Tools and Resources

Tips and Resources

• Always clarify with your instructors if and how you are allowed to use generative AI tools on your assignments.
• Always clearly indicate when and how you used generative AI tools on assignments. Here are instructions for how to do so:
  • MLA style
  • APA style
  • Chicago style
• You have access to tools like Grammarly and Microsoft Copilot through your mymacewan account. Learn how these tools function, and do not assume that you can use them on all assignments.
• When in doubt about whether you should use a generative AI tool, stop and think: “Am I demonstrating my mastery of the course material or would my instructor be evaluating AI output thinking I did the work?” It is unfair to expect to receive marks for work you did not do.
• Inappropriate use of generative AI tools on your assignments is considered academic misconduct and can have serious consequences.
• The MacEwan Library has created resources to help you navigate the ethical use of generative AI tools in your university work. Take advantage of them.

Student guide

This guide connects you with resources for developing critical-thinking competencies in connection with the use of AI tools and applications. The guide aims to help you further your understanding of generative AI tools and assist you with your critical and ethical decision-making surrounding their use.

Student AI guide

Become an expert on MacEwan University’s academic integrity policies and procedures with this tutorial.

Complete the course

Plagiarism is the use and submission of another’s words, ideas, results, work or processes without providing appropriate credit to the individual(s) responsible. This can be done intentionally, but is very often unintentional due to a lack of skill and knowledge related to proper citation.

The Academic Integrity policy states that plagiarism is one form of academic misconduct, and it can result in a range of penalties and sanctions.

What constitutes plagiarism?

Plagiarism is often misunderstood. It is not only the act of copying text word-for-word; plagiarism also occurs when:

• A student hands in work done wholly or in part by another person
• Portions of a submitted work are taken from another source without proper reference to that source
• A student paraphrases sections of another work without acknowledging the source
• Ideas in a work are borrowed, derived or developed from another source without reference to that source (for example, "checking a few internet sites for ideas")

How to avoid plagiarism

The simplest way to avoid plagiarism is to reference any sources properly (using both in-text, parenthetical citations in the body of your assignment and a "Works Cited" or "References" page at the end).

While it is commonplace in academia to build upon the knowledge of others, it is necessary to clearly state the sources and foundations of that knowledge. Referencing must conform to an accepted system of documentation (such as MLA or APA style).

Penalties and sanctions for plagiarism

Depending on severity, plagiarized work may receive a mark of zero. All instances of plagiarism, intentional or not, are recorded by the Academic Integrity Office. Repeat instances of plagiarism will result in additional sanctions, such as a grade reduction up to a grade of F in a course, a transcript notation indicating "academic discipline" or expulsion from the university.

If you have any questions about plagiarism, please consult your instructor, a reference librarian or the Academic Integrity Office.

Each instructor has expectations regarding the amount and kind of collaboration permitted for an assignment. There are many different degrees of collaboration. For instance, you may be:

• Expected to complete an assignment independently
• Asked to complete an experiment (lab) with a partner but write individual reports on the results
• Asked to submit one assignment on behalf of a group, with the same mark assigned to all students
• Required to participate in some other form of group work outlined by the instructor
• Permitted or not permitted to receive feedback on your work, have it proofread or copy edited by a peer, tutor or anyone else. This usually depends on what is being assessed.

The instructor is responsible for clearly stating expectations for each assignment. Within the same course, there may be several assignments, each with different expectations regarding collaboration. Or instructors in different classes may have different expectations for similar assignments. If you have any questions, please ask your instructor(s) for clarification.

Serious problems can occur when students do not follow instructions regarding collaboration. This is called “improper collaboration” or “inappropriate collaboration” and is a form of academic misconduct.

When an instructor requires you to work alone on an assignment or limits the amount of collaboration you can do, this is done for a specific purpose and is part of the learning process. Unless you are specifically told to work in a group or with a partner, assume any assignment is to be done individually.

As you work to complete an assignment or exam (or any type of learning assessment given to you by your Instructor) apply these four ethical tests:

Gut feeling: Do you feel, in your gut, that the action you are about to do is an ethical one?

Values test: Would honesty, respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, and/or fairness be upheld by your action?

Standards test: Would the action in the situation uphold the Student Academic Integrity Policy or the integrity standards described on this website?

Exposure test: Would you be okay if your action was exposed to the instructor, your parent(s), or the Academic Integrity Office? 

If the answer to any of these questions is "NO," then it might be an unethical choice and you should reconsider engaging in it.

