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Academic Integrity Tutorial: Learning Activities

Blatant vs Ambiguous Misconduct

A blurb about the ambiguous nature of unintentional misconduct:

Within the field of academic integrity, there are two categories of academic misconduct, each posing an equally serious problem. Blatant misconduct, which is less rampant, is easy to recognize and avoid. Ambiguous misconduct is often committed unintentionally and is mostly attributable to a lack of knowledge, understanding, and/or planning. In fact, there is a complex interaction between ‘intent’ and ‘honest error’1, which makes it difficult to recognize ambiguous misconduct. This presents challenges for both faculty and students, making it necessary to clearly articulate what the rules are and, above all, what the expectations are of students.

Activity 1 - Misconduct Adjudication

This activity will help you to recognize academic misconduct and the common pitfalls to avoid. With the help of pages 6 and 7 of the "Student Academic Misconduct Regulations", determine how the following cases might be judged. 

Would you say these scenarios do or do not constitute academic misconduct? If you are unsure, find the answer by referring to the regulations or by clicking the link 'Not Sure'.

Student A wrote an excellent paper in a high school psychology class. They decide to use that paper as an introduction to their first year psychology paper. They do not include a citation because it is their own work.
Misconduct: 13885 votes (77.4%)
Not Misconduct: 3095 votes (17.25%)
Not Sure: 959 votes (5.35%)
Total Votes: 17939
Student B worked collaboratively with a friend on a take-home exam after being told by their friend that they have consent from the instructor to do so.
Misconduct: 8809 votes (49.56%)
Not Misconduct: 7625 votes (42.9%)
Not Sure: 1340 votes (7.54%)
Total Votes: 17774
Student C was running out of time and forgot to write down the page number for the quotation they put in their essay. They need to get the assignment in on time, so they make-up the page number believing the prof won't notice or check.
Misconduct: 16079 votes (94.66%)
Not Misconduct: 569 votes (3.35%)
Not Sure: 338 votes (1.99%)
Total Votes: 16986
Student D used images from a website; they claimed they had found no copyright information either on the images or elsewhere on the site.
Misconduct: 14088 votes (83.03%)
Not Misconduct: 1696 votes (10%)
Not Sure: 1183 votes (6.97%)
Total Votes: 16967
Student E required a medical note to be excused from an exam but could not get an appointment with the doctor on the day of the exam. They decide to alter the date on the medical note.
Misconduct: 16133 votes (97.08%)
Not Misconduct: 318 votes (1.91%)
Not Sure: 168 votes (1.01%)
Total Votes: 16619
Student F worked collaboratively on an assignment with several classmates. Pressed for time, they decide to split up parts of the assignment and then put it together later to submit individually.
Misconduct: 13352 votes (79.7%)
Not Misconduct: 2725 votes (16.27%)
Not Sure: 676 votes (4.04%)
Total Votes: 16753
Student G missed a test due to illness. They receive information about the format of the test from a classmate in order to prepare for the makeup test.
Misconduct: 14548 votes (87.92%)
Not Misconduct: 1648 votes (9.96%)
No Sure: 350 votes (2.12%)
Total Votes: 16546
Student H rewords a paragraph from their lecture notes without referencing it, thinking their professor will know where it came from.
Misconduct: 15382 votes (93.8%)
Not Misconduct: 693 votes (4.23%)
Not Sure: 323 votes (1.97%)
Total Votes: 16398
Student J’s lab report was damaged, and so they alter their lab data to complete an assignment.
Misconduct: 15913 votes (95.96%)
Not Misconduct: 418 votes (2.52%)
Not Sure: 252 votes (1.52%)
Total Votes: 16583

Activity 2 - Spot Your Inner Dialogue

When it comes to completing your coursework with integrity, your inner dialogue may be challenging. The temptation to rationalize minor acts of misconduct can be compelling, especially when pressed for time. Some thoughts might lead to taking questionable shortcuts which might, in turn, compromise integrity. In the activity below, identify the negative thoughts that might compromise academic integrity and the positive thoughts that uphold academic integrity.

Dig a Little Deeper

If you have time: 

Review the Turnitin Plagiarism Spectrum to become even more familiar with the most common pitfalls (practices that could lead to misconduct).

The University of Waterloo offers more scenarios to explore. To hone your academic integrity skills, consider the breach of academic integrity associated with each situation.

The University of Toronto lists common academic misconduct pitfalls. Click on the links to discover the strategies recommended for how to avoid each pitfall.

1. The Expert Panel on Research Integrity, Honesty, Accountability and Trust: Fostering Research integrity in Canada. Ottawa: Council of Canadian Academics, 2010, p46.

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