From the Head of Academic Culture's Desk

At Christway College, we have seen a slight increase in cheating during assessments in the Secondary School as students discover how easily AI can be accessed to complete work on their behalf. Simply telling students not to use AI is not enough, as the temptation to take a shortcut can sometimes prove overwhelming.

One of the most important factors contributing to success in the senior years of schooling is the establishment of good habits during the early years. Christway College teachers are intentional in promoting and reinforcing these habits.

Of these, being honest and acting with integrity in the submission of schoolwork is perhaps the most important habit of all. The connection between the Christian values of honesty and integrity and students' understanding that they are expected to submit authentic work may seem self-evident. However, as with all values, these are things that children need to be taught.

Recently, I had a student in my office who offered an excuse for using AI to complete an assessment task. He explained that he had used AI because “AI could do it better than me. It knew what I wanted to say.” While I sympathised with his struggle to express his ideas fluently in his own words, I was struck by how little understanding he had of the value of that very struggle in producing genuine growth.

We have recently been developing guidelines for teachers regarding how to respond when students use AI to complete their work or receive an unreasonable level of assistance in completing a task.

Teachers will provide explicit instruction in research skills, note-taking, paraphrasing, referencing, and the ethical use of sources. They will also clearly communicate what forms of AI use, if any, are permitted for each assessment task. Wherever possible, assessments will be designed to encourage critical thinking, analysis, evaluation, and personal judgement, making genuine learning the focus rather than the reproduction of generic responses.

Our approach is both preventative and educational. Students will receive age-appropriate guidance on plagiarism and academic honesty, learning not only what constitutes plagiarism but also why integrity matters. Assessments will increasingly incorporate practices that support authentic student work, such as handwritten responses, oral assessments based on brief prompts, writing tasks using unseen prompts, and essay plans restricted to dot points only.

Each assessment will include a Use of AI Declaration, requiring students to be transparent regarding their use of AI.

When concerns about plagiarism arise, the College’s response will be restorative and educational. In the Middle Years, students will be supported to learn from mistakes, rebuild skills, and demonstrate their own understanding through opportunities for resubmission. As students progress towards senior secondary studies, expectations increase, reflecting the standards required in VCE and higher education. Consequently, breaches of academic integrity in Years 11 and 12 carry more significant academic consequences.

Through this approach, we aim to create a culture in which students are equipped for success, held to high standards, and encouraged to grow in both character and academic excellence. By combining clear expectations with opportunities for learning and restoration, we seek to prepare young people who value honesty, take pride in their own work, and are ready for the challenges of future study and employment.

Angela Landy

Head of Academic Culture