Academic Integrity in Higher Education: Importance, Implications, and Skills Learned

This report covers the description and importance of academic integrity, implications of academic misconduct, and skills learned in producing a game related to academic integrity and plagiarism. It emphasizes the pillars of academic integrity, the importance of academic integrity in higher education, and the consequences of academic misconduct. The report also reflects on the steps taken and difficulties encountered in producing the game, and the skills learned in the process.

BSc (Hons) Business Management with
Foundation
BMP3003
Further Academic Skills
Academic Integrity

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................4
Section 1.....................................................................................................................................4
An Introduction including a description of Academic Integrity.......................................4
A discussion of the importance of academic integrity in higher education......................5
Discuss the implications of academic misconduct............................................................6
Section 2.....................................................................................................................................7
Reflect on the steps you have taken, and difficulties encountered in producing the game
for Project 2......................................................................................................................7
Reflect on the skills you have learned this academic year and those emphasized in
producing your game........................................................................................................8
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................9
References................................................................................................................................10

Introduction
Academic integrity is the approach of honesty, fairness, respect and responsibility. This
term is most important at university level where teachers and students expect honesty from each
other (Latopolski and Bertram Gallant, 2020). Or it can be understood as to give credit to the
those who have actual ideas as by using their ideas. Academic integrity is explained as
understanding the other's effort. This report will cover description and importance of academic
integrity, implications of academic misconduct. Report will further describe about difficulties
which are encountered during game production also includes skills which is learned during the
academic year and in producing the game.
Section 1
An Introduction including a description of Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is the ethical policy at academic level. It involves the practice of
being honest and fair for approaching anything. Academic integrity means there will be no
misconduct, cheating and plagiarism or any kind of misbehavior. Academic integrity at
university is described as moral values which must be followed by the student to maintain the
integrity of their university, it helps them to learn new things to enhance their knowledge. It
enables the student to contribute with others with honesty and dignity (Brown and Janssen,
2017). Academic integrity has pillars which are to be followed as trust, honesty, dignity, fairness,
respect, responsibility. These pillars of integrity help the student to develop knowledge and skills
in them also promote them to work with others to achieve their goals. Academic integrity is
achieved in university which can be shown as honesty in everything in grading, researching,
teaching etc otherwise it will consider as misbehavior activity.
Academic integrity can be shown in the behavior if any student faces problem in anything
then they should go to their teachers for resolving their problem if teacher approach them with
honesty then there will be a development of good harmony between them. Therefore, academic
integrity has to be achieved by approaching each other with dignity and honesty. Trust in
academic integrity is achieved by where all the students works best for their project and has
shown faith in each other as there is equally fair treatment to each one. Fairness is described as

teacher treat all the students equally which do not include favors and partial behavior. Honesty is
the key pillar in academic integrity as it reflects the fair behavior of individual. Respect allows
the individual to listen to other's opinion and to show respect to them. Therefore, in university
context teachers should also have to listen the opinions of students about projects, so they can
enhance or develop their knowledge and skills. Responsibility reflects as giving their equal
efforts in anything (Marsh and Campion, 2018).
For example if students have to complete their project then they have to work with honesty and
have faith in each other also have respect for each other which allows them to accomplish their
work.
A discussion of the importance of academic integrity in higher education
Academic integrity is important as it gives peace in state of mind. It promotes an
individual to work efficiently to achieve their goals. It is the behavior which reflects in individual
for others. For any university it is important for them to set the environment of academic
integrity (Eaton, 2021). As for the student they should have to rewarded when they achieve
something or also if any misbehavior has shown in student they can be applicable for the
punishment. Therefore, academic integrity can be reflected as punitive connotation. Academic
integrity helps the student to work hard on their projects to achieve their goals of success. It also
allows them to show dignity towards others as if they are using other's formula or idea then they
must have to credit their efforts. It helps them to develop good harmony between them or also
shows their faith in each other which gives them the chance to work with each other on another
project.
Academic integrity is important to condemn the dishonest misbehavior. As it saves the
image and reputation of individual in front of others by showing good and honest behavior.
Academic integrity in any school and university plays an important role to ensure that the student
is approaching their learning objectives to meet their goals and objectives. If student does not
pursue their course then it will give negative impact on them which will cause hurdle in their
future goals. Academic integrity also helps the student to achieve morals to be carried into their
further life. Academic integrity involves students only rewarded or credited when they complete
or mastered in their course, or they are not a part of any misbehavior activity. Students with
integrity works hard for their projects by giving extra efforts and time to complete their project.

