You can assume that students:
- have been directed to information about academic integrity during their orientation
- have access to subject outline information that directs them to the UOW Academic Integrity policy
- have access to an introductory module StartSmart that introduces academic integrity, research and referencing
- have a general sense that plagiarism is a bad thing
You can’t assume that students:
- have read and thoroughly understood the information about academic integrity in subject outlines and in the policy
- have completed StartSmart in the first weeks of session, as advised, if they are in their first session of study (unless you make it a requirement to complete and ask students to bring their completion certificates to class)
- have all completed first year at UOW and StartSmart (if you are teaching a non-first year subject), as they may have transferred from other universities
- have learned how to apply the advice about academic integrity and acknowledgement practice to their work on assessment tasks – they may know the general principles but haven’t connected these principles to the subject or disciplinary expectations
- can recognise the other forms of academic misconduct beyond plagiarism – they may be uncertain of the difference between collaborative peer learning and collusion, or not recognise that online services which offer to help edit student assessment tasks are contract cheating sites.
The best way to be sure that you and your students have a shared understanding of academic integrity expectations is to include discussion or activities in your class time.