How to put it into practice
Academic integrity is critical to the mission of higher education institutions. It upholds high academic standards and rigour, and all members of the academic community play a role in fostering an environment in which student learning is achieved in a fair, just, and honest way.
While research does not suggest that cheating happens more frequently in online courses than in face-to-face courses, there are a number of ways to promote academic integrity and honesty in all courses. Note that many of these practices align with broader strategies for creating effective assessments (see 6.1 Guide to Measuring Achievement).
Spell out expectations for honesty
Ensure that students understand what cheating and plagiarism and unauthorized AI use are and how you will handle suspected cases. Strategies include:
- Clearly state the academic misconduct policy by including your institution’s academic integrity guidelines as well as the course’s specific expectations academic honesty and the consequences of misconduct. This information should be shared in locations such as the syllabus or course orientation materials.
- Engage your students early in an activity that surfaces their ideas and attitudes to plagiarism, cheating, and the boundary between AI assistance and academic dishonesty. For example, students can take a quiz (check if there is one available in your LMS) or you can provide examples/cases for them to discuss.
- Make sure your syllabus features a clear generative AI policyInvolve students in committing to an honor code of honesty and integrity by signing an official document or by including a declaration of honesty as the first question on an exam.
- One example, adapted from language by University of Rochester, is to present an honesty pledge as the first item on the exam: “Honor Pledge: To sign the honor pledge, please read and type your name below. I affirm that I will not give or receive any unauthorized help on this exam, including unapproved AI tools, and that all work will be my own.”
- A similar strategy, adapted by the University of Vermont from work by behavioral economist Dan Ariely, presents the honor pledge as a yes/no exam question: “Do you pledge that you will abide by UW-Madison’s policy for academic honesty and will not give or receive any help on this exam?”
Be noticeably present in the course. An instructor who appears to be absent from the course or uninvolved in activities contributes to an environment conducive to cheating.
- Tip: Let students know that you are willing to listen and help set up an alternative plan if someone is struggling or encounters circumstances beyond their control.
Use multiple assessment methods
Assessments that connect to the real world or to students’ individual interests in the course can make cheating less feasible and and encourage genuine engagement and effort. Consider going beyond tests and quizzes to incorporate interactive discussions, written assignments, case studies, projects, reports, presentations, role plays, and self-check quizzes with feedback, etc. For details, see 6.3 Guide to Frequency & Variety. Learn more with the Creating Universally Designed Assessments course (Access: This course is available with OneHE membership. A 10-day free trial is available for new members.)
Clearly distinguish between collaborative and individual work
Clearly identify what types of work should be completed individually, with a partner, or as a member of a small group. Explain what type of work can and cannot use AI. Consider whether some forms of “cheating” may lead to effective learning, and design assessments to allow for meaningful collaboration or just-in-time learning where appropriate. For example, you may assign students to partners or groups, and assign each partner or group member a specific contribution to the task or project.
Require drafts and progress reports for major papers
For written assignments, require the submission of component elements (i.e., research question, annotated bibliography, drafts or outlines, revision plans) to see the student’s work in progress. Other tips:
- incorporate a peer review assignment that includes attention to how students use and integrate sources
- ask students to log their work, answer questions about their research methods, or journal about their progress.
- require students to place the following phrase at the end of a major paper: “I certify that the writing contained in this paper is my own and that any direct quotations have been identified and cited. Additionally, I have cited references in any place where I have significantly borrowed someone else’s ideas. I also declare that generative AI tools were used only in ways explicitly permitted by the course policy, and all AI-assisted sections or ideas have been properly cited and documented.”
Adjust grading policies that rely heavily on a few high-stakes assessments
An over-fixation on points and the temptation to cheat can be reduced when the grading policies encourage students to study and accumulate points on a regular basis, rather than through a few large, high stakes, assessments. Breaking up high-stakes assessments into lower-stakes, smaller pieces also increases the effort required to cheat because of the frequency of the assignments.
Teach citation skills and other positive academic integrity practices
Practices of citation, including the relative value attributed to originality versus imitation, can differ based on one’s cultural or institutional context. Normalize appropriate help-seeking and ethical citation and acknowledgement practices within the course or discipline. For example:
- communicate to students what types of conversations you welcome in office hours and how these can support a practice of academic integrity (e.g., help them identify appropriate sources, help them understand specialized language and accurately represent the ideas in a source).
- share examples from your research or professional practice of how you consult resources, draw on the expertise of colleagues, or use AI technology responsibly in your work while giving them appropriate acknowledgement.
- model how to acknowledge a classmate or colleague in a footnote, or have students read and discuss the acknowledgements section of an assigned book.
- share resources from your institution’s Writing Center and Libraries on how to use sources rigorously and ethically, including guidance on proper documentation and citation practices, as well as curated student-facing resources on academic integrity and plagiarism prevention.
- teach students how to cite generative AI strings or acknowledge AI tools (following APA, MLA, or Chicago standards) rather than treating AI assistance as something they must hide.
Emphasize the educational benefits of the course
When students can connect to the larger purpose of the course and the relevance of the skills it is designed for them to learn, they are more motivated to put effort into their work.
Design quizzes and exams to discourage cheating
Mixing the order of questions or question responses, varying the types of questions including some written reflective answers, asking students to justify their response, or providing frequent low-stakes testing in place of long exams,can make cheating complicated or reduce the motivation to cheat. Write prompts that rely heavily on unique class lectures, specific personal experiences, or current events, as these parameters are difficult for base AI models to successfully synthesize.
Consider the use of appropriate software tools
These might include automatic time limits in your learning management system (LMS) quizzes and online proctoring tools. Such tools are best implemented when there is a strong pedagogical rationale behind their use, as they introduce issues around equity and inclusivity. For example, not all students have sufficient internet bandwidth to support online test monitoring via webcam.ime limited assessments and webcam proctoring can also create barriers for students with disabilities and others, who may not demonstrate their best work in these conditions.
- If using online tools, communicate to students how being prepared to answer questions in the given time limit and/or with online proctoring will benefit their learning.
- Familiarize students with your chosen proctoring tool by sharing student-facing guides or tutorials that can be uploaded to your course site. Note: avoid relying on automated AI detectors or originality checkers to prove academic misconduct. These tools suffer from high false-positive rates and can easily be bypassed by simple paraphrasing tools. Instead, rely on process monitoring (e.g., draft versions, history logs, or oral defenses).
- Give students hands-on practice with the proctoring tool ahead of the exam, ensuring that any practice exam is set up with the same settings as the real exam.
- Consider using an originality checker integrated with your LMS assignment settings to support plagiarism detection. Note that some originality checking tools may present accessibility barriers for users of screen readers and keyboard navigation.
- Work closely with students who may need accommodations in consultation with your institution’s disability resource center.