Electronic plagiarism detection services like Turnitin.com compare submitted papers with a database of material from student papers, textbooks, Web sites and journals. It’s quicker and more efficient than using a search engine like Google and, Boyland says, a very egalitarian system.

"You’re not singling out a student, saying, ‘I don’t think you’re capable of this work.’ You’re saying, ‘Turnitin.com says that 88 percent of your paper comes from these sources."

She sees this as a pedagogical rather than punitive tool: "It’s a matter of wanting them to develop the skills. The worst possible outcome is that a student knowingly plagiarizes and isn’t caught. We need to help that student evaluate why he made the decision he did. Time management? Study skills? This is probably the most important kind of education they can get here. Their personal moral codes are still developing."

Purchasing an electronic plagiarism detection service is up to individual faculty members. Most faculty favor college-wide subscription, according to the task force. Boyland purchased the software on her own, and says she trusts its security measures; but others express serious reservations.

"It’s a very valuable technology that has been very successful in promoting academic integrity," says Fr. Augustine. "But some of our faculty are concerned about the intellectual property of a student—the product of a creative, intellectual endeavor—becoming the property of Turnitin.com and part of its library, which is then used to detect plagiarism in others. We’re still working out the issues."

Millennials’ high tech habits present just the latest challenges for parents and educators. But lest anyone despair, sociology professor Dupre offers this perspective: "Every generation takes its turn blaming the next generation for ruining the country. But it doesn’t. It matures and makes its contribution. Do they do things differently? Do they learn differently? Yes. Are they better or worse? No. They’re just different."

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7