Academic Integrity for Students

The Conference Board of Canada (2020) specifies working with others on projects and tasks as part of its employability skills list. Group projects, tasks, and assignments can be a good way to help students develop these skills. However, misunderstandings have arisen with who is able to work together, and how or if they can do so.

According to Assiniboine's Policy A25, in general, collaboration means working together when allowed, supposed, or directed to do so.

Examples

• group members completing projects together, assigned by their instructors
• students forming study groups to prepare for tests or exams

In Assiniboine's Policy A25, collusion is defined as "...students working with other students when not directed or allowed to do so by their instructor, in order to complete an assessment in whole or in part," (Assiniboine College, 2023).

Simply put, collusion means working together when not allowed, supposed to, or directed to do so.  This is the opposite of collaboration.

Policy A25 Collusion Examples

Examples of collusion include, but are not limited to:

• "Working with another student on a small portion of a homework assignment when such work is prohibited.
• Receiving assistance from other students, such as research, statistical, computer programming, or field data collection help that constitutes an essential element in the undertaking without acknowledging such assistance in an assignment.
• Colluding before a test or exam to develop methods of exchanging information and implementation thereof" (Assiniboine College, 2023).

The Learning Commons has compiled and delivered extensive research on ways to reduce academic misconduct, including collusion. Below is an abbreviated list. For further details, talk with your instructor or contact the library.

There are many ways for students to collaborate with integrity, including:

• discuss collaboration, collusion, and academic integrity with your instructor and classmates
• ask for clear guidelines around collaboration from your instructor
• ask for examples of what students can and should do in group work (Sutton & Taylor, 2011)
• collaborate only with classmates specified by your instructor, and only in the manner which your instructor specifies
• complete assessments which are assigned individually on your own
• ask for help from Assiniboine support staff, including your Student Success Advisor, the Learning Curve, and the Library