The materials on this website offer support for instructors interested in using SafeAssign, a plagiarism prevention tool integrated with VCU’s Blackboard system. While plagiarism is a perennial academic issue, reports in recent years have suggested that incidents are on the rise, particularly cases involving electronic source material. Tools like SafeAssign offer one avenue for teaching plagiarism prevention, but they are not foolproof. The materials provided here address some of the theoretical and practical issues associated with tools like SafeAssign and suggest ways such programs might be successfully incorporated into the classroom.
Using SafeAssign
- The View From the Writing Center
- General Guidelines for Using SafeAssign
- Issues Associated with SafeAssign:
Blackboard’s SafeAssign
- What is SafeAssign?
- Interpreting SafeAssign scores
SafeAssign’s Potential as a Learning Tool
A Closer Look at Plagiarism
Assignments That Discourage Plagiarism
- Characteristics of Effective Assignments
- Designing Effective Assignments
The VCU Writing Center invites you to explore these resources in the hope that they will lead to further discussions about promoting academic integrity in the classroom. Please feel free to contact the Center with questions, comments, or requests for individual consultations regarding writing process and practice.