To check for plagiarism, the software first scans a database for similar code content. Then, it identifies its components and compares them to the content of other work. The software will then build a report that showcases any similarities between the submitted code and other source code.
According to the creators of the plagiarism detection tool MOSS, the software checks code for plagiarism in two ways. This is done through keyword analysis and by looking at groups and sequences of words.
However, in some cases, paraphrasing is not detected because the duplicate content in the text may be different enough that it doesn’t get identified as a match. The software also scans for matches by comparing the style of writing and identifying the order of words. This creates a “fingerprint” of the document, making it easier to detect plagiarism.
This combination of methods to detect copied code is the best method to ensure original content.
Can Codio detect cheating?
Your students learn by completing original work and submitting that work for grading and feedback. Codio can help prevent plagiarism and detect cheating. To help ensure academic integrity, Codio’s platform offers the following code cheating and plagiarism checking and prevention tools.
Behavior Insights enable teachers to see at scale whether students have copied and pasted their work from tools like ChatGPT or elsewhere. Our Plagiarism detection tool looks for similarities between student code submissions.
In addition to that, a cheating or plagiarism “scanner”—Code Playback—can help instructors understand how a student writes or produces code. This can help detect plagiarized content in order to promote and maintain academic integrity.