Source: University of San Diego (4 ways to tell right from wrong)

MacEwan University’s library is a key source of information for students as they begin a research project, find and evaluate information and learn properly cite sources. Research librarians can help students at various stages of the research process, and the library website contains useful information on various aspects or research and citation.

Research basics

APA, MLA & more

Writing and learning consultants can teach students how to write for an academic audience and maintain academic integrity in writing projects, such as essays, research papers, letters and reports. Students learn to avoid plagiarism and to properly use APA, ASA, MLA and Chicago documentation styles to cite information correctly. The Writing Centre also provides tips for note taking, time management and writing exams. Services are provided at no cost.

Writing and learning services

Generative artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly entered the post-secondary education landscape, and universities are learning how to respond to the opportunities and challenges that its use poses. The content on generative AI that you find here and on other MacEwan websites will continue to be developed, so we encourage you to check back frequently.

Tips and resources

• Make your expectations regarding the use of generative AI tools clear and specific in your course outlines and on individual assignment instructions.
• Be aware that students have access to Grammarly and Microsoft Copilot through their mymacewan accounts. This means that unless you provide clear instructions, they may perceive the use of these tools as sanctioned by the University in all circumstances.
• At this time, MacEwan University does not endorse the use of generative AI detection tools due to their unreliability and built-in biases.

Faculty guide

For most instructional faculty members, the advent of generative AI tools means that assessment design and strategies must be revisited. The Centre for Teaching and Learning has created an excellent faculty guide for best practices, which includes sample course outline statements for different levels of allowable AI use on their website. 

Student guide

The MacEwan Library has created a guide for students, which is another good resource to link to on course outlines. 

Suspected violations

If you suspect student misconduct involving artificial intelligence, follow the existing procedure for Suspected Violations and complete an incident report if needed. Contact the Academic Integrity Office if you have further questions. 

AI as a tool in the classroom

For support in integrating artificial intelligence into your teaching, contact the Centre for Teaching and Learning.

Honesty pledges or personal accountability statements are an effective way to minimize academic misconduct. Accountability statements that address both values and rule compliance have been shown to be most effective.

Here is a sample (shared by the School of Business):

“You can use your class materials but you are not allowed to work with anyone in any manner in answering the questions on this exam. You are not allowed to disclose any aspect of this exam to any other person. Any action that constitutes an academic offence as described in university policy will be penalized. See the course syllabus for details. By starting this exam you are agreeing to the policies of this course, and those of the university, with respect to academic dishonesty. You are committing to uphold your personal and professional integrity, as well as the integrity of your instructor’s materials.”

And here is one shared by Randi Mewhort:

Student academic work undertaken at MacEwan University, individually and collectively:

1. Will adhere to the scholarly and intellectual standards of accurate attribution of sources, appropriate collection and use of data, and transparent acknowledgement of the contribution of others to their ideas, discoveries, interpretations, and conclusions (= scientific integrity among others).
2. Will not be the product of cheating on exams or problem sets, plagiarizing or misrepresenting the ideas or language of someone else as one’s own, falsification of data, or any other instance of academic misconduct such as giving or receiving aid in examinations.
3. Will not involve giving or receiving unpermitted aid in class work, in the preparation of written work, or in any other work that is to be used by the Instructor as the basis of grading.

Students will do their share to uphold the responsibilities for academic integrity and take an active part in seeing to it that others uphold those responsibilities.

Instructors will work to provide fair and just examinations and written work to evaluate students and will take usual and reasonable precautions to prevent the forms of misconduct mentioned above. Instructors will also avoid, as far as practicable, academic procedures that create temptations to violate academic integrity. MacEwan Instructors have a contractual obligation to formally address all suspected cases of academic misconduct. Consequences can range from a warning letter, to failing grade in the course, all the way to expulsion from the University.

While the University alone has the right and obligation to set academic requirements, students and Instructors will work together to establish optimal conditions for morally and academically responsible work. It is our goal to work together to have representative work submitted by you as a student that is evaluated in a fair, meaningful, and consistent way by your Instructors.

These two International Center for Academic Integrity webinars can answer your questions about e-proctoring. 

To e-proctor or not to e-proctor: That is the question.

E-proctoring discussion 2.0

The Centre for Teaching and Learning provides professional development sessions, engages in personalized consultations, and brings together dynamic learning communities. They also offer resources to help design impactful courses and advise on classroom and assessment practices that address the issue of Academic Integrity.

TEACHING AT MACEWAN