From left: Dr Louise van Dyk, Dr Hannelie Marx, Dr Elnerine Greeff, Prof Blessing Mbatha (CoD: Communication Science) & Prof Yolandi Slabbert
A team of lecturers from the Department of Communication Science in the College of Human Sciences (CHS) recently launched a teaching and learning tool to assist students to overcome the pitfalls of plagiarism. The new Writing for Academic Integrity tool was developed by Dr Elnerine Greeff, Dr Hannelie Marx, Prof Yolandi Slabbert and Dr Louise van Dyk.
The team says that the tool not only forms part of a bigger college project, but it utilises Google sites and offers a series of fun and informative video tutorials. These tutorials guide students through a variety of topics that are integral to academic writing: technical guidelines in academic writing, plagiarism, how to reference and advanced referencing.
The importance of this tool cannot be overstated, says the team, adding that academic writing, referencing, and subsequent issues surrounding plagiarism are areas that students tend to struggle with consistently. By providing them with this tremendously helpful and innovative tool, they now have all the crucial information at their fingertips.
“The video tutorials on the site are designed to act as a tool to add to the students’ academic arsenal to improve their writing and the academic integrity of their work,” Greeff explained. The site also provides students with the opportunity to interact with the creators – encouraging them to comment or ask questions.
However, it is not only the students who will benefit from using this tool. It provides lecturers with the opportunity to brush up on technical requirements and to always be ready with an answer at hand.
The team is currently negotiating the development of a mobile application. This is particularly significant, since it will be the first mobile application to be developed in CHS.
Greeff and the team encourage departmental staff to utilise the Writing for Academic Integrity site and to spread the word to students about this exciting new teaching tool available to them.
Click here for the link to the site.
*Compiled by Martine van der Walt-Ehlers, Tanja Botha & Janette Hanekom
Did You Know : Top 15 Free Online Learning Platforms
-
Free Online Education Degrees : Coursera:
Coursera partners with universities and organizations worldwide to offer a wide range of courses. While many courses are free, a fee is often required for certification.
-
Free Online Education Degrees: edX:
Founded by MIT and Harvard, edX offers high-quality courses from top universities and institutions around the world. Certificates are available for a fee.
-
Free Online Education Degrees : Khan Academy:
Khan Academy provides free educational content in various subjects, especially mathematics and science, using instructional videos and practice exercises.
-
Free Online Education Degrees : Udacity:
Udacity focuses on tech-related courses and nanodegree programs, offering free content as well as more in-depth paid programs.
-
Free Online Education Degrees : MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW):
MIT OCW provides a vast array of MIT's course content for free, covering a wide range of disciplines.
-
Free Online Education Degrees : Harvard Extension School:
Harvard Extension School offers a selection of free online courses. While some courses are free, others may require payment for a certificate.
-
Free Online Education Degrees: Stanford Online:
Stanford Online offers a variety of free courses in different disciplines, including computer science, engineering, and business.
-
Best Free Online Courses : Carnegie Mellon Open Learning Initiative (OLI):
OLI offers free online courses and resources designed to improve learning outcomes through research-based methodologies.
-
Best Free Online Courses : FutureLearn:
FutureLearn partners with universities and institutions to offer a diverse range of free online courses. Certificates are available for a fee.
-
Best Free Online Courses: Alison:
Alison offers a wide range of free online courses, including diploma and certificate programs, covering various subjects.
-
Best Free Online Courses: Open Yale Courses:
Yale University provides free access to a selection of introductory courses through Open Yale Courses.
-
Best Free Online Courses : UC Berkeley Online:
UC Berkeley offers free online courses on a variety of subjects, ranging from computer science to humanities.
-
Best Free Online Courses : Google Digital Garage:
Google Digital Garage provides free courses on digital skills, including online marketing, data analysis, and more.
-
Best Free Online Courses : Codecademy:
Codecademy offers free coding courses, interactive exercises, and coding projects to help individuals learn programming languages.
-
Best Free Online Courses : LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com):
LinkedIn Learning provides a variety of video courses on professional development, technology, and creative skills. It offers a free trial period.