Overview
This lecture explains what constitutes cheating in college assignments, the importance of integrity, and how to avoid academic misconduct by making appropriate choices regarding tools and materials.
Understanding Cheating: Tools and Materials
- Cheating involves using tools or materials that are inappropriate, unacknowledged, or prohibited.
- Inappropriate materials do not meet the professor’s expectations (e.g., using a friend’s blog instead of scholarly research).
- Unacknowledged materials involve not giving credit to the original author (plagiarism).
- Prohibited materials are specifically restricted or forbidden by the professor, and rules can vary between courses.
Student Choices and Actions
- Cheating includes using or requesting tools or materials that are inappropriate, unacknowledged, or prohibited.
- Examples of cheating actions: using forbidden calculators, study notes, ChatGPT, or cell phones during assessments.
- It is also cheating to request or purchase prohibited materials from the internet or other students.
Academic Integrity and Support
- Living with integrity is essential for academic and career success.
- Seeking clarification from professors helps avoid unintentional cheating and supports understanding of academic expectations.
- College policies exist to guide students and prevent confusion about academic integrity.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Inappropriate Materials — resources that do not meet academic or professor’s expectations.
- Unacknowledged Materials / Plagiarism — using someone else’s work without proper credit.
- Prohibited Materials — resources explicitly restricted or forbidden by a professor.
- Cheating — using or requesting inappropriate, unacknowledged, or prohibited materials or tools.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Ask your professor if you are unsure about which materials or tools are allowed for an assignment.
- Review your college’s academic integrity policy for clarification.