Help Resource for Students

Online games offer an exciting and interactive way to learn about academic integrity and plagiarism. Instead of passively absorbing information, you actively participate in the learning process. Through gameplay, you can explore realistic scenarios, make choices, and witness the consequences of your actions, making the concepts more relatable and memorable.

In this game module, Captain Integrity (your friendly academic champion) has prepared six short games for you. These games allow you to apply your academic integrity knowledge in practical contexts. You can practise proper citation, paraphrasing, and detecting and avoiding plagiarism in these games.

All the games provide immediate feedback, allowing you to assess your performance and learn from your mistakes by reflection. This feedback helps you understand the consequences of ethical and unethical behaviours. It encourages self-reflection and empowers you to become more responsible and accountable for your academic work.

You can always check your performance by the scores you receive. In these games, points are earned based on your knowledge or performance. While playing, you can also focus on improving your abilities to achieve higher scores. In every game, you can get some points for correct answers; as motivation, you can get bonus points if you have more correct answers in a row. We hope this will encourage healthy competition and be the source of motivation, joy and pride for a number of your correct answers and significant learning progress.

After completing the module, you can generate a certificate which recognises your performance and overall scores. The certificate could be customised by entering your name and date so that you can share your achievements within your class or on social media.

The purpose of the game is to educate users on the concept of academic integrity to embed the idea in the user’s mind and make it easier for students to recall the importance of being ethical in every walk of life. The game is designed in a way to help different users navigate through the concepts based on where they stand in their learning journey. The game also focuses on real life instances and examples so users can correlate and shape their judgement in scenarios users find themselves in.

The most effective way to walk through the game is based on where you currently are in your learning journey. To gain utmost benefit and make the most of this educational opportunity, ideally follow the below process to move through the stages:

In this game, you must choose correct answers matching the questions. Be careful; the round will end prematurely once you make a mistake.

Scores:

• You will earn 20 marks for each correct choice.

In this game, your task is to review the students’ writing, compare it to the original text and suggest improvements so they will not be accused of plagiarism.

Scores:

• You will receive 20 base marks for getting the correct answer and +10 extra marks per correct question in a row.

How do the extra points work?

Getting a correct answer increases a combo value by 1.

1. Initially the combo value is 0.
2. If the player gets a question wrong, combo resets to 0

Scenario: base mark 20, extra mark 10.

• Question 1: correct answer -> get 20 marks. Combo is 1.
• Question 2: correct answer -> get 30 marks (20 + (1 * 10)). Then the combo increases by 1.
• Question 3: correct answer -> get 40 marks (20 + (2 * 10)). Then the combo increases by 1.
• Question 4: wrong answer ->  get 0 marks, combo resets to 0.
• Question 5: correct answer -> get 20 marks. Combo is 1.

Now you can try to be a teacher, who needs to decide whether the student plagiarised or not. You can see the original text and what the student wrote. Was it plagiarism – yes or no? Sometimes it is hard to decide, but in this game, you have to carefully watch the students’ writing and check if they keep all the referencing rules.

Scores:

• You will receive 20 base marks for getting the correct answer and +10 extra marks per correct question in a row.

This game is a simple crossword puzzle – learn about plagiarism and referencing by filling in all the correct letters. In this activity, you will practise understanding terms associated with academic integrity. If you are unsure what word should be filled in the text, you can always ask for assistance, and this feature will help you by eliminating the number of letters from which you should create the correct word.

Scores:

• You will receive 100 marks for getting an answer without using assistance
• You will receive 75 marks for getting an answer after using assistance once.
• You will receive 50 marks for getting an answer after using assistance twice.
• You will receive 25 marks for getting an answer after using assistance thrice.

Imagine you are a teacher who is suspected that your students behaved unethically during your classes. In this game, you will hear the justification for their actions, and it is your task to decide whether their actions were correct and whether you accept their actions or not.

Scores:

• You will receive 20 base marks for getting the correct answer and +10 extra marks per correct question in a row.

