor court folks.

[Parasaurolophus]

I just caught a student using a paraphrasing tool for some work. It was obvious because of the bizarre language of their work. I tracked the orginal text down to Wikipedia.

But I also found on using a few that they are getting better and probably harder to detect.

I'm inclined to raise the stakes with this. With a lot of plagiarism I just give a 0 for the work submitted. But with the use of paraphrasing tools, I'm inclined to fail the student for the course. Not because it is a worse form of cheating, but because it needs to be a dangerous thing for students to attempt.

I'd want to have incredibly solid evidence to back up failing someone for what is not demonstratable plagiarism.

In any kind of court, where one is innocent until proven guilty, the student would have the benefit of the doubt on that.

This kind of paraphrasing is plagiarism, of course.

[marshwiggle]

I just caught a student using a paraphrasing tool for some work. It was obvious because of the bizarre language of their work. I tracked the orginal text down to Wikipedia.

But I also found on using a few that they are getting better and probably harder to detect.

I'm inclined to raise the stakes with this. With a lot of plagiarism I just give a 0 for the work submitted. But with the use of paraphrasing tools, I'm inclined to fail the student for the course. Not because it is a worse form of cheating, but because it needs to be a dangerous thing for students to attempt.

I'd want to have incredibly solid evidence to back up failing someone for what is not demonstratable plagiarism.

In any kind of court, where one is innocent until proven guilty, the student would have the benefit of the doubt on that.

This kind of paraphrasing is plagiarism, of course.

Sure, but if the student appeals the grade, the decision will be made by some sort of judicial body who have to follow some sort of due process.  As an instructor, losing the appeal would be really bad for one's reputation. (And it would require changing the student's grade as well.)

[Kron3007]

A court? What?

My course, my rules.

Not where I teach.  For any academic misconduct situation, we cannot penalize, only report them and it gets dealt with at a higher level. 

I love this since it means I dont have to deal with the fall out, just pas along the evidence and wait for the outcome.  It is also good for the university because it helps identify patterns and trouble students, as well as ensuring punishments are equitable etc.  I'm surprised that you have this much leeway.

[Kron3007]

I just caught a student using a paraphrasing tool for some work. It was obvious because of the bizarre language of their work. I tracked the orginal text down to Wikipedia.

But I also found on using a few that they are getting better and probably harder to detect.

I'm inclined to raise the stakes with this. With a lot of plagiarism I just give a 0 for the work submitted. But with the use of paraphrasing tools, I'm inclined to fail the student for the course. Not because it is a worse form of cheating, but because it needs to be a dangerous thing for students to attempt.

I'd want to have incredibly solid evidence to back up failing someone for what is not demonstratable plagiarism.

In any kind of court, where one is innocent until proven guilty, the student would have the benefit of the doubt on that.

This kind of paraphrasing is plagiarism, of course.

The trouble is proving it though.  We are even getting to a point where students will be able to (maybe already can) get an AI program to write an assignment for them.  This is not even plagiarism, but is obviously cheating.  Regardless, how would you prove any of this to a degree where you could punish a student?   

Just because it is oddly phrased dosn't mean it was stolen.  I have seen some very odd language in student reports, but I am pretty sure that was just poor writing skills on the part of the student. 

[downer]

Given how things are these days, if we are going to be legalistic, I'm happy for the burden of proof to be on the student that they wrote their work without cheating.

[marshwiggle]

Given how things are these days, if we are going to be legalistic, I'm happy for the burden of proof to be on the student that they wrote their work without cheating.

You may be happy for that to be the case, but what matters is what the grade appeal process at your institution considers the case to be.

[Langue_doc]

I just caught a student using a paraphrasing tool for some work. It was obvious because of the bizarre language of their work. I tracked the orginal text down to Wikipedia.

But I also found on using a few that they are getting better and probably harder to detect.

I'm inclined to raise the stakes with this. With a lot of plagiarism I just give a 0 for the work submitted. But with the use of paraphrasing tools, I'm inclined to fail the student for the course. Not because it is a worse form of cheating, but because it needs to be a dangerous thing for students to attempt.

Have others found this kind of cheating is in getting more common?

I suspect several of my students are using similar tools.

How do you track the original text/document/website?

[ergative]

A court? What?

My course, my rules.

Not where I teach.  For any academic misconduct situation, we cannot penalize, only report them and it gets dealt with at a higher level. 

I love this since it means I dont have to deal with the fall out, just pas along the evidence and wait for the outcome.  It is also good for the university because it helps identify patterns and trouble students, as well as ensuring punishments are equitable etc.  I'm surprised that you have this much leeway.

I also have this system. It's great. The only thing I don't love is having the student conduct board send me an email a week after grading is done telling me that I need to disregard the plagiarized portion, grade what's unplagiarized, and then return the grade which will then be reduced by X amount as a penalty. I usually agree with the decision (grade reductions for minor first offenses seem fine to me--no need to fail the whole assignment when there's a centralized system keeping track of the reports), but I hate having to grade these weird one-offs after I've finished the pile of papers.

Given how things are these days, if we are going to be legalistic, I'm happy for the burden of proof to be on the student that they wrote their work without cheating.

How is that even possible?

[downer]

Given how things are these days, if we are going to be legalistic, I'm happy for the burden of proof to be on the student that they wrote their work without cheating.

How is that even possible?

Some say you can't prove a negative, it is true. One approach is of course for the student to prove they understand what they wrote in an oral exam. And maybe some organizations like turnitin.com and respondus can work on a complete surveillance apparatus of students.

One of the many crises higher ed faces is that soon degrees will be worth nothing because it will be so common for students to find ways to massively cheat for any work except exams done in a classroom in front of an invigilator.