The course is made up of self-paced modules on MyLearning that can be taken by any JHU student. Once enrolled, students take the course at their own pace, and they are asked to frequently assess their knowledge. They receive a certificate – which is good for five years – that they can send to their professor when they have passed the post-test. 

It teaches students to apply their knowledge of plagiarism to prepare them for the classroom and the real world. The course challenges them to test their understanding by asking their thoughts on scenarios, news, and academic writing examples. (It does not teach the nuances of citation formats. We encourage students to use resources such as style manuals and citation managers for these basic skills.)

A number of JHU schools and programs require the module for all students. Many faculty choose to assign the Avoiding Plagiarism course if their students haven't completed it. If you find out that your students don't have an Avoiding Plagiarism Certificate, you can assign the course by sending them the enrollment instructions and directing them to complete the course. 

To learn more about the plagiarism module, view (or download) this presentation on the creation and purpose of the course:

The Avoiding Plagiarism course seeks to educate and empower students to avoid plagiarism. It helps them learn key, foundational skills they can use in their academic and professional career. Research finds that plagiarism is only partially due to lacking education (Carroll & Appleton, 2001). Professors can make a huge impact on preventing and reducing plagiarism in their classroom through course design and facilitation techniques. Learn how you can reduce plagiarism in your classroom by visiting Helping Prevent Plagiarism in your Classroom.

Carroll, J. & Appleton, J. (2001). Plagiarism: A Good Practice Guide. Retrieved 10 July 2019, https://i.unisa.edu.au/siteassets/staff/tiu/documents/plagiarism---a-good-practice-guide-by-oxford-brookes-university.pdf.