Each week we meet via Twitter for #IOLchat to discuss current issues related to online learning. Participants include students, instructors, advisors, counselors, eLearning companies, schools, publishers, and instructional designers.
A new report from Turnitin, a plagiarism detection software service used by many higher education institutions, revealed the 10 Internet resources students use most for help with their writing. Education Dive noted that this list (included in the read-aheads below) “may depress you.”
Writing skills are critically important for online learning. From papers and projects to discussion forums and email correspondence, students have to be able to write clearly in a number of different contexts. What can students do to prepare themselves for this work and improve their skills? Here’s a summary of the chat:
More about Turnitin’s Study of Student Sources
Turnitin has access to data that allows them to compare and match text from the web, student papers, and publications.
This is the second year of this analysis – shedding light on the trends emerging in resources students are using.
This year, “reliance on social sites dipped and the share of legitimate homework sites increased – a good trend.” However “the prevalence of ‘cheat sites’ is surprisingly high and up from last year.”
Check out a series of Turnitin webcasts (beginning today!) for more information about sources in student writing. These are free to attend.
Why are students relying on these sites so heavily?
The stress and pressure of coursework may lead to what seems like an easy, convenient solution for meeting deadlines.
Many students “equate research with search.” Google and other search engines are just a starting point. Students should also take advantage of other ways to research their writing topics, including libraries.
“Learning how to conduct proper research” with “academically-appropriate sites” is an important skill for all students, regardless of program.
It’s also important to understand how Google works with “algorithms tuned to relevance and popularity.” There are ways to refine the results.
What one “best” resources would you recommend to students needing assistance with their writing?
Plagiarism.org includes tips on writing, citation, and attribution.
Shmoop.com provides several writing tools and walks students through the steps of drafting and publishing their writing.
How can instructors help students with their online writing skills?
Provide clear expectations and examples of assignment requirements.
Don’t forget other text-based communication requirements, such as threaded discussion forums, email, live chats, etc.
Rubrics can be a helpful way to convey what is expected, and provide a reference or guide for students.
Thanks to @Turnitin, @EducationDive, @AchieveVirtual, @jacintodavila, and @kbalibalos5 for participating in the live event!
For more from the most recent live session, review the chat feed below. Our past chats can be found on the archives page.
Follow us (@OC_org) and plan to attend our next chat. We meet on Wednesdays at 12pm ET and look forward to hearing your perspective.
This week’s read-aheads:
The Sources in Student Writing [Infographic] from Turnitin
The Top 10 Internet Sources College Students Use for Writing May Depress You from Education Dive
Academic Services – Writing Center of Post University
How Students Develop Online Learning Skills from Educause Review Online
This week’s chat feed:
Image credit: __o__, Flickr, CC:BY-NC
The post #IOLchat Report: Writing Skills and Online Learning appeared first on Online College.org.
