One of the advantages of virtual learning is that students can have control of their education. But that also means that students have an added responsibility to be fair, be honest, and take command of their learning by doing the work themselves. Some students may try to take the easy way through school, which involves copying, plagiarizing, and cheating; and while it may make things easier in the short term, it certainly makes things more challenging in the long run.
What is Academic Integrity?
Academic integrity is a student’s commitment to remain honest and fair throughout their time at school. Ontario Virtual School, like other schools, has a strict academic integrity policy, which does not allow cheating or dishonest work. Students are reminded that they must complete the work on their own and properly cite any sources they use for research. They must also follow the rules for test-taking closely. But what exactly is considered dishonest work?
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is taking someone’s work and trying to pass it off as your own. Examples of this could be using sources from online or in books but not giving them proper credit, copying your answers from a friend, or using AI to generate responses. Many assignments, such as writing an essay for Grade 12 English ENG4U, will allow students to use outside sources to support their ideas; however, it’s imperative that students are paraphrasing (or using quotation marks on direct quotes) and citing their sources using APA, MLA, or Chicago formatting, depending on their teachers’ preferences. This way, proper credit is given to those who deserve it, and the teachers know which sources were used for research.
Cheating on Tests
Many courses at OVS require unit tests, such as the course Grade 12 Biology SBI4U. Tests (with the exception of final exams) are not supervised and rely on students to be honest. Unless otherwise specified, tests are strictly closed-book. This means that students are not allowed to refer to the lessons, textbook, or their notes during tests. Additionally, students are not allowed to use Google to look up answers or AI to generate responses. This type of dishonest behaviour is strongly discouraged and can be quite serious if found out.
How Does OVS Prevent Academic Dishonesty?
There are many steps that teachers at OVS take to prevent plagiarism and cheating from going unnoticed.
- Software to check for plagiarism and AI
- Ensure students are citing their sources
- Noting if the work doesn’t sound like that student’s
- sudden drastic improvement
- language is far above grade-level
- two students’ work have similar answers
- Not accepting late tests
- Requiring a proctor for the final exam
What Happens if a Student is Dishonest?
In the unfortunate situation where a student is dishonest, there are a number of immediate and long-term consequences that may happen. Questions that were plagiarized on tests will lose marks, and the entire test or assignment may receive a zero. The student will be given a strict warning the first time there is evidence of cheating, and there will be parental involvement if the student is under 18. There will also be a note put on the student’s file to alert the office and other OVS teachers that this student has cheated in the past. If the student makes a habit of academic dishonesty, they are very likely to fail the final exam and may therefore fail the course.
However, the most significant impact will be the student’s lack of learning. If they are cheating throughout the course, they will not retain the content of the course, which could severely impact their future courses, especially if they continue their studies in college or university. Similarly, if the course will be used in the workplace, they may find themselves wholly unprepared for a job. Many students feel pressure to get good grades so they can be accepted into a good college or university; however, if they are getting accepted based on grades that they did not rightfully earn, they may be taking a spot from someone who actually deserves it. Many universities, like Trent University, have an academic integrity policy posted on their website. Cheating and plagiarism is taking very seriously in post-secondary school, so if the bad behaviour continues from high school, the student may face suspension or expulsion.
Conclusion
The takeaway is that cheating may seem like a short-cut, but in the long-term it causes more hardship than it helped to alleviate. One of the challenges of online high school is remembering to be fair and honest with all the work you submit. Success takes dedication and hard work. The teachers at OVS are always there to support students so they can be successful. If you are struggling and need support, you can also reach out to the OVS guidance team. The OVS team is here to support your learning journey, the right way!
Written by Michelle E Miller (OVS Teacher)