Where do you sit on a spectrum of experiences with academic dishonesty (1.not a problem -> 5 wearing me out). Be willing to share why you placed yourself there.
Academic Integrity is a commitment, even in the face of adversity, to six fundamental values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage.
1. Sharing Thoughts
Jack and Diane are both in business class. Toward the end of the semester, the assignment is to do an analysis of a business plan. The paper is due in a couple of days and due to a family emergency, followed by being in bed all weekend with the flu, Jack hasn't had a chance to work on the paper and is very stressed out. Diane feels badly for Jack and since she has finished her analysis, she offers to loan Jack a copy of her paper so he can look it over to get a sense of how she broke down the assignment and then structured her response, figuring that should help Jack not feel so overwhelmed and make the project manageable. Jack gratefully accepts the offer. Diane sends him her analysis in an e-mail attachment.
As Jack reads over Diane's paper, he agrees with the majority of Diane's analysis, but there are a few things that he would word a bit differently. Jack reasons that since he agrees with Diana's concepts, it would make more sense to make a full copy of Diane's paper and go through it line by line, changing the sentences to sound like him. Occasionally he adds a couple of sentences to expand on a thought. He then creates a cover sheet with only his name on it and turns it in.
As Prof. Mellencamp reads through the analysis, he is struck by the similarity between Jack and Diane's papers. In fact, when he compares them, he realizes that they are outlined identically, and in parts, they are worded identically. Even where the wording varies, the concepts are the same.
At which point does this become academic dishonesty?
How should the Professor approach this?
How would Diane explain her involvement?
2. Not so personal reflection
Sarah is a dedicated student in a Personal Trainer program. She has consistently maintained a high GPA, demonstrating her commitment and academic excellence. However, Sarah is currently facing significant challenges balancing her coursework with her part-time job and family responsibilities. These pressures have left her feeling overwhelmed and stressed.
As part of her program, Sarah is required to complete a personal reflection after each training session with her trainee. These reflections are meant to help her critically analyze her performance, identify areas for improvement, and document her learning journey. Despite their importance, these reflections are worth a small percentage of her overall grade.
After a particularly hectic week, Sarah forgot to complete her personal reflection following her last training session. Feeling the weight of her other responsibilities and believing the assignment’s low point value wouldn’t significantly impact her grade, Sarah decided to use ChatGPT to generate the reflection for her. She submitted the AI-generated reflection and moved on to her other tasks.
The next day, Sarah received a note from her instructor requesting a meeting to discuss a potential issue of academic misconduct. The instructor had noticed inconsistencies in the reflection that suggested it might not have been written by Sarah herself.
How would you approach the meeting from each persons' perspective?
How would you proceed as the instructor?
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