1. Getting someone to write your assignment (also called ghost writing or contract cheating)

Did you know that having a friend, family member or anyone other than yourself write your assignment – paid or not – is considered a breach of academic honesty?

You may discuss your assignment with a friend, but you have to do the actual writing yourself (because you want to learn!). And paying someone or a writing service to write your assignment is a definite no-no. Neither is it acceptable for you to write an assignment for another person.

You can stay clear of this situation by starting early on your assignment. Don’t be afraid to seek help from lecturers, librarians and Learning Advisers. In this way, you can count on yourself to start and complete your assignment writing and meet the submission deadline.

2. Working in groups but submitting individually

Quite often, you could be asked to work collaboratively on a group assignment. You may find yourself sharing similar content through the exchange of information and ideas.

Do take note, however, if you’re asked to produce and submit individual reports. While you may share similar content with your group members, you’re expected to develop your own answer and write the report in your own words.

One way to avoid submitting the same piece of writing is to make your own notes (preferably in your own words) during discussions. Check out the note-taking and paraphrasing resources on StudyWISE in iLearn.

3. Citing fake resources and falsifying data

When you cite scholarly sources such as journal articles in your writing, you’re demonstrating that you can critically evaluate and use them to support your thesis.

Assignment markers are well-versed with the subject, so responsible writers wouldn’t mislead them by providing false or non-existent literature. Similarly, responsible students wouldn’t falsify data in a research project. It is a breach of academic honesty if citations and data are fake.

Again, start your research for your assignment as early as you can. This allows you more time to find and evaluate credible and good sources for your assignment. If you need help looking for resources, talk to a Research Librarian at the Library Info Desk.

4. Uploading Macquarie University’s course materials to websites

It may have crossed your mind to help your peers by sharing course information – such as notes, a lecturer’s Powerpoint slides, assignment questions and guidance notes – with them on the Internet.

Don’t do it. Course materials are the intellectual property of the University and you need to ask for permission from your lecturer before you can share or distribute. Find out more about copyright here.

5. Pretending to be someone else and vice-versa

Sometimes you may feel that you’re not fully prepared or that you’re not feeling well enough to sit for a quiz or an exam. It may be tempting to ask another person to sit for the exam on your behalf. Or, another student might approach you to do so. Don’t.

Such behaviour is considered as a very serious breach of academic integrity and can stop you from earning your degree.

Early in the session, check your unit guides for procedures if you’re ill on the day of an exam. Also, exam preparation need not be a stressful activity. Look at the exam prep strategies on StudyWISE to be exam-ready.

6. Sabotaging and obstructing

You may think that it’s a harmless prank to change your friend’s lab results. Or that it’s okay to withhold information from your group members. Or that forgetting to return library books or breaking laboratory equipment is no big deal.

The fact is that even small actions which sabotage and obstruct another student’s academic work, progression or completion of study are also considered breaches of academic integrity.

Where can I find out all about academic integrity?
The new Academic Integrity Module (which is on iLearn under Student Support) will equip you to fully understand academic integrity.

Starting university can be overwhelming for the new undergraduate. You can be anxious about settling into campus life and worried about meeting new people. You can also find attending to studies within your faculty quite daunting. But there are programs devised to make sure you feel right at home. Here’s one from the Faculty of Business and Economics (FBE).

To ensure new students get the most from their studies and to facilitate a smooth transition into university life, FBE initiated the First Step Mentoring program in Session 2, 2013. It is an academic-to-student program in which a third-year and above student can be a peer mentor to a first-year student. The peer mentor organises social outings for the mentoring group and develops business skills in team management and mentoring. In addition to meeting with the peer mentor and socialising with other mentees, the first-year student will also have the opportunity to meet regularly with an academic.

In this Q&A below, FBE academic mentor Associate Professor Catriona Lavermicocca, peer mentor Shaniya Kumar and a first-year mentee Maryrose Sukkar each explain how the First Step Mentoring program works for them and, most importantly, they outline the many benefits of the program. FBE First STEP Mentoring group photo. Left to right: Peer mentor Shaniya Kumar, Associate Professor Catriona Lavermicocca and first-year mentee Maryrose Sukkar.

The Academic Mentor

Associate Professor Catriona Lavermicocca, Associate Dean (Programs and Pathways) Postgraduate and an academic mentor. 

