Introduction: Academic Integrity Orientation

Even if you’re familiar with general violations of academic integrity (such as plagiarism and copying), things can, and do, get complicated. This module will provide a basic definition of academic integrity and explain how to avoid plagiarism, cheating, and other academic integrity violations.

Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

✅ Define academic integrity
✅ List reasons for adhering to principles of academic integrity
✅ Describe ways to avoid plagiarism
✅ Identify behaviors that are considered intentional copying
✅ List ways to avoid academic integrity violations when collaborating in groups
✅ Identify examples of unauthorized study aids
✅ Outline the procedure and consequences of academic integrity violations

Learning Objective

This orientation is organized into a two-part learning module. The first part is the course and the second part is the quiz. The course is made up of several pages of training information for students to review and study. Once students have completed the course pages, there is a quiz at the end. Students need to score an 80% or higher on the quiz to successfully complete the orientation.

Enter the Student Academic Integrity Orientation

Students complete this orientation and quiz to complete the course.
Begin Course

What is Academic Integrity?

This section will review the Penn State definition of academic integrity and explain why you should adhere to this policy. Upon completion of this section, you should be able to:

Define academic integrity
Define an academic integrity violation
List at least two reasons for adhering to principles of academic integrity

To being please watch the following video.

Continue to the next section
Penn State Definition

Penn State Definition

Each school, college, and university has their own definition of "academic integrity." Penn State's definition is below. It is likely that you have heard the term "academic integrity" before, but if you haven't, the Penn State definition as stated by University Policy section 49-20 is:

"Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest, responsible manner."

At Penn State, academic integrity is a basic guiding principle, and students are expected to act with integrity. Penn State also has a definition for an academic integrity violation:

"An academic integrity violation is an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically."

To avoid violating unintentionally, make sure you understand course policies and academic integrity.

Continue to the next section
Why adhere to this principle?

Why adhere to this principle?

Academic integrity extends beyond Penn State.

Students want a level playing field so that they have a fair opportunity to do as well as their peers.
Research shows that dishonesty in college carries over to workplace dishonesty (see Mulisa & Ebessa, 2021).
Employers recognize that "integrity in the workplace affects decision-making, interactions with colleagues, and dealings with customers and clients". (Indeed)
Penn State students who are unprepared for their jobs tarnish the reputation of the University and make it harder for other students to get jobs.
In a world flooded with generative technologies, authenticity and advanced knowledge, skills, and abilities can set you apart.
Grad schools, law schools, med schools, business schools, and other advanced degree programs want people who can succeed with integrity and without needing to use technological tools as a crutch.

In a world flooded with generative technologies, authenticity and advanced knowledge, skills, and abilities can set you apart.

Full citation: Mulisa, F., & Ebessa, A. D. (2021). The carryover effects of college dishonesty on the professional workplace dishonest behaviors: A systematic review. Cogent Education, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2021.1935408

Continue to the next section
Plagiarism