REIV TA5 Artificial Intelligence Plagiarism and Collusion Policy User Guide

REIV TA5 Artificial Intelligence Plagiarism and Collusion Policy User Guide

Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to guide learners, staff, Trainers and Assessors on the appropriate use and the ethical integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into learning that reflects best practice standards in the vocational education industry.
Scope
The REIV recognises the importance of assessment in learners’ success and emphasises the need for diverse and contextualised approaches in the era of AI. This policy addresses issues of AI limitations, plagiarism, collusion, and acts that undermine academic integrity and assessment security in all RTO- accredited courses.
Definitions
Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to intelligence processes performed by artificial or computer systems without significant human oversight. Applications of AI include expert systems, natural language processing, speech recognition and machine vision. Common applications identified by the vocational education industry and practitioners include ChatGPT, Quill Bot, Goblin Tools, Otter.ai, Bing Chat, Microsoft Copilot, Grammarly, MeetGeek.ai, and a variety of emerging AI services

Academic integrity refers to the ethical, responsible maintenance of conventions and practices. It focuses on equipping learners with the capabilities and values necessary to achieve ethical learning (CRADLE Deakin, 2020).
Assessment security refers to protecting tasks from undesirable actions and is distinct from academic integrity. It focuses on hardening assessment against attempts to cheat, and on detecting any cheating that has occurred (CRADLE Deakin, 2020).
Cheating occurs when a learner attempts to attain academic credit through dishonest, disrespectful, irresponsible, untrustworthy, or unfair means. Cheating misrepresents a learner’s knowledge and abilities and undermines the assessor’s ability to assess knowledge and learning honestly and fairly. It does not prepare a learner for the workplace.
Collusion occurs when more than one learner illegitimately cooperates to complete a piece of work, in part or whole, that is submitted for assessment as their own.
Plagiarism1 refers to individuals presenting someone else’s work or ideas as their own, with or without their consent, by incorporating it into their work without full acknowledgement. All published and unpublished material, whether in manuscript, printed or electronic form, is covered under this definition. Plagiarism may be intentional, reckless, or unintentional. It includes verbatim, cutting and pasting, including from AI platforms, paraphrasing, collusion, inaccurate citation, or the use of material written by a third party such as AI platforms, agencies or other persons other than the learner.

Plagiarism | University of Oxford

Roles and Responsibilities

The following roles and responsibilities have been identified to meet the purpose and aim of this policy.

• The RTO Manager ensures the integrity of The REIV’s assessment and training methods and compliance with the VRQA Guidelines for VET Providers, the AQTF Essential Conditions and Standards for Continuous Registration and the contract requirements for the Skills First program. The RTO Manager also approves the suspension of the learner’s access to learning material until the issue has been resolved.
• The Training Coordinator and Administration Team ensure that any known use of AI or cheating that compromises learner integrity is reported to the RTO Manager and assists with the management of the learners involved, including communication with the employer where the learner is a trainee (if applicable).
• The Trainers and Assessors are responsible for reporting to the Training Coordinator or RTO Manager any suspected use of AI or cheating within a learner’s coursework. Trainers and Assessors are required to collect and supply all evidence to support the claim and make the first contact with the learner to discuss the issues.
• The Training Administrators are responsible for ensuring that all learners acknowledge and understand the REIV’s Student Agreement and Code of Conduct at enrolment. This includes providing accurate and correct information to learners at Pre-Training Review about the Artificial Intelligence (AI), Plagiarism and Collusion Policy, and their individual responsibilities as a learner.

Policy

Academic Integrity and Assessment Security
The REIV is aware of the use of AI technology within the vocational education system and its use does not automatically constitute academic misconduct.
Prospective learners are provided with a Student Agreement which outlines the RTO’s Terms and Conditions of Enrolment and Student Code of Conduct at enrolment process, to ensure that they are aware and acknowledge their obligations in relation to AI use, cheating, collusion, and plagiarism. This information can also be found in the Student Information Handbook on The REIV’s website.
All learners are advised to retain copies of drafts/versions of submissions, before uploading through the learner portal to assist the RTO Training Department in any future conversations about how particular assessments have been developed by the learner.
The RTO has an effective complaints and appeals process in place, which is followed in order to investigate any claims of unfairness or disadvantage solicited by a learner. This policy can be accessed on The REIV’s website.

