Academic Integrity and its Importance in Higher Education

This report discusses academic integrity, its importance in higher education, and the implications of academic misconduct. It also reflects on the skills learned in academic year and difficulties encountered in producing the game. The report highlights the leadership, time management, presentation, research, and communication skills developed during the game designing process.

Academic integrity

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
An Introduction including a description of Academic Integrity.................................................3
A discussion of the importance of academic integrity in higher education................................3
Discuss the implications of academic misconduct......................................................................4
Section 2...........................................................................................................................................6
Reflect on the steps you have taken, and difficulties encountered in producing the game.........6
Reflect on the skills learned in academic year............................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Academic skills are defined as the talent as well as habits that facilitates students to
pursuit academic courses such as learning, report writing, presentation and research. There are
various skills such as time management, communication, technical skills, test taking and
planning (Cavaliere, 2020). The report is divided in two parts. In first part description of
academic integrity and its importance in higher education as well as implication of academic
misconduct is mentioned. Furthermore, in the second part difficulties in producing game and
skills that are learned in academic year through producing game in covered in this project report.
Section 1
An Introduction including a description of Academic Integrity
Academic integrity: Academic integrity is defined as the aspects that includes putting
various values in practice to complete academic work with honesty at University. It is the
commitment as well as demonstration of honesty as well as moral behaviour in academic work.
The concept of academic integrity is related to fundamental to learning, teaching and the
activities of research at university. It provides freedom to students as well as staff members to
build new ideas, knowledge and bring creativity in work through acknowledging and respecting
work of others. It is divided in three components like teaching, research and service. It is
expected form teachers, students, researchers and others members of academic community to act
with honesty, fairness trust, respect and responsibility. Breaching the norms of academic
integrity is also known as the academic misconduct or dishonesty.
A discussion of the importance of academic integrity in higher education
Academic Integrity is the commitment from students, faculty and staff to demonstrate
moral and honest behaviour in their academic life. Academic integrity is a basic need to learning,
teaching and research at the University and give freedom to staff and students to build new ideas
and knowledge while respecting the contribution of others (Chukanova, 2018). In general it has
six fundamental values: honesty, trust,fairness, respect, responsibility and courage which helps to
convert ideas into actions. Importance of academic integrity for students, lecturers and
management is discussed below.
Students: For a student academic integrity means asking questions, taking ethical
decisions and following instruction. He must be honest in learning, fair in attempting exams and

trust his staff so that an aspiring environment can be build in the institution. Mutual respect
between students and courage to admit their mistakes and be responsible for their action foster
etiquettes in them and eventually help to make future bright (Wolksy and Hamilton, 2020).
These values also help students to became responsible citizens and good children. Maintaining
academic integrity while pursing higher education represent a true academic accomplishments.
Lectures: Faculty plays a very critical role in providing an atmosphere of values like
honesty,trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. They are the first personalities of whole
organisation which is going to interact with learners which is a future workforce so they must
encourage to foster academic integrity in students and also inculcate these in themselves also. By
becoming a role model for their students helps students to actually realise the importance of
academic integrity (Gagné, 2020). Staff must be eager to reduce ill-practices in exams and
motivate students to achieve their goals with honesty.
Management: While managing a higher education institute it is important to acquire trust
of society and other members of institute for its smooth functioning. This trust can be acquire by
academic integrity which is essential to create a positive learning environment enabling students
and teachers to learn with confidence. Another thing that involve academic integrity in
management is its policies and practices that must be applied equally to all members irrespective
of religion, caste or gender and also provide knowledge about these policies to all members so
that they can took advantage of it Academic integrity also helps to build a reputed image in
society which eventually helps to attract good students which benefit institution both in terms or
money and knowledge.
Importance in examination: If academic integrity is discussed in context to exam it is
extremely important as it a final step to check the learning of students and teaching efficiency of
lectures. If it is done in unfair way it lower the morals of students as well as teachers (Joob and
Wiwanitkit, 2018). Academic honesty is of utmost important for a stable society otherwise we
may have a doctor who passed exams with cheating and operating a person who is hanging
between life and death or a engineer who is building a unsafe bridge means severely affecting the
safety of society.
Discuss the implications of academic misconduct
Academic misconduct: Academic misconduct is defined as the act of cheating that come
in existence in formal academic exercise. Universities take the activities of academic misconduct

seriously as well as ensures that they deal academic work with great efficiency and effectiveness.
Basically, it is defined as the any action that provides unearned and unfair academic advantages
to students over another (Scholl, 2018). There are various activities are included in academic
misconduct such as plagiarism, fabrication of data, contract of cheating and using of possession
of various unauthorised material in examination to gain unfair advantages than others. Some
types of academic misconduct are mentioned below:
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is defined as the using of others without acknowledging the
source of inspiration. If in some situation name of author is misspelled and work is done with
carelessness is also termed as the plagiarism activity.
Collusion: Collusion is defined as the misconduct in which work is done in collaborating
manner and it is submitted as the individual peace of work.
Fabrication of data: Fabrication is defined as the misconduct in which data or finding is
misinterpreted intentionally for the purpose of influencing research outcome.
Causes: There are various causes for conducting the act of academic misconduct. Using
online sources to copy the assignment is the latest misconduct. For Universities, It comes
important to involve various individual academic policies in the process of promoting ethical
behaviour in campus (Knight, 2018). Lake of knowledge about regulations associated with
academic misconduct and plagiarism. Lake of time for completing the assignment is the major
cause of cheating.
There are various consequences of academic misconduct such as Universities imposed
various penalties on the students if they are involve in that offend activities. Some consequences
of academic misconduct are mentioned below:
Loss of intellectual property: Academic misconduct like plagiarism is related to stealing
others properly. Original work of someone is the currency and if other person use it without
owner permission the author loss intellectual property as well as possible income.
legal concerns: If some external sponsor grants projects to University for giving the
opportunity for working on real life problems. If students conduct the actions of cheating,
fabricating data and plagiarism then sponsor have right to take legal action against University
(Lee, 2018). This ruin the reputation of University and loss the opportunity for students as well.
Inaccurate assessment: If student is involve in the misconduct such as cheating or
plagiarism than instructor is not able to assess student's performance their knowledge and skills.