In this game, you have to match the description of plagiarism with the correct type. It doesn’t matter if you are unfamiliar with all the presented types. It is just a game! You will learn from your mistakes, and in the end, you will definitely master this game too!

Scores:

• You will receive 25 marks per correct match and 100 for all four correct matches.

According to the European Network for Academic Integrity (ENAI), it is “compliance with ethical and professional principles, standards, practices and consistent system of values, that serves as guidance for making decisions and taking actions in education, research and scholarship” (Tauginienė, et al., 2018).

• Academic integrity in university is a good way to gauge integrity in the workplace in the future
• Upholding integrity in academia allows for real learning to take place
• Knowledge of students can be assessed with accuracy and precision
• Commendable and good academic writing is backed with the morals of honesty, respect, trust and fairness

(adapted from TEQSA, 2023 and Lee, 2022)

Plagiarism has major ramifications not only on a student’s time at university but also throughout their career, owing to their inability to apply appropriate learning techniques (Festas, et al., 2022).

The main repercussions that come with plagiarising may include warnings and several types of academic penalties as well. Even when done on a smaller scale, plagiarism will always be perceived as a breach of academic integrity values, especially when the act is conducted intentionally. Penalties for plagiarism found in universities may involve grading the student a zero on the assessment. Depending on the severity, repetitiveness of the offence and other factors, the university may also choose to have a fail for the subject(s) or suspend the student’s activities for a certain period of time (Dawson & Overfield, 2006; Roberto, 2011)

Plagiarism has major ramifications not only on a student’s time at university but also throughout their career, owing to their inability to apply appropriate learning techniques (Festas, et al., 2022).

The main repercussions that come with plagiarising may include warnings and several types of academic penalties as well. Even when done on a smaller scale, plagiarism will always be perceived as a breach of academic integrity values, especially when the act is conducted intentionally. Penalties for plagiarism found in universities may involve grading the student a zero on the assessment. Depending on the severity, repetitiveness of the offence and other factors, the university may also choose to have a fail for the subject(s) or suspend the student’s activities for a certain period of time (Dawson & Overfield, 2006; Roberto, 2011)

• Adhering to responsible and ethical practices, such as avoiding plagiarism, is crucial in ensuring the submission of high-quality and authentic work. By taking the time to thoroughly research and develop in-depth knowledge in various subjects, you not only produce better work but also cultivate long-term learning skills.
• Embracing responsibility in academic and professional endeavours contributes to ongoing growth and learning. When you dedicate yourself to conducting thorough research and building a strong foundation of knowledge, you establish a solid framework for your future career development.
• Learning early on how to avoid plagiarism and respecting the work of others has long-term benefits. These lessons instil important values and principles that will positively impact your career trajectory. By practicing proper attribution and originality, you demonstrate integrity and professionalism, which can open doors to new opportunities and promote your professional reputation in the long run.

1. Understand your research topic really well.
2. Create an agenda/outline of areas to be covered at your end for initial direction.
3. Research and utilise relevant content as your inspiration to get started.
4. Keep citing and referencing on the go rather than after completion in the editing phase.
5. Build up on referred content using your creativity and ideas.
6. Re-read your content to make sure the flow matches your requirements.

1. Develop a comprehensive understanding of your research topic.
2. Establish a structured agenda or outline to guide your exploration of key areas.
3. Conduct thorough research and draw inspiration from relevant content to initiate your work.
4. Continuously cite and reference sources while progressing, rather than leaving it for the editing phase.
5. Incorporate your own creativity and ideas to expand upon the referenced content.
6. Review your work to ensure its coherence and alignment with your specific requirements.

1. Do I need to use any study material to ace the quiz?
   • The game is created so as to promote a creative way to learn and build your knowledge. This handbook can be referred to gain brief familiarity with concepts before you engage with the game.
2. Is there a specific time limit to play each segment?
   • This is not a time limit-based game. You can take as long as you need to pass every segment. However, the earlier you finish, the better as the time taken impacts the score.
3. Is this a level-based game?
   1. This is not a level-based game and can be attempted in any order.
4. Can I attempt the same stage again?
   • Yes, you will be able to attempt the same stage again and again while navigating through the game.
5. What is the best way to play the game?
   • We don’t require you to play according to a specific flow but would recommend you play based on your knowledge. If you’re a beginner and are looking for some additional guidance, please refer to the second segment of this handbook and use the “how to navigate through the game?” segment.