Use of AI by Learners

The REIV acknowledges the importance of creating new opportunities for learning, especially in a digitalised world, which includes artificial intelligence.
The RTO supports the use of AI where:

• AI has been demonstrated to be used ethically within coursework, including by ensuring appropriate and assessments and referencing the use of AI technology that assisted in the production of their assessment, including where the learner has re-worded an AI technology response into their own words.
• The learner has used AI tools to proofread their work or seek guidance on how to structure an assessment or response.
• The learner has used AI technology to seek guidance on where to find information about a determined topic or subject.
• AI tools were used to improve the learner’s language and writing skills by refining language and style.

Learners are not authorised to directly ‘copy and paste’ AI responses into their coursework and are expected to write their responses in their own words and identify and reference the AI technology used.
The RTO highly encourage learners to document their AI use and be able to provide evidence of the process if and when needed. This may include screenshots and/or keeping copies of drafts made in the preparation of assignments.
AI note-takers are not permitted in Zoom sessions for online training delivery. This is to ensure the privacy and integrity of our group discussions. However, you may invite AI note-takers to one-on-one meetings with your trainers/assessors, provided you have obtained express permission from them in advance. It is important to note that trainers reserve the right to not allow note-takers into sessions if they deem it necessary.
The REIV does not support the use of AI where it has not been referenced as per this policy, and where a learner is suspected of misusing AI, it be treated as a breach of policy. Disciplinary actions may occur, and the learner can resubmit their work as required to demonstrate understanding.
Where a learner has been warned multiple times about using AI in their coursework, the learner may risk enrolment cancellation and/or forfeit all fees paid.

AI Referencing Requirements

Learners that use AI technology must reference the tool or technology used by:

• Inserting a footnote with the AI’s name, URL, how AI was used to support the learner’s response; or
• Providing a disclaimer at the end of their response outlining the AI’s tool name and how the AI technology  was used to respond to the question.

All references must provide the date that AI technology was accessed, including the day, month, and year. Refer to Appendix 1 for examples of acceptable referencing styles

Unauthorised use of AI by Learners

Misuse of AI by learners includes but is not limited to:

• Ask an AI technology to write or draft a complete assignment response with the intent to copy and paste.
• Copy and paste responses from AI directly into the coursework.
• Share REIV assessment resources with an AI tool or technology by submitting REIV’s learning materials or cutting and pasting assessment questions directly into an AI system or website.

Use of AI by Trainers and Assessors

The REIV upholds that AI shouldn’t be used where there is not a clear use, or where it is use might pose risks in relation to data, privacy, safety, or assurance.
Training employees, including contractors who intend to access and use AI tools and applications for training purposes, must read the policy above before use and demonstrate their understanding of The REIV’s stance through utilising training in the use of AI available on Employment Hero LMS and the RTO Manager documented approval.

Artificial Intelligence Limitations

While REIV acknowledges Artificial Intelligence (AI) recent advancements, AI technologies and tools are still posing challenges and limitations in terms of assessment security and certification.
Learners must ensure that the information provided by an AI tool or service is cross-checked against relevant agencies’ websites, state-specific legislation, and other reliable resources to ensure accuracy and therefore, limit the possibility of assessment re-submission, cheating, or plagiarism concerns.
The REIV identified the AI limitations are as follows:

Diversity of Perspectives| AI tools and services, although they expose users to diverse ideas and perspectives, may contain biased information.
---|---
Information Reliability| AI technologies are tested before they are used and generally operate in accordance with their intended purpose. However, information provided by AI tools may contain information that is not relevant to the Victorian real estate industry and legislation. Some AI services do not demonstrate appropriate referencing or explain where the information has been sourced from.
Language Style| AI tools’ language styles tend to be generic, highly academic, and impersonal. At this stage, AI cannot replace or replicate humans with 100% accuracy, while REIV encourages learners to demonstrate a deep understanding of a particular context, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking when doing their assessments.
Assessment Feedback| The REIV reinforces the importance of feedback as part of the assessment process and learning outcomes. The utilisation of AI may present challenges in effectively assessing a learner, where feedback from qualified and experienced trainers and assessors is instrumental in assisting learners in identifying areas of improvement in their knowledge and skills.
Accuracy| Recent research suggests that approximately 50% of programming answers generated by some AI technologies are incorrec _t 2. _The REIV encourages learners to not rely on AI outputs only and seek appropriate assistance from the Training Department or relevant trainer/assessor to gather the right information or data source for their assessments.

Plagiarism and Collusion

The REIV considers plagiarism and collusion as a form of cheating that unfairly advantages a learner or group of learners over others.
Trainers and Assessors should clearly indicate when it is suitable for learners to collaborate on work and when it is not. Where trainers and assessors suspect an issue, evidence can be provided, and the Training Coordinator or RTO Manager should be informed immediately.
It is the RTO Manager’s responsibility to decide whether a policy breach has occurred and whether it was intentional or unintentional.
Learners who have breached the policy are to be provided with the opportunity to respond and may be required to provide further evidence to support their submission.
Where the RTO confirms that the issue was unintentional, such as the learner failed to reference a source correctly, the matter shall be resolved via written or verbal advice, and the learner given an opportunity to resubmit their course work.
If subsequent offences occur, The REIV may issue a written warning and reserve the right to cancel the learner’s enrolment, which may lead to their exit from the course, thus affecting future funding eligibility (if applicable)

Assessment Appeals

Learners can appeal an assessment decision up to sixty (60) days after the decision has been made. Assessment appeals can be made using the Complaints and Appeals Policy and Procedure.

Related Policies and Resources

• Training and Assessment Policy and Procedure
• Acceptable Use of Artificial Intelligence Policy
• Code of Conduct
• Student Information Handbook
• Student Agreement and Statement of Fees
• Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), Assessment Reform for the Age of Artificial Intelligence, 2023
• Department of Education, Australian Framework for Generative AI in Schools, 2023
• Harvard Graduate School of Education, Embracing Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom, 2023
• Monash University, Teach HQ: AI and Assessment. Accessed on 11 June 2024

Document Control

Document No. & Name:| TA5 Artificial Intelligence (AI), Plagiarism and Collusion Policy v1.0
---|---
Quality Area:| Training and Assessment
Author:| Mariana Dyson
Status:| Approved
Approved By:| Rushali Parikh and Michelle Euson
Approval Date:| June 2024
Review Date:| June 2025

Appendix 1

Referencing example 1 :
The Estate Agents Act 1980 exercise control over the real estate agents in Victoria. This act outlines licensing, conduct, and fiduciary duties for handling client matters and trust accounts.
Disclaimer: ChatGBT (2022) – Where to find information on Estate Agents Act 1980 applied to Victoria. Available at: https://[openai.com](http://openai.com)/chatgpt/. Accessed on 11 June 2024.  

Referencing example 2:

The Estate Agents Act 1980 governs real estate agents in Victoria. The act outlines licensing, conduct, and fiduciary duties for handling client matters and trust accounts*.
ChatGBT (2022) – How to structure and start a sentence. Available at: https://[openai.com](http://openai.com)/chatgpt/. Accessed on 12 June 2024  
Referencing example 3: Disclaimer: I used ) to (interactions/drafts). I modified the outputs in . Refer to screenshots below. 

References

• MeetGeek | Record, Transcribe & Share Meeting Notes
• Otter.ai - AI Meeting Note Taker & Real-time AI Transcription
• Study Finds That 52 Percent of ChatGPT Answers to Programming Questions Are Wrong
• Plagiarism | University of Oxford

Read User Manual Online (PDF format)

Read User Manual Online (PDF format)  >>

Download This Manual (PDF format)

Download this manual  >>