What are your professorial responsibilities and academic interests here at Macquarie?
I teach taxation law at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, but I’ve also been involved in writing learning materials for Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and the Tax Institute as well at co-ordinating and developing Macquarie University’s close relationship with professional accounting bodies. My research looks at corporate social responsibility, tax risk management practices, tax transparency, reputational risk and the income tax compliance behaviour of large corporations. Most recently I’ve participated in governance committees in the Faculty of Business and Economics and am currently the Chair of the Macquarie University Academic Standards and Quality Committee (ASQC).

Why did you want to be an academic mentor?
I am passionate about embedding employability skills into university qualifications and the need for education programs to address the changing skill set required in current day graduates. For this reason, I really want to help students settle as quickly as possible into university. From my experience, each time I am involved in the First Step program, I learn a lot more than the mentees. For example, I learn about the challenges that first-year students face and the diversity of issues outside university that have an impact on their experience here. Family, work and friends, to varying degrees, are brought into our discussions.

As a teacher, what’s the best thing about being a First Step mentor?
The best thing is that mentees provide me with insights I can use to inform the courses and units that I am involved in. As a result, I am better able to deliver programs that students connect with.

What are your first impressions of your mentees?
They are mostly a little shy and nervous but that soon changes and they become comfortable and relaxed.

How often do you meet? How has your relationship grown and what help were you able to give your mentees?
The program has guidelines around how often we meet but I think it is at least three times. The relationships on the whole grow over the session. The students often have questions they are unable to ask someone else, but they do ask me. That’s great as I love to help! Sometimes a mentee does drop out and it is often due to the student being really busy or because they feel they aren’t getting anything out of the program. That’s okay, because it is not meant to be a burden.

Can you offer three anecdotes of mentoring students that surprised you, you found funny or made you feel extra satisfied you were making a difference to a student’s experience within the Faculty.
One mentee had an explicit goal to be a federal politician one day, one mentee came to the University to study applied finance after a career as a qualified truck mechanic, and another mentee was so young and naïve when I first met her I wasn’t sure how she’d turn that around, but now, three years down the track, she has become a mentor herself!

What advice have you given your mentees about networking, communication skills and how to succeed in a business environment?
I am often talking to students about the importance of the soft skills necessary to get and keep a job – especially in this gig economy. Most importantly, and reflecting on my own career, I encourage students to participate in whatever comes along. If someone asks you to be involved, say yes, unless there is a clear reason not to.

The Peer Mentor

Shaniya Kumar is a peer mentor who is currently completing a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in accounting and human resources.

What’s your background? Tell us about yourself.
While studying, I work in an accounting firm in Sydney CBD, and have secured an internship at Deloitte at the end of 2018. As for my other major of human resources, I am learning more about that through interning in the Macquarie University Business School, specifically for First STEP Mentoring program. Outside of Macquarie, I love spending time with my family and friends and also play netball.

Why did you apply to be a FBE mentor?
I have been involved in many leadership roles and the idea of helping students settle into university has been one of my greatest achievements. Hearing about the challenges new students face always makes me want to be there for them as much as I can through high levels of support and guidance. This program is a great way for first-year students to start feeling comfortable and confident.

What’s the best thing about being a mentor? The best thing about being a peer mentor for FBE is the sense of accomplishment you feel at the end of the session when students have become more proactive. You see them joining clubs and societies and pursuing leadership roles themselves. Overall, it’s great to see them becoming engaged. It shows me how well I have helped them accomplished their goals. As for my own experience, I had a mentor from ANZ Bank who gave me the confidence to apply for internships and succeed in interviews.

Tell us about your first impressions of your mentees?
At first, they are incredibly shy, however, over time they become more open and relaxed.

How often do you get together with your mentees? How has your relationship grown and what help were you able to give them?
The mentees and I meet for social events throughout the session. Sometimes it’s difficult to find a time in our busy schedules to pin a date to a social event, however, we do our best to come together and socialise as often as possible. We often meet off campus in casual situations so that students can relax and be themselves.

What advice did you give your mentees about networking, communication skills and how to succeed in the business environment?
I encourage students to join groups and societies to enhance their social skills and to attend FBE-endorsed events to develop their soft skills of meeting, greeting and speaking. Going to the other general MQ events, such as Study Abroad Fairs or Careers Week, will also build their confidence when it comes time to apply for internships or to look for job opportunities.

The First-year Mentee

Maryrose Sukkar, is a first-year undergraduate student studying Bachelor of Law and Bachelor of Commerce (International Business).

Why did you apply to be a FBE mentee?
I applied to the First Step Mentoring program because I wanted to understand the ins and outs of what uni life is about. I wanted to experience my first year to its full potential. I feel that this FBE program has helped me do that.

What’s the best thing about your mentor?
My academic mentor is Catriona Lavermicocca. She has been a warm, caring and motivational mentor who has allowed me to understand what uni is all about.

