Use of Anti-Plagiarism Software had a Positive Impact in Schools (Essay Sample)

First Last
Composition 1
Argumentative Essay
21st April 2017
Effectiveness of Anti plagiarism Software:
Use of Anti-Plagiarism Software had a Positive Impact in Schools
The menace that is plagiarism was threatening the effectiveness of the education system. Soon everyone started fearing for the dwindling academic integrity in our schools. However, the entry of plagiarism has helped address these fears and restored academic pride in schools. After a slow entry, it has been accepted with both arms in most learning institutions countrywide. The only question they are asking now is, “What took it so long?” such has been the impact of anti-plagiarism software inn schools everywhere. In this essay, I analyze the positives brought by anti-plagiarism software; increased academic integrity, better mastery of writing process and easier work of marking by lecturers despite encouraging other forms of cheating and widening the student-teacher divide.
Firstly, the emergence of anti-plagiarism software increased originality and creativity of students. The fear of being caught among students has prompted them to present more original work to avoid poor grades. Knowing that lecturers now have a means of detecting any form of plagiarism, students now opt to write more authentic essays avoiding all forms of plagiarism. For that reason, students have also been more focused on their work as they are aware that there are no more shortcuts to attaining good grades. CITATION Pre14 \l 1033 (Preiss) This has helped the students achieve their true potential guided by their teachers and the curriculum. Therefore, anti-plagiarism software has served to uphold academic integrity and effectiveness of the school system.
Another positive of anti-plagiarism software is that students have learned the art of writing. Students have now mastered the aspects of writing that ensure they are not caught plagiarizing. Lecturers have reported increased use of quotations and citations since schools adopted anti-plagiarism software. Students are keener on avoiding plagiarism now than before and they have had to learn how to give credit and to reference sources. CITATION Sut05 \l 1033 (Sutherland-Smith and Carr) Since students are the future of the nation, their improvement of writing skills is good news to everyone. Coupled with the obligation to submit original work, students are now appreciating the learning process, particularly research and writing.
The use of anti-plagiarism software by lecturers has enabled them to detect plagiarism more easily. The use of plagiarism detection software has allowed them to cover larger volumes of internet search engines and databases. Lecturers now offer students the chance to submit drafts of their essays for anti-plagiarism checks and other corrections. In the past, tutors had to copy students’ essays onto search engines to establish their similarity to existing texts. That exercise is much more efficient now with the availability of anti-plagiarism software which covers almost all major search engines used by students. Furthermore, lecturers are less bound to check students’ drafts for plagiarism like before. CITATION Sta11 \l 1033 (Stapleton) They can now ask students to submit their final assignment drafts knowing they have a low degree of plagiarism. This has enabled lecturers save time they would waste checking students’ assignments word for word for plagiarism. Lecturers are thankful for the introduction of plagiarism detection software as it has made their work easier. It has therefore made a positive impact on lecturers.
However the use of anti-plagiarism software has not necessarily increased originality in students, rather it has made them smarter in their attempt to beat the anti-plagiarism checks. In real sense anti-plagiarism software only detects matching texts. Students can paraphrase texts successfully to beat anti-plagiarism such that their work provides a low match percentage when run through the software. In other fields especially non-science fields there is only so much wording to conceal plagiarism and a degree of plagi...