Importance of Academic Integrity in Higher Education and Developing a Game for Assignment 2

This report discusses the importance of academic integrity in higher education and the implications of academic misconduct. It also reflects on the steps taken and difficulties encountered while developing a game for Assignment 2. The report covers the subject of Further Academic Skills, Course Code: BMP3003, Course Name: BSc (Hons) Business Management with Foundation.

BSc (Hons) Business Management with Foundation
BMP3003
Further Academic Skills
Academic Integrity
Submitted by:
Name:
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Contents
Introduction 3
Section 1
Introduction of Academic Integrity
3
Importance of academic integrity in higher education 3
Implications of academic misconduct 4
Section 2
Reflect on the steps you have taken, and difficulties encountered in
producing the game for Assignment 2 5
Reflect on the skills you have learned this academic year and those
emphasized in producing your game 6
Conclusion 8
References 9

Introduction
Academic integrity is the commitment to and the act of honesty and moral behaviours in
academic setting (Academic Integrity, 2020). Academic integrity is the commitment to and
demonstration of ethical and moral behaviours in the classroom by a student. Crediting others
while exploiting their ideas and knowledge is extremely essential at the university level. But
rather said, other people's efforts must be recognized. This report will be divided into two sections
where section 1 will define academic integrity and its importance. And this section will also quote
information related to implication of academic misconduct. The section 2 of report will define the
steps which has been followed while creating a game and will outline the skills which has been
learned while producing the game. Therefore, with both the sections of the report will highlight
the importance of academic integrity at various level and how this can be avoided.
Section 1
Introduction of Academic Integrity
Academic integrity refers to the ethical policy and moral code of behaviours that must
be observed throughout class. Academic integrity is the approach which encourages people to
avoid cheating, plagiarism and other mediums of misconduct. Integrity is the core value
which strive a person to make right and ethical decisions through which they can avoid any
code of misconduct. Academic integrity is based on five core values which are- accuracy,
honesty, fairness, respect and responsibility (Pillars of Academic Integrity, 2021). Academic
integrity is the term which states the values which are essential for any academic work.
Furthermore, academic integrity is the act of being honest in studies and accepting full
responsibility for and crediting other people's work.
Importance of academic integrity in higher education
Academic integrity is the fundamental base for learning, teaching and research which
allows students and staff to create new ideas, knowledge and bring innovation to work while
respecting and acknowledging work of others.
For students
Academic integrity plays a crucial role for students as well as this will help them in
keeping the environment of class highly integrated. This will also help in spreading the value
of fair work and knowledge among students. The significance of academic integrity also

encourages students to be more cohesive and task oriented through which they can engage in
work by understanding the value of academic integrity. For a student, academic integrity
refers to making ethical decisions, asking questions and following instructions. This will also
bring opportunity of meeting success by avoiding bad consequences which can be faced due
to misconduct.
Therefore, if students do not follow the rules of academic integrity can face
challenges which can rise due to academic misconduct and will not be able to get into their
desired university.
For Universities
There are several factors which defines the significance of academic integrity for
universities and their environment. It is also important to follow all ethical standards and
code of conducts which helps them in building goodwill and ranking in the society which can
be met through institutional credibility (Amigud and et.al, 2017). Academic integrity is
important because it aids in the implementation of high academic standards, professional
practise, and assessment integrity, all of which will assist students acquire skills that will
have a significant influence on their future employability. The approach of students and staff
of university creates an impact on the image of institute. This also helps in creating consistent
and trustworthy brand image in the community and will also be helpful in creating high
standards.
Moreover, Universities are strict to protect students who are willing to give efforts of
hours of hard work which will be helpful in achieving degrees.
Implications of academic misconduct
Academic misconduct is the act when a person takes benefit for themselves without
giving the credit to others for the work which has been done by them. This involves taking
ownership of other students work and giving incorrect information which leads to breaking
the law of academic misconduct by plagiarism and from the work done of other students.
There are various sources of academic misconduct, these sources are explained below:
Plagiarism- Plagiarism is when you pass off someone else's work as your own
without giving them credit or recognizing the source. Plagiarism happens when students
replicate other students' work, allowing them to profit from others hard work while providing
no credit to the source and duplicating all given content (Bertram Gallant, 2017). Plagiarism
is a major worry and issue that many universities have had to deal with in the past, when

