Plagiarism, cheating and validation

How can I encourage my students to use technologies to help with their schoolwork but not plagiarise, cheat or take everything at face value online?

The internet is a valuable research tool and young people should be encouraged to use it as part of their schoolwork. But, it's important that your students understand issues such as plagiarism, inaccuracies and cheating.

The Web makes it easy to access materials but it also makes copying, sharing and pasting easy. Your students might even purchase whole assignments from online cheat sites.

You should therefore make your students aware that they must acknowledge the source of any online materials they use - by using quotations, citations and a bibliography, for instance. Otherwise, it could be considered to be plagiarism, which might have legal implications as well as breaking school assessment rules.

You should also explain that not all material they find online is accurate and remind your students to be analytical and critical in their use of the internet for school projects. You might want to explain how search engines work as many young people don't understand how search results are ordered online - according to Ofcom, one in three 12-15 year olds in the UK thinks that the most truthful search results are shown first.

Although most schools ban mobiles from being used in the classroom, young people might find a way round it. This is not only disruptive but could lead to inappropriate behaviour - for example, texting a friend or accessing the Web from their mobile to get information in the middle of a test. Explain to your students that cheating is unacceptable and might result in disciplinary action.

Where can I find out more?

• Plagiarism and cheating involving new technologies should be covered in your school's Acceptable Use Policy (AUP).
• Read about the rise of internet plagiarism in schools on the Guardian website.
• Watch this video on the Teachers TV website.