Are University Students Armed with the Necessary Skill Level to Prevent Plagiarism?

When writing their assignments, university students must search for information online and integrate it into their papers without plagiarizing. They must also support their ideas with references according to their university's standards and requirements. Producing a university assignment thus requires students to use informational skills, academic writing skills, and referencing skills throughout the process. Students are admitted into undergraduate programs with varying levels of mastery of these skills. According to one research, Quebec students expect to develop these skills during their university education, while their professors often expect students to have previously acquired them. Is it possible that this chasm in expectations results in plagiarism because students are not sufficiently prepared? Do universities in other countries face the same situation? This is what we aimed to verify. A quantitative data collection was done in universities in Canada, the United States and in Europe. Two online questionnaires were administered to undergraduate students and professors to obtain information on their use and teaching of informational, writing, and referencing skills. For this presentation, the responses to six specific corresponding questions (students vs faculty) were analyzed: expectation of skill development and level of skills. Since tackling plagiarism at an institutional level requires a shared implication, this analysis will help faculty, administrators, librarians, and tutors to understand students’ experience of the required skills to avoid plagiarism

The professor : a conduit for integrity in the dissertation process

Plagiaristic behaviour by students is still considered a deviance that needs to be prevented or cured. Prevention is achieved through training and communication and repression through manual or computerised controls. The qualitative study presented in this article shows that the practice of plagiarism by students is a behaviour that has become normalised. By understanding the logic expressed by the respondents, we argue that every teacher can be a conduit for integrity by adjusting to the challenges of the six stages of dissertation production and by knowing how to respond appropriately. Considering creacollage as a learning option opens up new perspectives here

Taking the leadership role:Understanding leadership across team and organizational boundaries in view of the changing employment relationship

Contemporary knowledge workers cooperate more and more in multiple, temporary, and often virtual teams with peers within and across organizational boundaries. The growing involvement of multiple actors inside and outside organizations has severe implications for how the employment relationship is managed. In the current article it is argued that leadership is becoming not only increasingly distributed but also diffuse. Leadership is no longer "what those in leadership positions do," but refers to a process by which one or more actors stimulate themselves and each other in order to pursue values, goals, and objectives. Whoever takes on a leadership role, needs to understand the way actors can be motivated and energized to address future needs and requirements in organizations. Building on insights from human resource management, leadership, and organizational behavior literature, how multiple actors are stimulated to take on their leadership roles in order to foster salient outcomes for multiple parties is explored in the current article

Enseigner les stratégies de créacollage numérique pour éviter le plagiat au secondaire

De nos jours, les élèves du secondaire ont de plus en plus recours au web lorsqu’ils ont besoin d’information pour leurs travaux scolaires. L’accès facile et rapide à cette information mène certains élèves au copier-coller. Afin de prévenir le plagiat, une série de sept ateliers portant sur des stratégies de créacollage numérique ont été offerts à 63 élèves du secondaire. Les participants ont répondu à des questionnaires et participé à des entrevues. Les résultats montrent que les stratégies de créacollage sont méconnues des élèves du secondaire et qu’elles gagneraient à y être enseignées afin que ceux-ci prennent de bonnes habitudes de rédaction et apprennent comment rédiger sans plagier

Excel

Les TIC au primaire vous le démontre. Ce manuel propose aussi des ateliers pour améliorer ses connaissances technologiques et plusieurs applications sur la façon d’enseigner et sur l’évaluation des élèves. Cet ouvrage collectif de 8 auteurs d’universités québécoises et canadiennes permettra à l’enseignant de découvrir l’importance de l’utilisation des technologies dans la réussite des élèves. Extract taken from publisher\u27s website ISBN: 978-2-7617-2767-

Caractéristiques d’activités d’évaluation de la compétence langagière à l’université