If students cheat and show dishonest behavior so there will be compromising in their integrity
which also enables the university to take strict actions towards them. This misbehavior will
follow to them to their workplace and also affects their goals and objectives. Importance of
academic integrity in university allows student to show honesty in everything it does not allow
them to plagiarism other's work (Palombi, 2018).
Discuss the implications of academic misconduct
Academic misconduct can be seen as cheating, dishonesty, unfairness, plagiarism in
university premises. University seeks all the academic misconduct and tries to solve them
efficiently to avoid this kind of misconduct behavior in the future. Academic misconduct gives
bad consequences if a student found as doing plagiarism and cheating then they will be definitely
penalized for their behavior. In university no violation of rule can be accepted, to practice the
academic integrity university should set some set of rules to be followed or it is also important
for them to follow those rule so that their student will also follow them (Shane, Carson and
Edwards, 2018). Plagiarism, cheating, deceit, collusion are the examples of academic misconduct
if any student found attempting all this behavior then they should be strictly punished by their
university so that they will not do this type of misbehavior in their future. Academic misconduct
also gives negative impact if it not considers as main priority, because if student does not
penalize by their bad behavior then it will follow them to their further life also impact their life
long time.
Plagiarism is considered as main example of academic conduct in which student copied
other student's work it reflects as a main problem in university. Therefore, because of this student
who copied other's work can be credited so this should be not allowed in university premises
therefore strict actions has been implied on that student so that they will not dare to repeat this
behavior again. If any cheating and dishonest behavior seen in the classroom then teacher should
take immediate action upon those things so that teacher will teach the lesson to the student, and
they do not dare to do this behavior again. Teacher's immediate action can include termination of
student from that project (Bowman, 2017). University can also write a letter of suspension for
the student so that other student will take it as a lesson and do not attempt any kind of this bad
behavior. Disciplinary action can also be taken against the student so that they will learn to not

carry forward this bad behavior. Therefore, to maintain the academic integrity strict actions
should also be implied when there is a misbehavior or dishonesty.
Section 2
Reflect on the steps you have taken, and difficulties encountered in producing the game for
Project 2
There were numbers of steps that I followed for producing game for reducing plagiarism
and making students aware about academic integrity.
 Firstly, I selected the game type out of all 4-5 types.
 I grouped all students in 3-4 groups as per the total number and on random basis.
 After selecting game type, I prepared some multiple questions related to academic
integrity (Gallego-Durán and et.al., 2017).
 I set different time for different questions as per their difficulties.
 I was not able to decide whether students should be given questions related to
academic integrity that were not taught to them or not.
I faced some problems while producing game of plagiarism or academic integrity such as:
 For playing game, we have to make some rules but as per the type of game, it
became difficult for me to set rules for students that they needed to follow while
playing game.
 Total student was odd in number so; it also became difficult for me to group them
equally (Biagioli and et.al., 2018).
 There were number of questions in my mind regarding plagiarism and academic
integrity but as per the time duration and game type, I became confused about
selecting few questions that can help me out in understanding that how many
students have knowledge about academic integrity.
 Because of total time of game, I set only 10-15 seconds for giving each question.
But support of my seniors and with the help of skills, I solved all these problems and designed an
effective and interesting game related to academic integrity and plagiarism.

