A Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence Checklist
- The syllabus includes the university’s stated academic integrity policy and up-to-date policies regarding generative AI.
- The class includes early and frequent checks to ensure that students understand exactly what the academic integrity policies mean for them as applied to this specific class. For example:
- Low stakes (a small number of points or small percentage of grade) but required assignment for students to restate policies in their own words
- Low stakes but required assignment for students to add a question about the policies to a Blackboard discussion forum or crowdsource questions about the polices via a shared Google Doc or Google slides
- Students are provided with specific examples to discuss in class, identifying whether or not it would be a violation of the academic integrity policies
- Students take the online Academic Integrity Quiz available through the Center for Learning and Student Success (CLASS) and discuss results in class
- The class allows students to make some mistakes and missteps in their learning without being penalized. For example:
- Students complete a set of quizzes or small assignments and can drop one or more low grades before final grades are calculated
- Students can make corrections to wrong answers for partial credit
- Students are allowed a one-time “flex pass” for a late or missed assignment to be submitted for full credit.
- The instructor’s expectations are clearly communicated to students, including describing in detail what students can and cannot utilize to complete assignments, particularly what specific kinds of collaborations with other students are acceptable and not acceptable.
- The point and purpose of assignments and assessments are clear to students, closely linked to the learning goals. The instructor strives to reduce the perception of any part of the class as “busywork.”
- All major assignments are scaffolded, i.e., they’re broken into smaller assignments that each build on previous learning, including early drafts of written assignments. The scaffolding includes feedback to students that they can directly apply to improving their work going forward, emphasizing future success. There are regular checks to make sure students are reading and understanding feedback on scaffolded assignments, such as students summarize previous feedback as part of the next assignment.
- If class includes timed exams or quizzes, students have numerous and repeated opportunities, including time during class meetings, to practice the skills being tested in the exam. The practice time is a required activity but is low or no stakes, and practice includes specific examples of problems or questions that will be on the exams.
- The instructor conveys approachability early and often, encouraging students to ask questions and get assistance, especially at pinch points and high stress times during the semester.
- Academic integrity is framed as a valuable skill the instructor wants to help students cultivate. The instructor defines academic integrity as an achievable goal that students can reach with support, clear information, and their own appropriate effort (rather than a deficit in their skills that will be punished).
Download the checklist as a PDF
