Academic Integrity Issue in the Modern Educational System - Assignment Example

Academic integrity journal Case Reading s The Syracuse academic integrity and policy procedure is organized into five sections, namely; educational strategies, policy, procedures, communication and records and Academic integrity office. The AI policy outlines the need for academic integrity in the use of sources (Syracuse University, 2011). The failure to acknowledge someone else’s ideas, language, information, or original material constitutes plagiarism (Syracuse University, 2011). An example of plagiarism can be when a paper contains part or all of the writings of another person without citation. Academic dishonesty implies intentional deception in the instance where a student may cite long passages from a book without acknowledgement knowingly (Syracuse University, 2011). The policy defines academic negligence as careless or mistaken academic work that otherwise appears to constitute academic negligence. It may occur out of an error such as editing resulting in a miscited source. The article titled ‘student’s perspectives on internet plagiarism’ by Dominic Sisti reflects on the rise of instances of internet plagiarism conducted by students are reportedly which continue unabated. To curtail this trend, it is vital to understand the reasons for internet plagiarism provided by students. Educators are encouraged to rethink traditional writing assignments and capitalize on students computing skills and creativity. Educators are also encouraged to require synthesis from students. Educators should also encourage group work to accomplish specific goals of a research project. Educators should also be positive in their attitude and accessible to students to help curtail internet plagiarism. The case titled ‘Iowa Supreme Court Attorney Disciplinary Board v. Peter Sean Cannon (No. 10-0520, October 15, 2010)’ raises the topic on attorney plagiarism. In the case, a judge from the lower courts noticed how attorney Peter Sean Cannon’s legal briefs were of unusually high quality. When he asked the attorney to substantiate that he was the author of the two briefs in question, the attorney responded by noting that he relied heavily upon another original article and he even admitted that his initial brief exceeded the permissible fair use without attestation. Attorney plagiarism can be conducted in briefs where lawyers copy published materials without attributing the main brief or its authors. Attorney plagiarism equates misrepresentation. Scenario Jennifer Jennifer is wrong. She is plagiarizing. Plagiarism constitutes the use of someone else’s ideas, language, information,or original material without acknowledging the source. In this instance, Jennifer’s portfolio paper contains the writings and opinions of other essayists whom she does not acknowledge. This could be seen as intentional plagiarism. Jennifer knowingly represents some of the essayists’ thoughts as her own without acknowledging them. This will constitute to a substantial proportion of her work having copied material from the work of other persons. If I were Jennifer, I would paraphrase and acknowledge the thoughts of the essayists’ I agree with in my work. I could also acknowledge the sources that I derived the thoughts from. Scenario- Google’s code of conduct Yes, I think the use of anonymous work like open source code without a copyright statement is plagiarizing. It is vital that one acknowledges the intellectual property of others even when they are unsure of the owner. When one intends to use anonymous work, they should thus seek to gain copyright statements to avoid plagiarism. The implication of plagiarism in Google organization can result to disciplinary action which may result to termination of employment. This case results to the Academic Integrity of Syracuse University Students as they both touch on the issues of integrity and observation of ethics in the works of the various communities/ audience it is addressing. The Google Case just like the Academic integrity of Syracuse University defines and explains its code of conduct to its employees, staff, users, and partners. It provides the implications of failure to adhere to the code of conduct in regard to the ethical behavior standard expected. Case 2 – ‘Collaboration and Plagiarism’ Reading notes Academic integrity involves a commitment to the values of trustworthiness, honesty, fairnesss, and respect. Academic integrity at Syracuse University is expected among students in regard to the use of sources, coursework and research, communications, and representations and materials misuse (Syracuse University, 2011). The policy notes that while it is expected that students should be responsible for knowing how to quote from, paraphrase, and cite sources correctly, advanced literacy skill is required for them to be able to apply information in all writing situations (Syracuse University, 2011). This skill is gained over tome through repeated practice. The instructor may determine whether a student has committed plagiarism or misused sources or simply has incurred bad writing. Factors such as prior academic integrity education at the university or program level of the student may help the instructor determine whether the student has committed plagiarism or misused sources. The instructor is also responsible for communicating their expectations in regard to the use and citation of sources (Syracuse University, 2011). Academic dishonesty implies