Capella Instructors Using Plagiarism Detection Software

Capella is making all of their instructors use MyDropBox, a plagiarism detection software. I'm sure that many other RA schools are already using this software as well.

I'm not sure how accurate this software is. I've heard a mixed bag by some people. I honestly have not used it yet, but I would like to get any feedback from others who have and what they think of MyDropBox software. Have you found it useful? is it accurate? Is your school also making this software availabe for you?Are there better alternatives?

Sulla

 

Fascinating. Tell us more.

 

UOP uses the same program as part of their "center for writing excellence" the plaigarism checker is also available to students.

 

This is actually pretty common. I know some lonline teachers who use this program and others. Basically, what it is, is just a database of those who use it, they submit assignments that go into the database and it gradually gets larger as time goes on.

 

My son at UC San Diego has been been submitting his work through this kind of a system for three years. So it's not new. I've talked with other students at various universities and they seem to follow similar protocols for submitting work.

 

Not exactly. It is a sophisticated internet search engine that matches up phrases in a submission to many other sources. Much of what it does can be accomplished through Google, to a savvy internet web researcher. It is more than a collection of papers from its users.

 

This is nothing new. UMUC & NCU use a program called Turnitin, which does the same thing. At NCU you must click a box athat acknowledges that you understand that your submission may be subject to the program.

 

A couple semesters ago, I wrote a paper on an obscure composer. I thought it was pretty good so I formatted in article format and posted it on my web page.

I got a note from the course instructor telling me that I was suspected of plagiarizing the paper and that I needed to make an appointment to defend my work.

Seems she only knew enough about this piece of software to be a little dangerous. When she ran some of my paper, it searched the web and found a match to 90%. So, of course, it must have been plagiarized.

What she didn't do was visit the website herself to see who wrote what was there.

That piece of software found my article online and presented it as a match to my paper. I had to argue to convince her to let me see the software match.

Once I showed her how to visit the site that her software pointed to (click the hyperlink) she was satisfied but it was a stressful meeting in the beginning to say the least.

Some professors might have just made the accusation, assumed guilt, and issued the failing grade. They'd pass responsibility off to the software application that they only barely know how to use...

It is not a new trend to use software to check for plagiarism -- and the trend is growing.

 

Bellevue University uses something similar.

 

At least you didn't sue her or the college for incomptence, wrongly suspecting your work and making you prove your innocence. Right?