Smart, Innovative and Plagiarism-deterrent Assessments

Abstract

Designing creative and effective Learning and Teaching material is always a challenge. To prepare innovative assessments, which at the same time deter students from plagiarism, may not always be an easy task to the instructors. This paper highlights the importance of smart assessments whose format can be adapted to all modes and forms of learning & teaching, and which would discourage students from indulging in plagiarism. The paper also presents a model assignment which can have numerous case-based solutions, any two of which would never be the same unless in case of blatant plagiarism. An added advantage of our assignment format is that it can be effectively administered both in interactive as well as distance learning environments. The format presented in this paper can be adopted in any discipline; however our implementation is carried out to an introductory Database Systems course. The assignment presented in this paper, on the basis of student feedback, is regarded to be very effective, detrimental to plagiarism and was liked and appreciated by the students who returned a higher approval rate.