intentional deception in the instance where a student may cite long passages from a book without acknowledgement knowingly. The policy defines academic negligence as careless or mistaken academic work that otherwise appears to constitute academic negligence. It may occur out of an error such as editing resulting in a miscited source. The excerpt from ‘The Harvard Guide to using Resources’ touches on using material from another student’s work. The excerpt highlights the importance of understanding the need on when to conduct independent writing or group authorship. Most often, in courses that requires collaborative work, it is vital to make personal arguments based on the student’s ideas and or give credit to the source of ideas if ideas are not personal. It is vital to cite ideas from particular students that emerge from class discussion or peer review exercise and provide one with a headlight in the assignment. It is also necessary to cite a professor’s ideas that emerge during lectures. The Harvard excerpt also cautions on avoiding reading a classmate’s paper for inspiration. In the event of peer reviews or workshops, students should be cautious not to use other students’ ideas in their paper. One must never use another student’s ideas as their thesis. But in the event where one uses another student’s idea as a counterargument, it is imperative that they give credit to the source of the idea. In the article titled ‘Friendship, fidelity and academic integrity’ by Gry Pavela, the author provides his own revised speech given to the incoming class of Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. The speech encourages students to commit to academic integrity as a commitment to truth which in-turn is the quality that allows friendship to last. The speech further encourages students to desist from peer-orientation and focus on building the structure of self. Scenario- Jack and Diane This is a case of academic dishonesty. It is a combination of both plagiarism and cheating. Jack commits plagiarism by using Diane’s concepts to formulate his paper. From the case, Jack not only words Diane’s work identically but also copies her outline. His paper contains the writing of a fellow student without citation. He does not acknowledge Diane in his paper too. The collaboration between Jack and Diane is also tantamount to cheating. The two collaborate on an assignment that was handed out individually by Diane lending her work as an overview for Jack. Jack is in violation of AI policy. He commits dishonest plagiarism by knowingly presenting Diane’s work without acknowledging her as a source. Further, he engages Diane without advance authorization to produce the assignment wholly. Diane’s role in the violation is the assistance of committing plagiarism. She offers her work to Jack as an inspiration for his writing. She appears not to appreciate the value of Academic integrity highlighted in the AI policy. If I was Diane, I would assist Jack by asking him to state his version of events to the instructor in advance to enable him be given some time to work on the assignment. I could help him as a witness before the instructor. I could also ask the instructor if it is possible that I help him to complete the assignment on time. If I was Jack, I could use Diane’s paper to formulate some more concepts of my own. Second, I could also use some of her work and cite it appropriately. Further, I could use some of her concepts as a source of counterargument in my own paper and cite where appropriate. Case 3- Manipulating Data and fabrication Reading notes The AI policy outlines its academic integrity expectations in regard to coursework and research. The policy cautions against fabricating, falsifying, or misrepresenting data, results, and sources for papers or reports (Syracuse University, 2011). Such manipulation and fabrication of data is also not encouraged in clinical practice in the reporting of experiments, measurements, statistical analyses, tests, and or other studies never performed. One should also not manipulate or alter data of research to achieve a desired result. One should also not report selectively in a bid to deliberately suppress conflicting or unwanted data (Syracuse University, 2011). One should not engage in copying another student’s work. One should also not participate in unauthorized completion of assignments or examinations. Academic dishonesty implies intentional deception in the instance where a student may cite long passages from a book without acknowledgement knowingly (Syracuse University, 2011). The policy defines academic negligence as careless or mistaken academic work that otherwise appears to constitute academic negligence. It may occur out of an error such as editing resulting in a miscited source. In the article titled ‘ten ethical principles for college journalists’ by Gary Pavela, the author identifies ten ethical principles that should be observed by college journalists. The first is defining a set of values. Journalists should define and act on values designed to promote public understanding and civic participation. The second principle is for journalists to commit to telling the truth to promote moral indignation. The third is respecting human dignity where they should be wary of the temptation to humiliate or embarrass other for the superficial aims of providing entertainment. The fourth principle is that journalists should recognize the complexity of human nature. Journalists need to consider human behavior