There is minor and serious misconducts are imposed on the students who involve in the
activities of misconduct such as reduction is the marks or failing in module and suspension from
the university.
To avoid these academic misconduct students should identify effective academic examples and
site them in work properly. Prepare notes in own language, collet information from appropriate
places and add the list of references as well.
Section 2
Reflect on the steps you have taken, and difficulties encountered in producing the game
In the process of producing the game various steps are taken by me in which different
type of difficulties are encountered. In University, as a part of personal development a task was
assigned to us which was creation of game. The game design is related to reduce academic
misconduct, avoiding plagiarism as well as other misbehaviour. This task was assigned in group
of for students including me. In staring of the process of game designing, I have faced various
difficulties such as working with other. As there are various steps are taken to design game such
as in first step meetings was arranged to explore ideas. In the lake of proper structure of game
various problems are faced that are affect the overall efficiency and effectiveness of game. Lake
of coordination among all among team members is the factor that impacts whole assignment
negatively (Listau, 2019). I felt that there is lake of technicality with us to produce game in
effective manner on the other other hand, we have not provided enough tools to the designer that
limits effectiveness of game.
As we are engaging in the activity to produce game that reduces academic misconduct as
well as unfair activities, so it is the major problem in form of us to prepare the questions or
format of game that is able to reduce academic misconduct in fun way. To include this element
in our game, I have conducted depth research that takes too much time. We have not taken the
outsider play testing as the part of game designing process that limits use to understand the
loopholes of game. We are not using updated documentations for producing game for academic
misconduct that create various problems in game (McCarthy, C., 2020). Various decisions that
are taken for the game are incorrect in some manner and there is no structured time period is
decided for playing game that create difficulties and affect overall efficiency of game.

Reflect on the skills learned in academic year
In the process of designing game for reducing academic misconduct, I have learned
various skills and capabilities that improves my overall personality. These skills facilitates me to
attain defined goals and objectives in best possible manner. Some skills and competencies are
mentioned below:
Leadership skills: As I have worked in the team to design a game that enhances
leadership quality in my personality. During the project I have guide and lead other group
members to perform in defined manner. As there are various problems and challenges are faced
by me during the process of designing game that enable me to understand problems and react
accordingly (Priestley, 2018). Through enhances understanding the topic I have lead others to
complete task wit creativity on time.
Time management: The assignment of game designing enhances the skill of time
management because we have to submit the project of defined deadline. To complete work on
time I have divided work among all members and assign them their responsibility as well. This
skills helps me to complete assignment on time with great efficiency.
Presentation and research skills: In the procedure of producing game for academic
misconduct, I have learned how to present things in more presentable manner to make it
attractive and interesting for others. As I have presenting the game through preparing poster that
enhances my skills. I have conducted depth research to gain reliable information and data related
to assignment during the developing game. These skills helps me to gain deep knowledge about
academic topics.
Communication skills: Communication is the main skills that is developed in my
personality during the designing game. We have to communicate with all members of group to
complete assigned work in defined manner (Samko, 2019). It help me to understand point of
views of others and convince others with own view point.
CONCLUSION
As per above report, it can be concluded that academic integrity is the process of putting
values and ethics in academic work to gain desirable outcomes. Academic integrity plays
important role in higher education. There are various academic misconducts are taken in actions
such as plagiarism, unfair activities and cheating during exams. Universities take serious actions
on these misconducts to reduce them. In the process of designing game for reducing academic

misconduct and plagiarism various difficulties come in existence such as lake of technology,
resources and coordination. There are various skills and competencies are enhanced through
game designing process that help in achieving academic goals and objectives.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Cavaliere, P., 2020. Internationalizing Higher Education in Japan: Dealing with Plagiarism and
Academic Integrity. Academic Misconduct and Plagiarism. p.65.
Chukanova, S., 2018. Fundamental values of Academic Integrity:[poster].
Gagné, A., 2020. Reflections on academic integrity and educational development during
COVID-19. Canadian Perspectives on Academic Integrity. 3(2). pp.16-17.
Joob, B. and Wiwanitkit, V., 2018. Re: Academic integrity and plagiarism. Indian Journal of
Plastic Surgery. 51(03). pp.344-345.
Knight, M., 2018. The Problem of Plagiarism: Finding Ways to Promote Academic Integrity in
the Classroom.
Lee, A.W.S., 2018. Academic Integrity in the Humanities and Cultural Studies: A Mediated
Learning Trail. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching. 29. pp.73-95.
Listau, L., 2019. An Examination of Academic Integrity Violations at a Predominately Associate
Degree-Granting Institution (Doctoral dissertation, University of South Alabama).
McCarthy, C., 2020. Understand factors that impact international student academic integrity. The
Successful Registrar. 19(12). pp.1-8.
Priestley, D., 2018. Strategic approaches to academic integrity–the experience of Nazarbayev
University.
Samko, A., 2019. The role of academic integrity in philosophical-pedagogical works of S.
Honcharenko.
Scholl, A., 2018. Enhancing academic integrity in student assessments with technology.
Wolksy, K. L. and Hamilton, M. J., 2020. Faculty development and academic integrity during
pandemic times. Canadian Perspectives on Academic Integrity. 3(2). pp.55-56.