On the basis of that research, Ms. Howard calls for a “fundamental shift” in how writing is taught. Professors should focus more on starting the research process collaboratively with students, she says. They should select a few complex sources and explore them with the whole class.

“What that means is not rushing students quite so quickly in their first semester in college into writing a 25-page research paper written from 15 sources,” she says, “but rather taking them through the process of engaging with those sources first.”

The Chronicle of Higher Ed, Software Catches (and Also Helps) Young Plagiarists.