students complete projects by copying data and obtaining material from other students' work
and failing to give credit to the original source. Another type of academic misconduct
committed by students is failing to disclose the correct author's source. This has happened in
the past at a number of schools, resulting in students being expelled from university and
negatively impacting their career and employment chances.
Cheating- One of the most common kinds of academic misconduct is cheating. When
someone cheats on an exam or assignment, this is known as cheating. Paying someone else to
complete your assignment is an example of cheating (Bretag, 2016). This is common in
colleges, where some students may struggle to finish their tasks, leading them to assume that
cheating is the best option. As a consequence, some schools are prepared to help students
who are struggling with their assignments, while others choose to cheat.
Professional misconduct- Professional misconduct occurs when students act
professionally while in higher education and commit fraud, which is a violation of the code of
conduct. The goal of professional misbehavior is to help students realize the importance of
following the laws and regulations that may influence their employment possibilities after
graduation (Gottardello and Karabag, 2020). Another issue to consider is that professional
misconduct includes providing full responsibility and credit to the work of others. The final
point to consider is that professional misconduct might comprise assigning entire blame and
credit to others' work. Others may struggle to understand the professional misbehavior since
they do not believe in taking full responsibility for their job.
Section 2
Reflect on the steps you have taken, and difficulties encountered in
producing the game for Assignment 2
Steps
• Players may download the game from desktop computers and mobile phones; in the
case of desktop computers, students can download the game titled academic integrity
from Google search engines, while mobile users can get it from Google Play Store
(android users) and App Store (iOS users).
• Once the installation is complete, gamers may login using credentials such as their
name, phone number, and email address (whichever is preferable).

• After that, the player logs in and selects the game's time limit and number of
participants. They can also use social media sites like Facebook to communicate with
their acquaintances.
 There are two types of games available: puzzles and quizzes, and players must choose
one at a time.
• Press the start button to begin playing the game.
• Quizzes and puzzles feature a variety of questions that must be completed within the
time limit displayed on the screen; participants must stay on the same page or the
game will be forfeited.
• Players should guarantee that the game is played with the highest level of honesty and
integrity possible. It would be a live game in which participants could not cheat by
duplicating answers or stealing ideas from other sources; in such situations, the game
would be over and the players would lose.
• Each set will feature 25 questions, with the participants having to respond to all of the
correct answers. The victors will get scholarships and other interesting prizes.
• Players have the option to leave the game at any time.
• Don't forget to click the finish button once you've answered all of the questions.
Difficulties
There are several difficulties which has been faced while producing the game, some of the
challenges which has been encountered are listed below:
 The challenges I've encountered with my team have been a lack of knowledge of what
sort of game will be developed and how the game will be presented. This has been a
time-consuming process as to come on common grounds and select a single game
where whole team can agree has been a big task.
 One of the biggest challenges which has been faced while developing the game was to
adapt and implement academic integrity rules and principles through which we can
avoid misconduct. This has been an obstacle as to gather full knowledge regarding
academic integrity has created many barriers for developing the game.
Reflect on the skills you have learned this academic year and those
emphasized in producing your game
The skills which have been learned and enhanced during the academic year and
emphasized in producing the game are discussed below:

