# Detecting Plagiarism **URL:** \ **Category:** CS Principles\ **Tags:** csp-unit-3\ **Created:** [January 28, 2019, 9:16pm UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/detecting-plagiarism/24397 "2019-01-28T21:16:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![grissom](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.code.org/grissom/32/4064_2.png) [@grissom](https://forum.code.org/u/grissom)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 9:16pm UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/detecting-plagiarism/24397/1 "2019-01-28T21:16:51Z")
I assigned the creativity activity at the end of Unit 3 Lesson 7 to do a free drawing. A few of the drawings look “too good” and I suspect the students got code from elsewhere. Is there a way to confirm this? Look at their version history? ---
**Author:** ![terence.stone25](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.code.org/terence.stone25/32/5124_2.png) [@terence.stone25](https://forum.code.org/u/terence.stone25)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 5:35am UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/detecting-plagiarism/24397/2 "2019-01-30T05:35:24Z")
@grissom App Lab does not have a feature like Turn It In, where we can look for plagiarism. ---
**Author:** ![kaitie\_o\_bryan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.code.org/kaitie_o_bryan/32/2278_2.png) [@kaitie\_o\_bryan](https://forum.code.org/u/kaitie_o_bryan)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 2:28am UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/detecting-plagiarism/24397/3 "2019-01-31T02:28:12Z")
I also look at their version history - I just have them bring up their computer and show their version history to me. I have also verbally quizzed students on “hey, what does THIS part to” if it looks really too advanced. BUT, I would say 3/5 times, the kid has just spent a lot of time researching and got excited about the project. So, it is possible that it is their own work… ---
**Author:** ![kimberly\_l\_gustin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/d6d6ee/32.png) [@kimberly\_l\_gustin](https://forum.code.org/u/kimberly_l_gustin)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 2:01pm UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/detecting-plagiarism/24397/4 "2019-02-07T14:01:44Z")
I agree, sometimes it looks “too good”. But I also have to say that I check at least once each day or every other day by walking around or checking in [code.org](http://code.org) to see their progress. Especially on some of the more detailed work. Like Unit 3 Lesson 10. Getting out to see what they are doing also builds classroom community. Checking version history in a pinch also works. ---
**Author:** ![rberrett](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.code.org/rberrett/32/5136_2.png) [@rberrett](https://forum.code.org/u/rberrett)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2019, 1:11am UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/detecting-plagiarism/24397/5 "2019-06-21T01:11:52Z")
Bump. There is plagiarism detection software available from Stanford called MOSS. I use it in my AP Computer Science A classes. However, it requires that all of the programs exist in a single directory and it only compares similarities between students (e.g. one student copying off of another). It would be ideal if [code.org](http://code.org) allowed us to download all of the code for a specific lesson or exercise as a zip file. Then we can utilize other tools to detect plagiarism, if not MOSS then something else. I had 128 students in 4 classes of CS P this year and I have found a few instances of plagiarism across classes. But it would be better if I didn’t have to rely on my memory and use an automated tool instead.