An Online Tutorial Vs. Pre-Recorded Lecture For Reducing Incidents Of Plagiarism

The current study compared an online academic integrity tutorial modified from Belter & du Pre (2009) to a pre-recorded online academic integrity lecture in reducing incidents of plagiarism among undergraduate students at a science and technology university. Participants were randomized to complete either the tutorial or the pre-recorded lecture and then completed an academic integrity quiz. We hypothesized that students who completed the tutorial would exhibit fewer incidents of plagiarism and complete the quiz with fewer attempts. Results revealed no statistically significant difference in incidents of plagiarism between the groups. There was a significant positive relation between the number of quiz attempts and the incidents of plagiarism (r (31) = .388, p = .03). Results suggest that an online tutorial is equally effective as a pre-recorded online lecture in addressing issues of plagiarism in the classroom. These results are discussed in the context of education strategies, intrinsic motivation, and time-saving methods.