The University's new approach to the use of GenAI introduces three categories of GenAI use in assessments:
Looking for more information? Go to the GenAI and Assessment at UC page for more details. The Academic Integrity Policy and Academic Integrity Procedure set out the University's expectations of staff and students regarding academic integrity.
For more information, read Using GenAI for Study and Research.
Turnitin is software that matches submitted text in student assessment submissions against material from various sources: the internet, published books and journals, and previously submitted student texts.
The University of Canberra implemented Turnitin for learning and teaching across the University in 2024. It is automatically included in each assignment submission Dropbox in UCLearn (Canvas), and will generate a text match report for each submission.
Some assignments at UC may specify whether the use of Generative AI, such as ChatGPT, is permitted. These details can be found in the assignment descriptions, which outline the conditions and purposes for which GenAI may be used. Using Generative AI where it is not allowed constitutes a breach of academic integrity and may be found to be academic misconduct.
The AI Writing detection tool is a feature of Turnitin that teaching staff have access to. The tool gives an indication of how much of the student submission is suspected of being created by Generative AI, and highlights the suspected text within the submission.
Detection results cannot be used as the only indicator that GenAI has been used to create the submitted work. However, unit conveners may initiate a learning validation conversation based on the AI Writing detection report to validate that the student can demonstrate the associated learning outcomes.
Starting in 2025, a unit convener may also refer a student for a suspected academic misconduct investigation using the Turnitin AI Writing score as a piece of evidence, but not the sole piece of evidence.
A Learning Validation Conversation (LVC) may be initiated by an academic staff member to discuss a summative assessment that you have submitted where there is a concern that the assessment is not a reflection of your own learning / work. An LVC is a 10-15 minute conversation to check if you have met the learning outcomes linked to that summative assessment.
Note: this video includes pop up comments throughout, which will automatically pause the video. Once you have read the comment, press play to continue. You can also drag the marker on the scroll bar forwards or backwards if you wish to review certain points.
The Quick Guide linked below outlines what is involved in an LVC, how you can prepare and what is expected of you.
While GenAI technologies have opened new avenues for research, collaboration and innovation, they also pose threats to academic integrity. This is because of GenAI's ability to produce seemingly authentic content, making it difficult to distinguish AI-generated material from human-authored work.
In your university assessments, it is important that you produce your own work and that you properly acknowledge all sources used in the process. UC students are expected to act with honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage in their scholarly activities. This expectation applies to the use of GenAI in assessments. How you use GenAI for your assessment work can be the difference between academic integrity and academic misconduct.
Using GenAI with academic integrity means:
Using GenAI for assessment preparation only if it is permitted by your unit convener or research supervisor.
Using GenAI only in the ways allowed in the assessment instructions and unit outline.
Appropriately acknowledging and referencing all GenAI use in assessments.
Critically evaluating AI-generated content, with an understanding of Gen AI limitations and the associated risks (refer to “Thinking critically when using GenAI” in GenAI and Ethical Considerations).
(Adapted from Gen AI basics - Deakin University Libguides 2023 licensed under a CC BY-NC 4.0)
Risks to students through GenAI use can include failure to learn skills and understand information essential to their discipline of study. Students may also be at risk of unknowingly using incorrect or improper AI-generated data or references, which can result in academic integrity breaches. Using GenAI to produce all or part of your assessment and submitting that work as your own breaches academic integrity and may be found to be academic misconduct.
The Student Charter outlines UC's expectations of you while you are studying with us as well as what you can expect of the University. If you do not meet these expectations, there may be grounds for a misconduct proceeding under the Student Conduct Rules 2023. Other relevant UC policies and procedures include the Academic Integrity Policy and Academic Integrity Procedure and the Assessment Policy and Assessment Procedures.
The following flowchart will help you to decide when you can safely use Generative AI for your assessments in the University of Canberra context.
University of Canberra is revising its position on the use of GenAI in education and research which will take effect in 2026. The following consultation paper includes the proposed revised position and the rationale for the changes. We are seeking feedback from staff and students from 7 October – 24 October 2025 before seeking formal approval of the revised position from Academic Board.
Please review the consultation paper below.
You can provide any feedback you may have via: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/xvzwNxjcf1 or the QR code below.
Microsoft Copilot is an AI-powered digital assistant that aims to provide personalised assistance to users. It incorporates GenAI with the MS Office environment.
The University of Canberra (UC) provides free access for staff and students to the premium version of Microsoft Copilot and is available to UC staff and students. Sign in using your university login credentials.
Microsoft Copilot is based on GPT 4 and can be used in many of the same ways as ChatGPT. It includes up-to-date web search capabilities, so its responses have more chance of using up-to-date sources. Copilot also provides links to where it obtained information, which can aid in checking for authority and accuracy. Image generation is also possible via Copilot 's integration of DALL-E 3.
Copilot is an effective way to safely explore the capabilities of GenAI. Your prompts and data will not be saved or used outside of UC - so your intellectual property remains safe:
Your queries will not be used to train the underlying large language model
No history is retained of your queries or the responses
No reporting or auditing capability is provided.
Access Copilot here.