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Academic integrity in transition
Inducting students into RMIT's academic culture and academic integrity is an important part of the welcome we show our students. We aim to enhance a sense of belonging to the university and to academia in general. When students know what is expected of them and how to achieve it, they are more likely to feel engaged and confident in their learning. Some of the challenges experienced by international students, in particular, are highlighted in the following quote.
That is not much stressed in our country, and we believe that if you quote somebody who has already done the work and even if we repeat that person's words, we are actually honouring that person ... it was an idea which I struggled with for some some time ... we can't seem to understand why we have to reference each and every sentence.
— Umbreen, International Student Stories
Direct students to the Academic Integrity Awareness short course, in which they will learn to identify instances of academic integrity and academic misconduct, and where to find resources to help them develop appropriate academic behaviour.
Academic Integrity Awareness course (registration required)
The course takes about an hour to do. Students who pass the test will earn an RMIT Cred progress badge.
Make time in class to talk about plagiarism and how to avoid it. Be explicit about the style of referencing you require in the course guide and in your online classroom. Highlight your own use of referencing in your lectures. Direct students to the Study and Learning Centre, the Learning Lab and the Library for support.
Direct students to resources that help them learn to paraphrase.
Allow students to submit drafts, using programs such as Turnitin or Smarthinking, to evaluate their paraphrasing.
Smarthinking (login required)
(Please note: Each RMIT student has 4 hours of free tuition with Smarthinking)