Writing pedagogy has, over the years, developed to encompass broadening student learning needs as well as improve student learning outcomes. But in the case of plagiarism, there is little focus on teaching strategies to facilitate original thinking in student writing.
The outcome for plagiarism is largely punitive, which overlooks teachable moments in its aftermath—and most notably, overlooks a pedagogical strategy towards deterrence. With every setback, there is an opportunity for lessons; in this paper, we discuss the ways in which plagiarism checking serves as a teaching opportunity to promote originality.