 Communication skills- While developing the game I was able to enhance my
communication skills as well. In this academic year, I practiced active listening and
public speaking which was the fundamental base of enhancing communication skills
(MacLeod and Eaton, 2020). While developing the game and the academic year, my
management of emotions, valuing feedback, focusing on nonverbal communication,
understanding others point of view, taking notes, asking questions are some of the
practices with supported in improving communication skills and strengthening them
to establish interpersonal relationships.
 Academic skills- This academic year has been one of the sources for improving
academic skills which has been done through avoiding social media and through
understanding best learning style for oneself. While developing this game, academic
skills has been enhanced by making time for studies in daily routine, engaging oneself
in study groups through organizing lectures, by taking break for taking care of
oneself, and through finding good studying spots where positive mind set and
openness to grasp more knowledge and change can be adopted (Morris, 2016). The
skills have been enhanced while developing on the game which was helpful and
gathering more knowledge.
 Time management skills- In the academic year, the time management skills have
been enhanced by setting smart goals which can be short, medium or long term.
During development of the game, the major focus was on setting weekly priorities,
taking regular work, avoiding multitasking and it was helpful in enhancing time
management skills and avoiding deadlines by completing all work on time (Newton,
2016). By delegating tasks effectively, organizing productive meetings and engaging
oneself in experiments were some of the other sources of enhancing time management
skills and meeting all desired objectives within the planned time frame.
 Development and planning skills- The development and planning skills were
enhanced by continuous trying and through recognizing strength and weakness of
oneself. While creating a game, planning skills were enhanced by setting deadlines,
prioritizing work and taking actions in order to meet all objectives for the desired span
of time. By organizing, solving problems, by identifying such complex interest,
creating layouts of whole full process supported in enhancing planning skills.
Through determining the objectives which needs to be achieved and when needs to be
achieved were some of the sources for enhancing planning in development skills in
order to meet all targets within the desired time frame.

 Researching skills- During the academic year, research has been one of the important
elements and researching skill have been enhanced by getting insight of the source
which have been used (Robinson and Glanzer, 2017). While creating a game, I
organized bookmarks and used web browsers accurately which was helpful in
enhancing researching skills and also supported in learning new advanced search
techniques.
 Team work skills- During the academic year and while creating the game, another
skill which was improved was teamwork ability. The skill was enhanced by creating
and maintaining a positive mindset while working with other fellows. Through
sharing enthusiasm, establishing team rules and purpose by managing time
effectively, clarifying roles and responsibilities of each individual within the team and
through identifying the goal and working towards the accomplishment of shared goal
these were some of the approaches of enhancing teamwork skills and abilities.
Conclusion
From the detailed analysis of study, it can be understood that academic integrity is a
fundamental value and is paramount to success of students. Academic integrity is essential
because it encourages students to be more honest, sincere, self-sufficient, and accountable in
their academic efforts. It is particularly critical for universities, since it has an impact on their
image and reputation. To prevent students from participating in academic misconduct, it is
important to teach them about academic ethics and integrity. It can be observed that academic
integrity brings out creative ideas and offers reliable information through which knowledge
can be enhanced. Academic integrity is based on five pillars which is also helpful in creating
strong brand image in the industry through which universities can maintain their competitive
position and their band name. It can be understood that there are various source of driving
misconduct and some of these sources are plagiarism, cheating and other sources.

References
Books and journals
Amigud, A and et.al., 2017. Using learning analytics for preserving academic
integrity. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning:
IRRODL. 18(5). pp.192-210.
Bertram Gallant, T., 2017. Academic integrity as a teaching & learning issue: From theory to
practice. Theory Into Practice. 56(2). pp.88-94.
Bretag, T. ed., 2016. Handbook of academic integrity. Springer Singapore.
Gottardello, D. and Karabag, S. F., 2020. Ideal and actual roles of university professors in
academic integrity management: a comparative study. Studies in Higher Education.
pp.1-19.
MacLeod, P. D. and Eaton, S. E., 2020. The paradox of faculty attitudes toward student
violations of academic integrity. Journal of Academic Ethics. 18(4). pp.347-362.
Morris, E. J., 2016. Academic integrity: A teaching and learning approach. Handbook of
academic integrity. pp.1037-1053.
Newton, P., 2016. Academic integrity: A quantitative study of confidence and understanding
in students at the start of their higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher
Education. 41(3). pp.482-497.
Robinson, J. A. and Glanzer, P. L., 2017. Building a culture of academic integrity: What
students perceive and need. College Student Journal. 51(2). pp.209-221.
Online
Academic Integrity, 2020: [Online]. Available through
<https://writingcenter.unc.edu/esl/resources/academic-integrity/>
Pillars of Academic Integrity, 2021: [Online]. Available through
<https://www.unl.edu/gradstudies/connections/five-pillars-academic-integrity >