Academic Honesty: Independent vs. Collaborative Assignments
Learning to work independently, and with others (collaboratively) are both important lifelong skills. In general, school assignments will be directed to develop either individual working skills (independent) or the ability to work in a group (collaboratively). Teachers design assignments, projects and learning opportunities so that students have a rich experience in reaching their learning outcomes.
If a student cheats, they are robbing themselves of the chance to learn and truly understand. To use outside help or materials not allowed in an individual assignment or test is cheating. If a student is unclear about whether an assignment is an individual or a group assignment, it is their responsibility to ask their teacher. Cheating is a serious offense and parents are always contacted. Students will not be given credit towards reaching an outcome if they are caught cheating. Their teacher will work with students and parents to determine how to make amends and what the full consequences could be. Consequences can include re-doing a test/quiz, hosting a face-to-face meeting with parents, and receiving a zero in serious cases.
Examples of Cheating/Plagiarism include:
- Submitting someone else’s work as their own
- Submitting work that was finished by someone else
- Copying someone’s work (with or without permission)
- Allowing someone to copy work
- Over-dependence of French-English translation software and producing work in French that does not reflect the actual level of student independent language use
- Passing notes or getting information from another student during a test or quiz
- Passing notes or giving information to another student during a test or quiz
- Getting information from another student who has already written a test or quiz
- Not giving credit (referencing) to a source of information