in understanding human motivation. The fifth principle is for journalists to be distrustful of unchecked power. The sixth principle is for journalists to foster a diversity of views. By fostering diverse views, journalists enhance life. Seeking different views should be one of the highest priorities for journalists. The seventh principle is for journalists to challenge group mentality to evade intellectual laziness. The eight principle is for journalists to take time and reflect. Journalists need to take time to listen to encourage greater sharing of information and reduce the risks of herd mentality. The second final principle is for the journalists to encourage criticism and self-examination. Just like any profession, self-criticism improves journalism. The final principle is for journalists to openly correct serious mistakes. Scenario- Helping Henry the CEO The AI policy violation in this scenario is Academic integrity in regard to Academic dishonesty. Stacker is academically dishonest as he accepts that he cheated in several undergraduate courses in college. The potential consequences of hiring stacker who ‘beat the system’ is that he may end up maintaining his old ways and look for shortcuts or shortfalls to exploit within Henry’s company. This might end up spoiling the reputation of Henry’s business as well as have potential civic and criminal action taken against him. I would recommend for Henry to hire Packer who appears to be integral ethically. Packer has a 3.4GPA but is ethically sound. The fact that he is academically integral may hold Henry’s business in good stead in the future. What this case tells about academic environments is the need for integrity to be observed by both the enforcers and users of the environment. The office charged with maintain integrity in academic environments should work to seal all loopholes within their systems that may encourage academic dishonesty. Students should also adhere to academic honesty when within academic environments to ensure that their futures are not impacted negatively. Scenario- Lucy’s story…missing in action The scenario provides the violation of academic integrity in coursework and research. Lucy’s report on the visit to the local cultural attraction site is falsified as she did not attend the tour. The violation is deception. Lucy falsifies a report knowingly as she did not attend the local cultural attraction tour. Her report is based on hearsay from fellow classmates and not factual observations of her own. If I were Lucy’s classmates and she asked for my help, I would ask her to first seek approval from the instructor and if the instructor agrees, I would let her in on the visit. Lucy should have seeked approval from the instructor on whether she could base her findings on what her classmates told her. If the instructor approved, she could then write her report based on her friends narratives and acknowledge them as sources in her write-up. Case 4- Fabrication and falsification Reading notes The AI policy also outlines the necessity of academic integrity in the context of misrepresentations and false misuse. Academic integrity is violated when one falsifies records, reports, or documents associated with the educational process (Syracuse University, 2011). One is also guilty of violation of academic integrity when misrepresenting one’s own or another’s identity in academic context. Misrepresentation of material facts or circumstances in relation to exams, papers, or other academic activities is also paramount to violation of academic integrity. The sale of papers, essays, or research for fraudulent use is also an academic integrity violation. Falsification or alteration of university records and the unauthorized use of University academic facilities or equipment, including computer accounts and files is also paramount to violation of academic integrity (Syracuse University, 2011). Other examples of representations and material misuse include the abuse of ideas, and preliminary data obtained during the process of editorial or peer review of work submitted to journals. The unauthorized mutilation or deliberate concealment of materials in university libraries, media, laboratories, or academic resource center equates violation of academic integrity (Syracuse University, 2011). Academic dishonesty implies intentional deception in the instance where a student may cite long passages from a book without acknowledgement knowingly. The policy defines academic negligence as careless or mistaken academic work that otherwise appears to constitute academic negligence. It may occur out of an error such as editing resulting in a miscited source. The article titled ‘Missing links in academic integrity: educational implications and future directions’ by Jason M. Stephens provides a comparative analysis of student’s beliefs and behaviors related to six analogous pairs of conventional and digital forms of academic cheating. The results from the study indicate that students tend to use conventional means much more often than digital means to copy homework, collaborate when not authorized, and copy from others during exams. These findings provide scientific and educational implications for discussion. From the findings, educators are provided with the following practical advice; engage, challenge, play fair, showcase character, and be role models to encourage academic honesty among students. Also discussed are strategies identified for reducing plagiarism and test cheating. The