Anderson, M. S. and Steneck N. H. (2011) The problem of plagiarism. Urologic Oncology: Seminars and Original Investigations. 29(1), pp.90–94. Available Online. URL doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urolonc.2010.09.013 [Accessed 29 May 2023]

Bailey, J. (2019) 5 most common misconceptions students have about plagiarism. Turnitin. Available Online URL: https://www.turnitin.com/blog/5-most-common-misconceptions-students-have-about-plagiarism (Accessed: 28 May 2023).

Berlinck, R. (2011). The academic plagiarism and its punishments – a review. Rev. bras. Farmacogn. 21 (3). June 2011. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102-695X2011005000099  [Accessed 29 May 2023]

Dawson, M. M & Overfield, J. O. (2006) Plagiarism: Do Students Know What It Is?, Bioscience Education, 8:1, 1-15, DOI: 10.3108/beej.8.1

Tauginienė, L, Gaižauskaitė, I, Glendinning, I, Kravjar, J, Ojsteršek, M, Ribeiro, L, Odiņeca, T, Marino, F, Cosentino, M, Sivasubramaniam, S, Foltýnek, T. Glossary for Academic Integrity. ENAI Report 3G [online]: revised version, October 2018  [Accessed 7 June 2023]

Festas, I., Seixas, A. and Matos, A. (2022) Plagiarism as an academic literacy issue: the comprehension, writing and consulting strategies of Portuguese university students. Int J Educ Integr 18, 25 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40979-022-00119-8

International Center for Academic Integrity (2021). THE FUNDAMENTAL VALUES OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY. Third Edition. Available Online URL: https://academicintegrity.org/images/pdfs/20019_ICAI-Fundamental-Values_R12.pdf [Accessed 29 May 2023]

Lee, C. (2022). Why academic integrity is important to teaching and learning. [online] Turnitin.com. Available Online URL: https://www.turnitin.com/blog/why-academic-integrity-is-important-to-teaching-and-learning [Accessed 29 May 2023]

TEQSA (2023) Understanding Academic Integrity. Available Online. URL: https://www.teqsa.gov.au/students/understanding-academic-integrity/what-academic-integrity  [Accessed 29 May 2023]

Turnitin (2023). Plagiarism Spectrum 2.0. Available Online. URL https://www.turnitin.com/resources/plagiarism-spectrum-2-0 [Accessed 29 May 2023]

If you haven’t yet, why not give the game a go? UOW Age of Integrity is a fun learning tool that aims to promote a culture of learning with integrity. Let’s ignite integrity together!

Once you have played the game, perhaps you would review it for us using the ENAI Academic Integrity Game Evaluator and provide us with the feedback? If so, please visit here https://www.academicintegrity.eu/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/site.html

All the best!

To know more about this game and the project team that built it, please visit the game page here – https://www.academicintegrity.eu/wp/gamifying-academic-integrity-values-to-shape-students-into-future-responsible-citizens/

This project is funding by UOW Learning and Teaching Innovation Grants 2021-2022 and supported by European Network for Academic Integrity (ENAI).

This document has been conceptualised by Zeenath Reza Khan, and prepared by Priyanka Hemnani, Neha Hemnani and Veronika Krasnican, as research assistants to the GAIV project. The document has been edited by GAIV Project Team.

 To cite this document, please use the citation in APA style below:

 Khan, Z.R., Hemnani, P., Hemnani, N. and Krasnican, V. (2023). UOW Age of Integrity Help Resource for Students. User Manual Ver1,2023. Online. Available URL: https://www.academicintegrity.eu/wp/age-of-integrity-game-uow/

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