What has been some specific advice she’s had for you that helped you in your studies and plans for the future?
Catriona explained what women empowerment stands for and has encouraged me and other mentees and students to take on our study with passion and determination. Through discussing her own life, she has illustrated what women can achieve. She inspires me to further pursue my objectives in my Law/Commerce degree and has made me realise that passion is the most important attribute for success.

What are some of the things that you’ve learned in the program?
There are probably three things I’ve learned that will be important to my studies: to stay focused throughout the year, to give myself a break when needed and to always keep on top of my notes. Catriona explained that if I kept up to date, I wouldn’t have to catch up later on. This has helped me tremendously.

What have been some of the things you’ve learned about through meeting other student mentees?
Knowing that I have had many of the same worries as my fellow first-years has made me feel more settled. For example, I discovered I wasn’t the only one who was feeling nervous about starting at Macquarie Uni. It was also good to hear about everyone’s past experiences and why they chose certain courses. I found it intriguing that one of my fellow mentees has the same degree as I and we had chosen it for similar reasons.

What have been the benefits of the First Step program?
Via the program, I now better understand what the University has on offer. I also got to meet like-minded people with similar goals and ambitions. I’ve also been able to develop good relationships with my mentors and fellow mentees, which has been really beneficial in creating a support network.

Through understanding my academic mentor’s achievements in her work and family life, I’ve been able to think about life beyond my studies. I now aspire to support women who do not have access to education (there is an estimate of 31 million girls of primary school age who are not in school).  I would like to take this opportunity to wholeheartedly thank my mentor Catriona and all those who have made this program possible. I highly recommend first-year students to apply for this program.

So how can you apply to become a mentee or peer mentor in Session 1, 2019?

If you are interested in becoming a first year student mentee, then please click on this link. If you are currently in your third year and above studying in the Faculty of Business and Economics and are interested in taking on a leadership role, then visit the First STEP mentor webpage to find out how to apply to become a peer mentor for 2019.

Photo: Joanne Stephan

A recent Stanford University Report revealed that students’ abilities to distinguish between questionable and valid online content needed work.

In one example cited in the report, researchers set high school and university students a task to evaluate the credibility of information found on the MinimumWage.com site. Only nine per cent of high school students and six per cent of university students could identify the site was actually a front for a right-wing think tank.

The lack of critical judgement displayed by high school and university students in this example is, as the report’s authors identified, a challenge that’s bigger than fake news.

It doesn’t just affect young people, either. In analysing the issue, the problem is not so much how we educate to identify hoax sites, as generally these are low frequency and quickly identifiable. The real challenge is how we educate people, both young and old, to critically evaluate the perspectives, aims and purposes of a website. In short, how do we help people distinguish between fact and opinion?

Here are three strategies based on the findings of the Stanford Report to help navigate the online information minefield.

1. Get off the website
A traditional approach to educating about these challenges has been conducting ‘website evaluations’ using a checklist. This usually involves judging the reliability of a site based on the information it contains, such as a named author, the publication date, domain name, and so on.

However, this approach underestimates how sophisticated and deceptive the internet has become. Instead of a vertical checklist approach, web users need to interact laterally. That involves getting off the website and searching for other information that can provide clues as to the validity and balance of information it contains. For example, thoroughly researching sites’ authors may reveal their political alignments, if they are funded by another person or organisation with particular agendas and so on. Accurate answers to such questions will most likely only be found off the website.

2. Use a site’s reference list
Another good strategy is to go straight to the site’s reference list, if one is available. If no reference list is provided, it may well be a good reason to dig deeper.

3. Identify adjectives
Adjectives describe how something feels, looks, sounds and acts. They indicate the tone or mood of the message and suggest to readers how they should respond to the content of the site. A savvy web user can identify adjectives, think critically about how these encourage them to view the content of the site, and then evaluate the compatibility between the message itself and the effect of how the message is communicated.

These are just a few practical tips. Above all, readers should cast a more critical eye over information they use from the web, to make sure the knowledge built from it is trustworthy and accurate.

The myth of the ‘digital native’
‘Digital native’ was a buzz term of the early 2000’s, used to define young people born into a digital world. According to the architect of the ‘digital native’ narrative, Marc Prensky, if you were born before 1980, you were known as a ‘digital immigrant’. Digital immigrants allegedly struggle with the technical domain that digital natives find so natural.

However, this narrative promoted an ‘us’ versus ‘them’ divide and did little to further our understanding of how young people interact with online information. The native generation may well be good at flicking between Facebook, Twitter and Instagram whilst texting their best friend about what’s happening on those sites, but the acts of ‘liking’ or ‘friending’ seldom involve making critical judgements.

