Coursework.Info - Inspiration in an Instant

16th November, 2006

Coursework libraries have been wrongly branded as 'cheat sites'. Teachers and lecturers speak out by singing the praises of the UK's largest online coursework library, Coursework.Info.

Very different from custom writing sites, coursework libraries work like a virtual library, students can submit their own coursework for free access, or they can pay a small sum to gain access to over 130,000 pieces of coursework ranging from GCSE, A-level, International Baccalaureate and university level papers.

Gill Burbridge, English and communications lecturer at Central Sussex College, said; "Coursework.Info has provided an invaluable site for both myself and my students, this site has given us access to a wealth of resources that can be used for a variety of classroom activities. Particularly helpful is the opportunity for my students to see a wide range of essay responses to exam and course work tasks, which they have been able to evaluate and assess against the relevant assessment objectives and criteria."

Dr Yaakov Wise, research fellow, University of Manchester said; "I believe that Coursework.Info offers a very valuable tool to students by allowing them to see a variety of good quality essays in their specialist subject areas. This helps students to 'benchmark' their essays by comparing their own drafts to others and helps them aspire to and achieve the required standards"

The site recently hit the headlines when it decided to offer its entire coursework database to TurnItInUK, the plagiarism detection software. It has gone to great lengths to ensure the academic validity of the site, and that students use the site ethically.

Pete Taylor, operations director said; "Hundreds of teachers and lecturers use our site to help their students. Parents use the site to gain an understanding into what’s expected of their children, and students use it to get better subject understanding and a better idea of what's required. Ultimately it all helps the students raise their grades"

Coursework.Info now confidently lists teacher testimonials alongside those of students on its website and is currently courting controversy amongst academics and other coursework libraries by calling for a professional code of conduct for the essay industry. This, they believe will stem the tide of plagiarism and help users distinguish between ethical sites and cheat sites.

Carmen Harvey-Browne. Head of English at More House School summed up the need for coursework libraries she said; "How do they [students] know a good essay when they see one? There is a huge amount to learn from reading an essay and breaking it down into its component parts and then grading it. If a pupil doesn't understand how to craft a good essay, how can they hope to write one?"

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Editor's notes:

• Mr Pete Taylor is the Operations Director of Acumen PI, the holding company which owns www.TheStudentRoom.co.uk and www.Coursework.Info. He is 28 years old and lives in Bristol with his partner and two young children.
• Coursework.Info is the largest coursework library in the UK.
• It is an educational website where GCSE, A Level, IB and University students give permission for their coursework to be viewed online in exchange for access to others' work.
• It contains over 130,000 pieces of coursework, and receives 550,000 visits by students each month.
• For student and teacher testimonials to the benefit of the site see our testimonials page
• Coursework.Info actively discourages plagiarism and offers students clear guidelines on what plagiarism actually is and how to avoid it.
• Acumen PI was the first and only UK Coursework Library to provide all its essays to TurnItIn's world leading plagiarism detection software - a service managed in the UK by JISC's Plagiarism Advisory Service. It is also actively pursuing a Code of Conduct for the industry, with UK Government and education sector authorities.
• Acumen PI also owns www.TheStudentRoom.co.uk - the largest student discussion room in the UK, and one of the largest of the next generation of social networking sites.
• About iParadigms www.iparadigms.com
  iParadigms, LLC (www.iparadigms.com) is the leading provider of web-based solutions to check documents for originality, plagiarism, and for misappropriation. The company's products include: Turnitin® (www.turnitin.com), an internet service used by millions of students and faculty in over 90 countries to vet academic work for originality, enable web-based student collaboration, and provide cutting-edge tools for digital assessment of academic work; and iThenticate TM (www.ithenticate.com), an internet service which enables publishers, news agencies, corporations, law firms, and government agencies to detect piracy or misuse of proprietary information and to conduct document originality due diligence. iParadigms is headquartered in Oakland, CA
• About the JISC Plagiarism Advisory Service (PAS) www.jiscpas.ac.uk
  The JISC PAS provides generic advice and guidance on all aspects of plagiarism prevention and detection for academics and students to around 700 further and higher education institutions in the UK. The service promotes a holistic approach to plagiarism prevention incorporating the consideration of institutional policies and procedures, teaching practice and study skills. The JISC PAS is managed by Northumbria Learning.