Overview
As artificial intelligence tools gain traction, understanding the relevance and specific demands of academic integrity is crucial for transitioning college students. The resources on this page engage students in discussions of ethics and honesty, delve into specifics of how and when to credit sources through citation, and ask students to read about and discuss appropriate use of ChatGPT or similar tools for writing assignments.
Objectives
Students should be able to:
- Explain the implications of academic dishonesty on oneself, peers, and society;
- Define academic integrity and plagiarism and articulate their importance in an academic setting;
- Credit sources appropriately through citation;
- Explain when and how to cite information to avoid plagiarism, and
- Determine when and how to use ChatGPT appropriately for writing assignments.
Introductory Questions
- Why do people cheat?
- What is plagiarism and how do we avoid it?
- What do I know about ChatGPT and AI tools? What do I want to learn about ChatGPT and AI tools?
- Should ChatGPT and AI tools be allowed in the classroom? Why or why not?
Suggested Class Sequence(s)
Class sequences are connected topics with activities, worksheets, and readings which take two or more days of class to complete.
This three-class sequence gives an overview of academic integrity and plagiarism, including why these concepts are important ethical concerns, practices how and when to cite sources in college assignments and discusses appropriate use of ChatGPT for writing assignments.
Videos
Short videos help tap into multiple modes of learning and can provide a good introduction to or illustration of a topic. See suggested protocols for classroom viewing.
- Citation: A Very Brief Introduction video (~2 minutes)
Explains the importance of citation in academic writing and how to cite properly. Use How To Cite Resources activity to dig deeper into citations. - How to Avoid Plagiarism video (~4 minutes)
Conversation between professor and student accused of plagiarism, summarizing how to avoid plagiarism in a paper using citations, paraphrasing, and summarizing. - Should We Let Students Use ChatGPT? video (~14 minutes)
Tedtalk explaining how ChatGPT works, its capabilities, pros and cons for using ChatGPT in the classroom, and examples of effective AI examples across disciplines. This video is paired with Should Students Use ChatGPT for Class? activity.
Readings
All readings should be paired with a structure or protocol, especially if any reading will be completed in class.
- Academic Integrity Definitions and Policy Provides an introduction to academic integrity and plagiarism, with an excerpt of CUNY’s policy on academic dishonesty. Paired with Questions for Academic Integrity.
- Crediting Sources excerpt from LaGuardia’s FYS Information Literacy chapter. Paired with How To Cite Resources activity. This text explains the importance of citation for ethical scholarship and includes specifics about how and when to cite sources.
- How Cheating in College Hurts Students by Cole Claybourn article is paired with How Can Cheating in College Hurt You? activity. The article discusses ways college students cheat and consequences of cheating.
- Should I Use ChatGPT to Write My Essays? discusses generative AI, drawbacks of using AI tools for writing and then gives examples of effective ways to use ChatGPT for assignments. Paired with Using ChatGPT as a Writing Tool? activity.
- Writing is More than Just a Skill, excerpted blogpost explains why students need to continue to develop writing skills. Paired with Writing with ChatGPT activity.
Activities
Activities include individual or group tasks that can be completed in less than one class period; some activities may be repeated in a sequence and are re-listed here for ease of access.
- How To Cite Resources
Read Crediting Sources text about why citations are important to academic integrity then shows when and how to cite sources for assignments. Pair with a research assignment where students will apply how to cite sources correctly. - Choosing and Evaluating Sources
This session will help students understand where information comes from, why information literacy is an important skill, and how to choose and evaluate sources for an assignment. Also listed on “Research Skills” page - How Can Cheating in College Hurt You?
Students read an article about cheating in college and discuss why people cheat and the consequences of cheating. - Should Students Use ChatGPT for Class?
Students watch Should we let students use ChatGPT? video and respond to discussion questions, evaluating whether they should be allowed to use ChatGPT on assignments or not. - Writing with ChatGPT activity
Students read Should I Use ChatGPT to Write My Essays? and Writing is More than Just a Skill then discuss when in the writing process it is useful and ethical to use ChatGPT as a writing tool and when it is useful to do the work without technology. - Academic Integrity Case Studies
Students discuss sample case studies related to academic integrity. This activity should be done as practice after introducing concepts of academic integrity with readings or videos and reviewing CUNY Academic policies.
Resources
- Citations Mini-Lesson
Uses questions and examples to demonstrate how and when to cite sources, including when to use direct quotes vs. paraphrasing in a paper. Also listed on “Research Skills” page. - Writing with Generative Artificial Intelligence
Article from Monash University considers where and how to use AI ethically in different parts of the writing process, including a breakdown of what students should work on vs. where AI could offer appropriate support. Recommend guiding students towards a few examples that would be most useful. - Citing ChatGPT Sources in APA Style
Article gives examples of how to quote and create citations for text created by ChatGPT. - How to Avoid Plagiarism
Indiana University website with videos, examples and explanations of how to define and recognize plagiarism.
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