Student Plagiarism: Turning the Confrontation into a Conversation

Dealing with plagiarism in student writing can be frustrating and discouraging for teachers, especially new teachers. This article presents strategies for dealing with student plagiarism in an entry-level college writing class. While the strategies are presented with ESL students in mind, they can be applied to any student who demonstrates a lack of understanding of the definition or severity of plagiarism. This article presents a step-by-step process for identifying plagiarized writing, contacting students in a nonthreatening manner, and conferencing one-on-one with students in a way that promotes collaboration and learning, rather than confrontation and frustration. Instructors are encouraged to re-envision plagiarism incidents as opportunities to teach students the importance of proper citation and provide them with the skills they need to be successful. Lastly, the article explores two possible complications to dealing with student plagiarism, and gives specialized suggestions for the following: students who plagiarize repeatedly, and students who deny having plagiarized.