article recommends future research on academic cheating to encompass; beliefs about cheating, changing peer attitudes and behaviors, and academic and social-moral climates. Scenario- Taylor’s story Even though Taylor graduated, he commits an academic integrity violation by falsifying records, reports, or docments associated with the educational process. In his bid to impress potential employers, he falsifies his recommendation letter by misrepresenting his lecturer’s identity. The violation exists under the academic integrity expectation section in the context of representations and materials misuse. The possible sanctions are that the student may be sanctioned by the AIO to hear the alleged misconduct and secondly, the employer would be unlikely to employ him thereafter. The potential consequence of hiring an applicant with the reputation of a false letter of recommendation is that there may be a lack of trust from co-workers and customers within the business. The HR department may be deemed as unethical having hired such an applicant and it may raise serious integrity issues within the business. This scenario pinpoints the need for integrity to be maintained and observed outside the academic environment. Graduates should strive to adhere to integrity outside the academic environment as it has an impact on their future endeavors. Integrity outside the academic environment should also be observed and reported by other parties such as employers who will contribute to the overall creation of an integrity filled society. Case 5- Integrity, Plagiarism, and the Internet Reading notes The AI policy outlines the need for academic integrity in the use of sources. The failure to acknowledge someone else’s ideas, language, information, or original material constitutes plagiarism (Syracuse University, 2011). An example of plagiarism can be when a paper contains part or all of the writings of another person without citation. Academic dishonesty implies intentional deception in the instance where a student may cite long passages from a book without acknowledgement knowingly (Syracuse University, 2011). The policy defines academic negligence as careless or mistaken academic work that otherwise appears to constitute academic negligence. It may occur out of an error such as editing resulting in a miscited source. The Harvard commencement speech by Alan Greenspan highlights the need for one to carve their success out of their own endeavor without leaving a trail of causalities along the way. Greenspan speaks of his pride in achieving success through honest dealings and a view of give and take. He notes that having a reputation for fair dealing is a profoundly practical virtue. The article titled ‘student’s perspectives on internet plagiarism’ by Dominic Sisti reflects on the rise of instances of internet plagiarism conducted by students are reportedly which continue unabated. To curtail this trend, it is vital to understand the reasons for internet plagiarism provided by students. Educators are encouraged to rethink traditional writing assignments and capitalize on students computing skills and creativity. Educators are also encouraged to require synthesis from students. Educators should also encourage group work to accomplish specific goals of a research project. Educators should also be positive in their attitude and accessible to students to help curtail internet plagiarism. Scenario- Humanities student The AI policy violation in this case is plagiarism. There is violation of academic integrity in the use of sources where the student has copied wholly or partially from websites without acknowledging sources or their authors. Part of the student’s work is also downloaded from a paper mill. The student was academically dishonest. The student copies or cites long passages in his assignments from websites knowingly without acknowledging the sources. The student even downloads the assignments from paper mills showing that he does not conduct original work. Yes I have noticed websites of paper mills. I think they are both a good and bad thing. They are good thing as some can assist one in coming up with concepts in regard to their assignments. However, they also encourage laziness and encourage plagiarism among students who entirely base their assignments on them. Yes, I have signed such a document stating my understanding of Academic Integrity policy. Now, I am thinking of the possible punitive consequences that the humanities student is likely to face ranging from re-doing all the assignments to getting expelled out of school. Scenario- Lee Citing ‘internet’ as the source is not sufficient. The internet is vast and contains different information ranging on multiple topics. Lee would be better of citing his source’s web address, date, year, and month of publication. This is a case of poor form of using sources. Lee acknowledges in his sources that he has employed the internet to arrive at his answers, and it thus seems that he may simply not know how to cite sources. This can also be interpreted as both a case of plagiarism or lack of it. Lee has plagiarized his work by not properly acknowledging his sources through poor citation. However, it can also be judged that Lee does not know how to cite sources and requires some guidance as he honestly acknowledges to have used the internet in his sources but does not properly cite the internet sites. Reference University, S. (2011). ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. 1-27. Read More