@s101crider
I am concerned with cheating in an online class! There is not much you can do about students cheating on a test -- they could always open a second browser window and look up answers and no one would be the wiser. But when students present plagiarized work or purchased or copied essays -- then this is an issue I take seriously.
I allow students one chance to revise an essay I have found to be less than original. I describe the problem, direct them to appropriate sources to learn about plagiarism, paraphrasing and citing their sources, and then request a revision with some specific deadline. If the student is a repeat offender after this opportunity, then they receive a 0 for additional plagiarized assignments.
I will sometimes relate the story of the Minister of Defense from Germany who had to resign, ruined his career and whose PhD was revoked for plagiarism.
Everyone should consider plagiairism an egregious form of cheating.