It could be argued that young people’s saturated use of social media actually works against building critical thinking capabilities, as their interaction with the information is generally at a low level such as (re)tweeting, or simply claiming or making a positive or negative response.

We also need to remember that people born pre-1980 are not necessarily bad with technology. Time has exposed the ‘digital native versus digital immigrant’ narrative to be little more than popular folklore. Even Prensky has backed away from the debate, and now considers we should concentrate on building something he calls ‘digital wisdom’.

Building ‘digital wisdom’, the ability to select accurate and balanced online information and use it productively to construct robust and well-informed perspectives and knowledge, should be the goal for education at all levels.

Study when your body tells you to study
Each of us has a unique biological clock that controls some of our physiological processes. Our biological clocks run on a 24-hour cycle. Ask yourself: What time of the day do you feel most awake and alert? When do you feel most sleepy? Your answers say something about how your biological clock operates, and the time of day that may be best for you to study. Take this 5-10 minute quiz to find out if you are a morning or night person.

Not surprisingly, research indicates that early birds and night owls work most productively at different times of the day. When family, work and other responsibilities allow, plan to study during the hours that best suit your biological clock.

What’s the trick to sustaining this study time? Do it consistently until it becomes a natural part of your daily schedule. It also means not compromising on sleep. You may feel the pressure to study around the clock to get through your exams, but this is actually ineffective.

As noted in Hye-Jung Lee and Jihyun Lee’s article titled, Who gets the best grades at top universities?, a top student at Korea’s highest ranked university describes how time can be managed to study effectively: “My friends stay [up] the whole night to study. Calculating the time, my friends study way more than me, but their results are not always better than mine.”

The point is you should plan to study when your body tells you to study; plan to sleep because your body, and your studies, need it.

Study now
Well, perhaps not right now if it’s 4am and you should be asleep. But try to space out your study throughout the session. Avoid caffeine, sugar and, most importantly, stress-fuelled last-minute cramming.

Each week, summarise what you’re learning in your classes and set readings. Regularly revise small amounts of this material. Use the small pockets of time you have during the day to make this happen: time on the train, waiting for a class, before a shift. Discuss key concepts with other students in your units. These study strategies will help reduce the stress associated with this time of producing assignments and sitting exams. And, remember, it’s not too late to implement them now.

A learning adviser can discuss study strategies with you. You can read about time management and exam preparation in StudyWISE, and attend upcoming exam preparation and writing repair workshops. Speak with someone at Campus Wellbeing if you’re feeling anxious about your studies, or find out what Wellbeing WISE says about overcoming procrastination.

Academic writing is more than using long words; it’s also about important academic attitudes and values. Measure up your writing against these suggestions from Learning Skills.

Academic writing is logical and objective
Academic style guides often advise writers not to write ‘I think …’. That’s because your writing, and the logic behind it, should focus on analysis and critical thinking rather than your opinions or feelings about a topic. Even reflective writing assignments, which focus on your experiences and understanding, require you to analyse and sometimes critique your own thinking. 
To improve: Begin assignments by searching for evidence and then plan a series of related arguments that show critical thinking, which support your central thesis, argument or claim. If you can’t support a point, you probably need to leave it out.

Academic writing is precise and cautious 
Any arguments or claims you make must be supported by specific evidence, generally referenced from academic sources. Avoid generalisations unless you have strong evidence. The generalisation ‘All Australians are lazy workers’ seems simplistic and trite, while ‘Unlike some other work cultures, Australian workplaces do not expect workers to complete unpaid overtime’ seems more thoughtful.
To improve: Check you have evidence to support your points and use cautious language to show how sure you are about the points you are making.

Academic writing uses discipline-specific terms 
Get comfortable with the specific technical terms for your discipline, or academic tribe, if you like . This shows you’ve turned up to class and occasionally done the weekly readings.
To improve: Underline the key terms in the assignment question and in lectures or readings on your topic. As you plan your assignment, note which terms would be useful to explain your point and use them. The same goes for exams; learn key terms and use them. Note: if you don’t understand it, don’t use it – your reader can tell.

Academic writing is formal 
Most written assignments require a more formal style than the websites you’re reading. This means taking out friendly language such as ‘really’, ‘just’, ‘so’, ‘like’. For example: ‘It’s like a really important topic that is just found everywhere’ reads more like a casual comment. You can also rewrite long, stringy sentences (that may be full of words like ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘so’) by splitting or reorganising their structure.
To improve: Try this quick Academic Language Quiz to remind yourself of some basic rules of academic style. Also, check out the ideas and activities in this writing workshop.

