As instructors, we expect our students to be creative and imaginative in their work. However, sometimes we fail to model our expectations when we just give the same assignments and final exam questions quarter after quarter, year after year. What can we do about this?
Craft assignments that don't fit the "generalist" nature of the samples students can recycle, find, and/or buy.
For example, instead of assigning an open-ended paper on contemporary applications of Machiavelli's The Prince, make the assignment linked to other course readings or specific links such as the 2008 Batman film The Dark Knight. Students are likely to find many sources discussing Machiavelli's work in general, and the tendency would be just to copy them in part or whole. However, linking the concepts to other readings or texts would ask for critical thinking on the part of the student.
Emphasize the writing process.
Craft the assignments to occur in stages. If students submit topic proposals or must have peer reviews or drafts, they are less likely to merely copy something prior to the deadline. Ask for annotated source lists and/or preliminary bibliographies to be included in topic proposals or in early drafts. Procrastinating students may make hasty source lists, but then they can flesh those out prior to the actual paper due date, reducing the likelihood of plagiarizing the actual paper (although plagiarized portions are still an issue). Ask students periodically to write a reflection of their research and writing processes.
Vary the specifics of assignments.
For example, ask students to write about Machiavelli's views reflected or contradicted in The Dark Knight one quarter and then change the pairing to the 2005 film V for Vendetta or an episode from The Sopranos in subsequent quarters or terms. A student who knows someone who took the class "last quarter" won't be able to apply specific feedback you have given except in principle. Different assortments of associated readings will also prevent students from checking out copies in some "filing cabinet" compiled from previous years. Vary the patterns from year to year.
Be contemporary.
References to Harry Potter books and movies lost relevance after the 90's, when the Twilight series become fresh and new, only to be replaced by the Hunger Games series. If instructors get stuck in a particular decade, students just recycle old commentaries to please the instructor rather than conducting research or analysis based on academic curiosity and excitement of their own. Try to encourage students to seek application that resonates with their own life. For example, Machiavelli's "old" ideas won't seem so out of date after all if connected to the student's own interests.
Point your students to the resources available to them.
If your assignments are research-based, consider taking your class to the library for a session about research skills. If your students are having trouble finding quality source material, ask them to work with a librarian at the reference desk. Remember the Writing Center is a great resource for students at all stages of the writing process.