Fostering academic integrity
Even though Victoria University of Wellington's statement on academic integrity clearly outlines the University's expectations, some students find it difficult to apply the guidelines in practice. Avoiding plagiarism is more than simply knowing how to format references. Effectively paraphrasing and synthesising material from secondary sources are complex skills, which take time to fully acquire.
Our learning advisers can work with you to help your students develop the necessary critical thinking skills and the finer points of referencing styles by:
- being available for individual appointments to discuss draft assignments, in order to ensure students are making appropriate use of resources
- offering regular workshops on topics such as essay writing and effective reading
- running undergraduate and postgraduates workshops on critical thinking
- offering PALS seminars on topics such as critical thinking and reading, summarising and paraphrasing, and academic integrity and referencing skills
- providing handouts and online resources on referencing styles, APA style, and avoiding plagiarism
- providing customised sessions to address your students' specific writing needs
- collaborating with you to develop assignment tasks that make plagiarism less likely. For example, an assignment topic asking students to 'outline examples of x' makes it all too tempting to simply copy directly from a text or website, whereas 'apply examples of x to your own experience' not only discourages plagiarism, it actively encourages critical thinking at the same time.
Contact
Assistant Manager, Student Learning · Peer-Assisted Study Programme coordinator
Student Learning · Te Taiako