Academic Integrity course gets a makeover
Completing the Academic Integrity modules is required for students to graduate, and participation is encouraged within their first year of study.
A new Academic Integrity Course was launched for our students in 2023, starting with the Summer School cohort. This course is an updated version of the 2013 edition and is mandatory for all new students at the University of Auckland.
The course has been developed with the aim of strengthening students’ comprehension of the values, abilities, and procedures required to “achieve with integrity” in their academic and professional lives. Upon completion of the course, students will gain an understanding of how to consistently conduct themselves in accordance with these values to attain success with integrity.
Visit the new Academic Integrity course.
The University’s Academic Integrity course adopts an educational approach and integrates resources and scenarios to assist students’ understanding and explain their rights and responsibilities as a student. The course also incorporates a set of values inspired by te ao Māori (the Māori world view) to complement the course’s teachings.
The Academic Integrity course is structured around five relevant key themes, including:
- What are academic integrity values and why are they so important?
- When is it appropriate to seek third party assistance?
- Referencing: How do we properly acknowledge our sources?
- Effective group work is ethical collaboration.
- When is it appropriate to seek third party assistance?
- Copyright: Do we have the right to copy it?
- Research integrity: How do we conduct research and report data ethically?
The Ranga Auaha Ako | Learning and Teaching Design Team adopted a “Design Thinking” methodology for their project. This approach is centred around people, is non-linear, fosters creativity, and involves an iterative process of understanding users. It questions assumptions, defines problems, and generates innovative solutions. Ranga Auaha Ako collaborated with both students and staff, academic and professional, to expand the scope of the redesign and incorporate the values of Academic Integrity, including: Tikanga1, Fairness, Mōhiotanga2, Whakapapa3, Whakamana4, and Responsibility.
We started with the students. We held in-depth interviews, focus groups, and made use of around 500 responses. They really brought their cultural reference points with them. One of the key things that came out was the need for authenticity and to place it in a wider context in their own lives, and not see it as just another box-ticking exercise.
Stephanie Reid, Ranga Auaha Ako | Learning and Teaching Design Team
Figure 1. Academic Integrity Values.
The preliminary feedback from over 1100 students who completed the course was positive, with many learners valuing the course’s easy to follow and informative approach and particularly appreciated the inclusion of te reo Māori.
Taking this feedback into consideration, the Ranga Auaha Ako project team is currently refining the course further. They are integrating additional interactive content such as videos and activities, as well as revamping some text-heavy sections.