1.1.8 Test your knowledge
For each of the four scenarios below, decide what form of academic misconduct has occured.
1. A first year student has an exam tomorrow but she has been sick and couldn't study. The student does not want to fail so she decides to increase her chances of passing by putting some relevant reference points on her mobile phone.
Five minutes into the exam, when the student looks at her mobile phone, her actions are noticed and reported to the examiner.
What form of academic misconduct has occurred?
-
A. Incorrect. Plagiarism is taking another person's work and presenting it as your own.
B. Incorrect. Collusion is when one person intentionally collaborates with another person in a dishonest way.
C. Correct! Using a prohibited device in an examination is cheating and is serious academic misconduct.
If illness is affecting your study, you should notify your Unit Coordinator and provide a medical certificate as you may be able to apply for special consideration.
D. Incorrect. Using a prohibited device in an examination is unacceptable and is a breach of academic integrity.
2. A second year student agrees to swap one of his completed assignments (for which he was awarded a Distinction) with a friend's assignment (which also got a Distinction) from another unit. Both students agree that they will submit the other's assignment as their own since they have run out of time to complete the assessment.
What form of academic misconduct has occurred?
-
A. Incorrect. While the two students have taken each other's work and are attempting to present it as their own, they collaborated together in a dishonest way and this is more serious than plagiarism.
B. Correct! The two students have collaborated together in a dishonest way; they deliberately swapped papers in an attempt to pass off their friend's work as their own work. This is collusion and is a more serious act of academic misconduct than plagiarism.
C. Incorrect. The students are not cheating in an examination.
D. Incorrect. Swapping papers with another student is unacceptable and is a breach of academic integrity.
3. A first-year student is studying the same course as his elder brother but a year behind him. He has found it very helpful to discuss topics of the course with his big brother and has sought clarification on aspects of the unit.
Amongst the resources his brother has given him to help with his study, is an assignment, which was awarded a High Distinction. The student decides to 'use' his brother's essay (without his knowledge), make a few changes, retype it and submit it for one of his assessments.
What form of academic misconduct has occurred?
-
A. Correct! This is a case of plagiarism involving recycling another student's assignment.
B. Incorrect. This is not collusion as the student's brother was not part of the deception. However, it is still a breach of academic integrity and is unacceptable practise.
C. Incorrect. The student is not cheating in an examination.
D. Incorrect. Taking another student's paper and making a few changes is unacceptable and is a breach of academic integrity.
4. Four students are assigned to a team to work on a research project. They are expected to undertake research as a group, but the actual findings of their research must be individually submitted in a written report. The students get together and assess their various skills and decide that three of them will divide up the research tasks and the fourth member of the group will write the report (which can be modified slightly by each student and submitted as their individual report). This arrangement suits all the students and they consider the workload evenly and fairly divided.
What form of academic misconduct has occurred?
-
A. Incorrect. While the three students would be guilty of plagiarism if they claimed the final report as their work, they all collaborated together in a dishonest way and this is more serious than plagiarism.
B. Correct! This is collusion as all four students planned and agreed to the deception. They have all shown a lack of academic integrity by not following the assignment instructions to produce individual final reports.
C. Incorrect. The students are not cheaing in an examination.
D. Incorrect. The students may have good intentions but are not following the assignment instructions to individually write their own report. Therefore, this is unacceptable and is a breach of academic integrity.
5. Jill is in her third year of study at UNDA, and has a previously recorded instance of misconduct on her record. In her final assignment she copies some sentences from a website with no reference.
What level of academic misconduct (plagiarism) do you think has occurred?
-
A. Correct. Due to the fact that Jill is in her third year of study, and has a previously recorded instance of misconduct, the severity of consequences is more serious.
Well done! You have completed this activity.
Continue on to the next section, 1.2 Practise ethical scholarship.
B. Incorrect. Due to the individual factors involved in Jill’s case (Level of plagiarism, Experience, Past Instances), and also lack of mitigating circumstances, the case is more severe.
C. Incorrect. Due to the individual factors involved in Jill’s case (Level of plagiarism, Experience, Past Instances), and also lack of mitigating circumstances, the case is more severe.
D. Incorrect. This is certainly considered to be plagiarism. Try to determine the correct level of severity.
Connect with Notre Dame on Social Media
Australia
Fremantle
Broome
Sydney