Academic Integrity
Online Learning Tips
Netiquette Guidelines

academic integrity word cloud

Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner. Both students and instructors are expected to obey rules of honest scholarship.

Academic misconduct--cheating--is not just "against the rules." It violates the assumptions at the heart of all learning. It destroys the mutual trust and respect that should exist between student and professor. It is unfair to students who earn their grades honestly.

Upholding academic integrity means:

Developing and conveying your own ideas in course work;
Identifying all sources of information;
Acknowledging collaboration when assignments aren't completed independently;
Accurately reporting results when conducting your own research or with respect to labs;
Honesty during quizzes and exams.

For more information please visit our academic policies web page

AI Policy:

The use of AI is a new development in education and we are all working to understand how to best incorporate it. For this class, you are encouraged to use AI tools to help you brainstorm, outline, or refine your phrasing. However, written discussions in the class exist to help you learn how to synthesize ideas and construct arguments. To use AI to generate a discussion response from start to finish, I believe, robs you of much of the important learning you have come to college to acquire. To this end, I am adopting a policy on AI based on the work of students and faculty at Boston University (https://www.bu.edu/cds-faculty/culture-community/gaia-policy/#:~:text=Students%20shall&text=Not%20use%20AI%20tools%20during,work%20is%20not%20mistakenly%20flagged.).

Please adhere to the responsibilities and requirements listed and I will do the same.

Students shall:

Read all assigned materials independently on their own, using AI generated summaries only to enhance understanding, not to replace reading.
Give credit to AI tools whenever used, even if only to generate ideas rather than usable text or illustrations.
When using AI tools on assignments, add an appendix showing (a) the entire exchange, highlighting the most relevant sections; (b) a description of precisely which AI tools were used (e.g. ChatGPT private subscription version or DALL-E free version), (c) an explanation of how the AI tools were used (e.g. to generate ideas, turns of phrase, elements of text, long stretches of text, lines of argument, pieces of evidence, maps of conceptual territory, illustrations of key concepts, etc.); (d) an account of why AI tools were used (e.g. to save time, to surmount writer’s block, to stimulate thinking, to handle mounting stress, to clarify prose, to translate text, to experiment for fun, etc.). For a discussion post, simply create a link to a google drive file with this dialogue in it (accessible to anyone with the link, without a sign on) and share the link at the bottom of your discussion post.
Not use AI tools during in-class examinations, or assignments, unless explicitly permitted and instructed.
Employ AI detection tools and originality checks prior to submission, ensuring that their submitted work is not mistakenly flagged. Note that the instructor will use GPTZero / Turnitin / or like detection tools to evaluate submissions that do not appear to be original student work.
Use AI tools wisely and intelligently, aiming to deepen understanding of subject matter and to support learning.

Instructors shall

Seek to understand how AI tools work, including their strengths and weaknesses, to optimize their value for student learning.
Treat work by students who declare no use of AI tools as the baseline for grading.
Use a more difficult standard for students who declare use of AI tools, depending on how extensive the usage, while also rewarding creativity, critical nuance, and the correction of inaccuracies or superficial interpretations in response to suggestions made by AI tools.
Employ AI detection tools to evaluate the degree to which AI tools have likely been employed.
Impose a significant penalty for low-energy or unreflective reuse of material generated by AI tools and assigning zero points for merely reproducing the output from AI tools.

computer mouse on book

Taking an online course is different than going to a classroom, and to be successful you'll need to strengthen skills like working independently, budgeting your time and staying organized.

Here are 5 basic tips to help you make the most of your time online:

Set a weekly study schedule - and stick to it. Completing the reading, discussion posts and assignments in an online class can be challenging, especially when you're juggling multiple responsibilities. It's no coincidence that one study found that 79% of students identified time management as critical to their online success.
Create a study space. Finding a space to work where you won’t be disturbed and can set up (at your house, in the library or wherever works for you) will help you stay focused and keep your study materials organized.
Get started on readings and assignments early. Students often say the "need the pressure" of waiting until the last minute, but the truth is procrastinating causes unnecessary stress and leads to less-than-quality work.
Communicate regularly with your instructor. Besides getting your questions answered, establishing a working relationship with your instructor is essential for expanding your professional network and developing a list of references you can use for career purposes. (Your instructor really does want to help you!)
Engage with your classmates.
Taking an online course should be more than sitting in front of a computer — real engagement involves becoming a part of the community of learners.

Taking an online course should be more than sitting in front of a computer — real engagement involves becoming a part of the community of learners.

Building a few supportive relationships with my classmates is critical because as an online student, it would be easy to miss the camaraderie that often exists in a traditional classroom. That same camaraderie online motivates and keeps me engaged in classes.
You'll increase your chances of online success if you don't feel like a solo student doing homework online. Building even a few supportive connections with classmates will help you be more engaged, develop positive attitudes towards the class, and makes the environment feel safer for sharing.

Resources:

OEI Student Success Resources

8-Minute Exercise that Helps Online Learning Success

Network + etiquette = netiquette

"Netiquette" is network etiquette, the do's and don'ts of online communication. Netiquette covers both common courtesy online and the informal "rules of the road" of cyberspace.

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