Il est généralement admis que la compétence langagière est un facteur de réussite des études supérieures. Or, plusieurs professeurs d’université soulèvent l’incompétence d’un nombre croissant de leurs étudiants en ce qui a trait à la maîtrise du français. Malheureusement, même si elle est reconnue comme cruciale à l’université et malgré les problèmes évidents des étudiants universitaires concernant la compétence langagière, cette dernière n’y est pas enseignée et même rarement évaluée dans le cadre des cours disciplinaires. C’est dans cette optique que nous nous sommes intéressées à la place accordée à la compétence langagière dans des programmes professionnels dans le secteur de l’éducation. Notre objectif de recherche est donc de caractériser les activités d’évaluation de la compétence langagière. L’utilisation d’analyses de construits a révélé des différences dans l’évaluation par rapport aux caractéristiques suivantes : 1) composantes linguistique et communicative ; 2) évaluations formatives et sommatives ; 3) productions orale et écrite ; et finalement 4) évaluation individuelle ou collaborative.It generally accepted that superior language skills are an important factor when it comes to succeeding in post-secondary education. Even though it is recognized that superior language skills are important for academic achievement and that most new students do not possess these skills, these are not being taught and are rarely evaluated in undergraduate courses. Most university professors are finding that an increasing number of students have inferior or low level language skills in French language. Our research examines the importance placed on language skills in teacher education programs with the objective of analyzing the characteristics of activities used to evaluate language skills in these programs. Our findings show that there are differences in the evaluation pertaining to the following characteristics : 1) communicative versus linguistic components, 2) formative versus summative evaluations, 3) oral versus written productions, and finally 4) individual versus collaborative evaluations

Internet

Les TIC au primaire vous le démontre. Ce manuel propose aussi des ateliers pour améliorer ses connaissances technologiques et plusieurs applications sur la façon d’enseigner et sur l’évaluation des élèves. Cet ouvrage collectif de 8 auteurs d’universités québécoises et canadiennes permettra à l’enseignant de découvrir l’importance de l’utilisation des technologies dans la réussite des élèves. Extract taken from publisher\u27s website ISBN: 978-2-7617-2767-

Cliquer, glisser, dactylographier ou sélectionner dans un menu déroulant : manipulations préférées des étudiants universitaires. Click, slide, type or select in a pop-up menu: Favourite manipulations of French-as-a-second-language university students

Résumé:Cet article présente les résultats d`une recherche sur les préférences d’étudiants universitaires de français langue seconde en ce qui a trait aux différentes manipulations faites lors d’activités de grammaire informatisées. Dans un contexte d’activités à choix multiples, les étudiants ont indiqué leurs préférences envers les quatre manipulations proposées (cliquer, glisser, sélectionner dans un menu déroulant et dactylographier). Nos résultats, appuyés des commentaires des étudiants, démontrent en général que leurs préférences reflètent les caractéristiques des « enfants-roi » qui préfèrent des activités ludiques, faciles et rapides qui nécessitent peu d’investissement de leur part et ont un impact direct sur leurs notes. Abstract This article presents the results of a study on the preferences of French-as-a second-language university students towards different manipulations used in computerized grammar activities. Students indicated their preferences for the four manipulations offered (click, scroll-down menu, drag-and-drop, keyboard entry) while doing multiple-choice activities. Our results, backed up by student comments, show that their preferences reflect the traits of the “spoiled child” who prefers activities that are fun, easy and fast and that will have a direct impact on grades

Mitochondrial DNA Content in Human Omental Adipose Tissue

Background: Impairment of mitochondrial function plays an important role in obesity and the development of insulin resistance. The aim of this project was to investigate the mitochondrial DNA copy number in human omental adipose tissue with respect to obesity. Methods: The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content per single adipocyte derived from abdominal omental adipose tissue was determined by quantitative RT-PCR in a group of 75 patients, consisting of obese and morbidly obese subjects, as well as non-obese controls. Additionally, basal metabolic rate and fat oxidation rate were recorded and expressed as total values or per kilogram fat mass. Results: MtDNA content is associated with obesity. Higher body mass index (BMI) resulted in a significantly elevated mtDNA count (ratio = 1.56; p = 0.0331) comparing non-obese (BMI < 30) to obese volunteers (BMI ≥ 30). The mtDNA count per cell was not correlated with age or gender. Diabetic patients showed a trend toward reduced mtDNA content. A seasonal change in mtDNA copy number could not be identified. In addition, a substudy investigating the basal metabolic rate and the fasting fat oxidation did not reveal any associations to the mtDNA count. Conclusions: The mtDNA content per cell of omental adipose tissue did not correlate with various clinical parameters but tended to be reduced in patients with diabetes, which may partly explain the impairment of mitochondrial function observed in insulin resistance. Furthermore, the mtDNA content was significantly increased in patients suffering from obesity (BMI above 30). This might reflect a compensatory response to the development of obesity, which is associated with impairment of mitochondrial functio