From the Dean of Learning and Teaching
Ghostbusters and Plagiarism
We might remember the movie Ghostbusters, in which a team of eccentric ghost-catchers burst onto the big screen back in 1984 and left a lasting mark on pop culture. From proton packs to the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, Ghostbusters is iconic.
But one of its most recognisable features –its theme song – has a ghost story of its own. The composer’s name was Ray Parker Jr.’s and his famous tune borrowed a little too much from another hit, I Want a New Drug by a band called Huey Lewis and the News. This wasn’t just coincidence; it was plagiarism.
Plagiarism is a significant issue in the music industry. It’s also a significant issue in education, journalism, film, art, marketing, technology and software, scientific research, architecture and engineering. Academic penalties, lawsuits and legal disputes, patent infringements, funding retractions, account suspensions, and reputational damage are all likely consequences of stealing intellectual property.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is clearly stretching our understandings of academic integrity. In this context, the central concern is the extent to which students are developing and demonstrating requisite skills and capabilities independently, in supervised and unsupervised conditions (Currie, 2023).
There are many reasons why students cheat (Waltzer & Dahl, 2023). When a student cheats, they might be thinking things like:
- “Even though it’s cheating, it’s not hurting anyone.”
- “Why should I spend all this time writing an assignment when ChatGPT can write it for me?”
- “It’s ok if I share my assignment with my mate – he won’t copy it.”
- “I’ve got too many things on this week to be able to get everything done.”
- “I don’t understand what I need to do, but I need to get good grades.”
- “I’ve cheated before, and I haven’t been caught.”
- “If I put it in my own words, it’s not cheating.”
Students might also be thinking, “Well, doesn’t everyone cheat at some point?” Studies show that most students have accidentally crossed the line at least once, even if they didn’t realise it (Waltzer & Dahl, 2023).
The good news is that cheating is entirely preventable, and using the T-A-S-K-S strategy can help.
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T
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Task analysis
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“When I received the task, I broke it down into smaller chunks that I could manage easily."
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A
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Allocation of time
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“I’ve worked out how much time each smaller task will take.”
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S
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Schedule
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“I’ve planned when I’m going to complete each section.”
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K
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Know your priorities
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“I’ve set aside time for work and training so that I can fit everything in.”
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S
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Support and advice
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“I find it helpful to discuss my work with my teacher or a critical friend, so I’ve set time aside for this.”
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Week 1 is a great opportunity for students to make sure they prepare a study timetable. Doing so is a form of self-care – boys are thinking about what life will be like for future selves and making sure they have systems in place to practice self-compassion. Implementing this strategy will mean students feel less pressured to make poor choices and more able to act with academic integrity.
And if students ever feel stuck or in a situation in which they feel compelled to compromise their integrity, they can apply the Ghostbusters approach:
Who you gonna call?
Teachers, parents, and support networks.
We’re here to help.
Currie, G. M. (2023). Academic integrity and artificial intelligence: Is ChatGPT hype, hero or heresy? Seminars in Nuclear Medicine, 53(5), 719–730.
Waltzer, T., & Dahl, A. (2023). Why do students cheat? Perceptions, evaluations, and motivations. Ethics & Behaviour, 33(2), 130–150.
MS GRACE LOYDEN
Dean of Learning & Teaching