Academic writing: what it’s not 
Academic writing doesn’t have to be stuffy, wordy or confusing. Law subjects often ask students to write in Plain English; while some academics, such as Steven Pinker, a professor of psychology at Harvard University, campaigns against academic writing that ‘stinks’; and Helen Sword, a professor at the University of Auckland who runs academic writing workshops, suggests using fewer zombie nouns.

For more tips on how to write in academic style, login to the iLearn portal for help or get a copy of Academic Culture: A Student’s Guide to Studying at University. Clear and practical, this book is highly recommended as it was written by Brick, J., Herke, M. Wong, D. (2016) – who are all Macquarie academics!  

In this post, the team from Learning Skills explains three steps to help you become more critical in your assignments.

Step 1: Know the difference between descriptive writing and critical writing (because you’ll need to use both)

In the past you might have ‘researched’ a topic by collecting facts and then outlining what you found. This is descriptive writing, and descriptive writing is important to show that you understand the key concepts in a topic.

However, university assignments usually require you to think critically about ideas, not just to describe them. When you write critically, you evaluate the ideas you write about and, above all, you answer the question why. Here are some other key differences between the two:

Step 2: Before you start, make a plan

When you do sit down to tackle an assignment, it’s far easier to set out a clear plan that drafts out answers to the following questions:

• What is your thesis (your 30-second answer to the question/your position)? Does it include an evaluation of the topic?
• What core arguments will you use to support your thesis? Are they relevant to your thesis? Do they answer why questions, as well as what and how?
• Do you have sufficient evidence (specific information) to support each argument?

While it’s completely okay to change your answer and structure as you write (it happens!), mapping out a plan will help you check that your answer has a critical focus.

Step 3: Highlight your critical thinking through your writing style

Maybe you feel that you are already thinking critically, but you’re frustrated because your readers don’t seem to pick up on it. Check that your writing style makes your thesis, arguments and evidence clear to your reader. The following strategies can help you:

• Thesis: Include your thesis in your introduction. It should be clearly written in one or two sentences and your reader should be able to underline it. Think of it as a sound bite in writing.
• Arguments: Summarise your arguments in your introduction, then deal with one in each body paragraph. Write a topic sentence for each paragraph to signal the argument you will cover.
• Evidence: Use evidence in the supporting sentences of your body paragraphs and don’t forget to reference it. You can also include a sentence after your evidence explaining how it supports the point you’re trying to make.
• Reasoning: Help your reader follow the steps in your argument through linking words and phrases. Visit the Academic Phrasebank for phrases to help frame your ideas.

What are your steps for successful writing? Share them in the comments below.

1. To lodge an appeal, you must identify the applicable ground for your appeal, as well as provide a written statement and evidence proving how this has caused you a substantial injustice. The grounds for submitting an appeal must be for reasons of procedural irregularity, rather than academic merit.
2. The new Appeals Policy applies to decisions regarding:
   · admission and readmission
   · disruption to studies applications
   · recognition of prior learning applications
   · suspension
   · exclusion
   · termination of your Higher Degree Research candidature.
3. The policy does not change the way in which you lodge an appeal on your grades. All grade appeals remain under the separate Grade Appeal Policy and should be lodged using the appropriate form.
4. There are varying timeframes for which you have to lodge an appeal; these can be between 5 and 20 working days depending on the decision that you are appealing.
5. All appeals must be lodged online via the AskMQ website.

You can find additional information about the appeal process, including appeal timeframes, at the appeals webpage.

1. Football is popular with school students, most children play at least once a week.

2. The Socceroos are likely to qualify for the 2018 World Cup and to compete in the group stage in Russia.

3. People associate chocolate with celebrations. And chocolate is a popular gift.

4. Since Pokemon Go is so popular, marketers and other game designers are copying its design.

5. Australia has a strong sporting culture. Especially, Australians are fond of water sports such as swimming and surfing.

Answers below. Got any wrong? Consider attending a Connecting Clauses workshop at the library, where you can learn about compounding sentences and other great ways to enhance your academic writing.

The library hosts a range of learning workshops that are free and open to all students. Find out more at the Learning Skills website.

1. Not correct: include a linking word (e.g. ‘and’) instead of a comma

2. Correct

3. Not correct: in a formal writing style ‘and’, ‘but’ and ‘so’ are not used at the beginning of a sentence.

4. Correct

5. Not correct: move ‘Especially’ from the beginning of a sentence.