Instructors play a pivotal role in educating their students on the fundamentals of academic integrity and guiding them to the appropriate resources and supports.
- Make a clear announcement on whether you permit the use of Generative AI tools in the classroom. See below or the AI Toolkit for sample syllabus statements.
- Go over the implications of tutoring services and unauthorized aids (e.g., Speed-Up Edu, group chats etc.)
- Encourage your students to read the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters.
- Emphasize that students are responsible for what they submit and that “I didn’t know” is not an excuse.
- Clearly define the different types of academic offences that may be present in your course and provide examples.
- Clarify assessment instructions and clearly outline all permitted aids. Emphasize that the permissions for aids in one test or assignment may not apply to another. For example, while a programmable calculator might be allowed in one course, it may not be in another.
- Clarify what “common knowledge” is in your course and provide examples of what would and would not require a reference.
- Encourage students to access UofT academic supports such as:
- Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre - Pro Tip: The RGASC has created student-facing modules to promote academic integrity that instructors can import directly into their course’s Quercus page.
- Writing at the University of Toronto
- UTM's Library Reference and Research Desk
- Math Learning Centre
- Avoid reusing test/exams and similar assignments over various courses. Make it clear to students that they must obtain your permission before resubmitting any work previously submitted for another assignment or course.
- Practice final exam protocols during course midterms and tests.
- Require students to place all electronic devices (e.g., cell phones, pagers, smartwatches) either at the designated area in the classroom or securely in a clear, sealable plastic bag.
- Clearly explain the consequences of failing to follow these rules.
- Stress that starting an exam or test before the official start time or continuing to write after the allotted end time constitutes an academic offence.
Artificial Intelligence
Need assistance navigating Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in the classroom? Listed below are strategies to follow when addressing GenAI in your syllabus, through your assessment design and when managing your courses.
- Clearly delineate when peer collaboration is acceptable. Based on in-class experiences (e.g., labs, group work), students may have the impression that collaboration is permitted when completing equivalent assessments in a remote environment. Always make expectations for assessment completion clear.
- Monitor relevant online resources. Instructors must anticipate that their assessment questions will be posted to third-party websites (Easy Edu, Chegg, etc.) and shared over social media. Instructors are encouraged to include copyright statements in their syllabi and bring copyright claims against websites hosting their course materials.
- Be mindful of student stress levels and amenable to accommodations. Students registered with Accessibility Services may require accommodations (e.g., additional time or multiple breaks) that can be challenging to implement in remote assessments. Instructors may contact Accessibility Services in advance (access.utm@utoronto.ca) and request assistance. Further information and advice on tests and other topics can be found here.
- Open-book assessments do not necessarily prevent academic offenses, but instead can create the (mis)perception that it is fair to consult resources available online. Instructors must be explicit about what is allowed in assessments and advise students on the risks of engaging with unauthorized aids.
- Adjusting the difficulty of an open-book assessment is not a solution. Academic offenses have occurred when questions were both too easy (and “Google-able”) and too hard. On the other hand, increasing the difficulty simply to decrease easy searches may punish students who try to complete the assessment honestly and may drive them to use unauthorized aids, especially if they feel that their peers are also using such aids.
- Randomization and versioning may help to reduce (and to identify) academic offenses but can be circumvented. Some cases involved students submitting answers to other versions of assessments, revealing that they had communicated with their peers (via, e.g., WhatsApp or Facebook) during the assessment period.
- Essay-like questions seem to result in fewer academic offenses; however, plagiarism is easier in a remote environment for essay tests. Cases include examples of copied and pasted answers from a variety of sources, including class lecture slides. Please be aware that Turnitin is only integrated with Quercus Assignments and not with Quercus Quizzes.
- Control the time that students have to complete assessments. A too-generous time window creates more opportunity for the assessment to be shared and circulated. It is a deterrent if the time it takes to communicate with peers or search for solutions online risks having sufficient time to complete the assessment.
- Use strategies in Quercus Quiz features to support academic integrity, as appropriate
.For example, break assessments into distinct time-limited parts with no returning to the previous part; this also allows for breaks to be inserted into long tests/exams; for example, two 50-minute sections separated by a 10-minute break. Set a time limit for Quercus Quizzes, only allow 1 attempt, and do not let students see their responses until after everyone has completed the quiz.
- Promote a culture of academic integrity from the beginning of the course. Instructors can set expectations around remote assessments and help students understand the importance of academic integrity for their own learning experience. Instructors can remind students about, and ask them to commit to, academic integrity guidelines by having the first question on the test consist of an academic integrity agreement. Having students collaborate on writing a student code of behaviour has also been employed.
- Consult the Teaching & Learning Collaboration and the UTM Library Quercus team webpages for assistance with remote assessments. Some resources include Instructional Technology Tools to Support Engagement and Community, Comprehensive Inclusivity and Inclusion Check, and Creating Pedagogically Comprehensive Exams for Online Delivery.
Centre For Teaching Support & Innovation
Learn more about your responsibilities as an instructor by visiting the University of Toronto's Centre for Teaching Support and Innovation page.
Generative Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom
Visit the Office of the Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education website for direct information regarding ChatGPT and Generative AI in the Classroom.