The University's position on the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is that a student must not use artificial intelligence tools / services for assessment or assessment preparation unless its use is explicitly permitted in the published assessment instructions. That is, an artificial intelligence tool / service may only be used for assessment or assessment preparation if:
Students are permitted to use Studiosity Writing Feedback Plus to seek feedback on drafts or their assessments. Refer to Study Help for more information.
All students must include the required GenAI Acknowledgement Statement in their assessment submission to indicate whether GenAI has or has not been used in the preparation of the assessment. See below for a copy you can download.
If the use of GenAI is not explicitly included in the assessment instructions, then you are not permitted to use it in your assignment.
Using GenAI where it is not permitted in an assessment is academic misconduct. Whether or not it is permitted, the use of GenAI tools for preparation without acknowledgement, may be found to be academic misconduct.
Looking for more information? 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 “When is it permissible to use GenAI?” in this section and 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.
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.