Reflect on the skills you have learned this academic year and those emphasized in producing
your game
In regard to game development, I can say that this game design for making students able
to understand about importance of integrity and removing plagiarism, helped me out to the great
extent. This game design increased my knowledge and skills that I want to discuss such as:
Creativity: Production of game is not an easy task as we have to bring creative and
unique ideas by which all students can easily understand and can play game. My main aim was
making all students understand about importance of academic integrity with this game, So, I
thought about this game that was interesting in playing (Sorea, Ro?cule?, G. and Bolborici,
2021). There were numbers of games but I made this game interesting with my unique ideas that
increased my creativity skill and this skill will help me out in the future in accomplishing my
goals.
Presentation: This game design increased my presentation skill because after producing
this game, the main function was presenting this game and making understand to all students as
how to play and others. When I made all students understand about this game, then it boosted my
confidence and everyone understood with effectiveness (Hare and Choi, 2019). I transmitted the
message and all steps of playing game with clarity and engaged all students in game playing.
Problem solving: while working on game it allows me to solve the problem effectively.
As game's structure consists of complexities and obstacles which need to be perfectly analyzed.
Because of my unity with other student helped me to solve any problem easily. During this
project I learned many skills and it also enhances my knowledge because of this I learn how to
solve problem in any situation. I worked together with my team with honesty and dignity
because of academic integrity which allow us to work together.
Critical thinking: Game development process includes all the critical analysis. My main
task was to analyze all the possible choices to implement in the game to make our game as a
successful project. It enhanced my critical thinking while working on development process of
game. It enhanced my knowledge and develops the ability in me to analyze things differently
which helps me to complete my task effectively.
Multi tasking: As video game consist of different complex algorithms through which I
learned how to deal with technologies in order to design the game. I made all the student to
understand the technologies which helped us to design our game also it shows our unity in

dealing with the technologies for the game. This skill help me to work with any project
effectively.
Conclusion
From the above report it is concluded that academic integrity played a key role in
student's life. It allows them to explore or learned new things. Importance of academic integrity
could prevent any misconduct behavior. It also promotes the student to work hard for their
project to achieve their goals. Academic integrity resist the misbehavior strictly actions has been
taken against any misconduct activity. Report further explained about the implication of
academic conduct activity that every university has the right to take action towards the student
who were the victim of any misbehavior activity. It also described how skills developed in
student during project production.

References
Biagioli, M. and et.al., 2018. Academic misconduct, misrepresentation and gaming: A
reassessment. Forthcoming in Research Policy.
Bowman, K.D., 2017. Educating international students about academic misconduct. International
Educator. 26(2). pp.56-59.
Brown, N. and Janssen, R., 2017. Preventing plagiarism and fostering academic integrity: A
practical approach. Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice. 5(3). pp.102-
109.
Eaton, S.E., 2021. Plagiarism in higher education: Tackling tough topics in academic integrity.
ABC-CLIO.
Gallego-Durán, F.J. and et.al., 2017. PLMan: a game-based learning activity for teaching logic
thinking and programming.
Hare, J. and Choi, K., 2019. Attribution and plagiarism in the creative arts: A flipped
information literacy workshop for postgraduate students. Journal of Information
Literacy. 13(1).
Latopolski, K. and Bertram Gallant, T., 2020. Academic integrity. DM Waryold & JM Lancaster
(Ed, 2nd edition). Student Conduct Practice: The Complete Guide for Student Affairs
Professionals. Sterling, VA: Stylus.
Marsh, J.D. and Campion, J., 2018. Academic integrity and referencing: Whose responsibility is
it?. Journal of Academic Language and Learning. 12(1). pp.A213-A226.
Palombi, D., 2018. Integrity Matters: Creating a Culture of Responsibility, Education and
Prevention.
Shane, M.J., Carson, L. and Edwards, M., 2018. A case study in updating academic integrity
policy and procedures. New Directions for Community Colleges. 2018(183). pp.83-93.
Sorea, D., Ro?cule?, G. and Bolborici, A.M., 2021. Readymade Solutions and Students’ Appetite
for Plagiarism as Challenges for Online Learning. Sustainability. 13(7). p.3861.