Director of Learning & Innovation

Now that we are into the meat of Term 1, it is a good time to start to have a conversation about study time and homework. In the 2022 parent survey it was clear that parents wanted increased rigour around homework, which aligns well with what we have been working to improve over the past 18 months. With the implementation of homework in core subject areas, and time spent with all boys to explain what good study habits look like, we are starting to make some inroads into this. 

I would encourage a conversation around a routine study time, which incorporates all the other things that happen in the life of a young man. It is important to be realistic with a study routine, something that is achievable and regular. This builds the habit and avoids it becoming a chore. 

I have worked with Heads of Department across the college to map out our homework requirements for Term 1 to ensure we are not overloading students with an unachievable amount of work. If you feel your son or ward is becoming stressed by homework or school work in general, please contact their subject teacher or Pastoral Care teacher. 

Academic Integrity

I have previously written about academic integrity and some of the consequences that will occur when cheating or dishonest conduct is found. It is important to note that collusion is a type of dishonest conduct. Collusion is the sharing of work and ideas between students submitting the same task. We cannot have this. 

Like all aspects of scrolling in the 21st Century, we are living with the positive and negative consequences of technology. The College has taken efforts to block websites that use artificial intelligence to assist completion of assessment tasks, however, we are unable to block sharing and collaboration tools such as Google Docs and Google Drive. This means that sharing of intellectual property between students has never been easier. 

As teachers we make efforts to be vigilant around student progress in tasks, meaning we are involved in most steps of the task and can see the development of ideas as a natural process. When a student comes to class with a freshly minted piece of work, done in one night, with no drafting, this raises alarm bells. It would support all teachers and students if we are all having these conversations and being aware of tasks that are upcoming on PAM. We can avoid last minute, emergency sharing of work if we are all conscious of how our boys are progressing toward a due date. As mentioned last edition, these due dates are hard and fast dates now. If you have not been involved in the process to apply for an extension (a form linked to the last edition) then the work should be good to go the night before. 

Our plagiarism tools Ouriginal and Turnitin can conduct what is called a ‘similarity check’ of the work. This means it looks for a consistent use of words across the document, rather than just where exact phrases are used. This means using a synonym website or trying to change aspects of the task will likely still result in being found out. 

All this being said, the feel and vibe to the start of the academic year has been one of relaxed excitement. We have already had many opportunities for engagement in academic opportunities, including an incursion from poet Geoff Goodfellow and initial registration for the TDU debating competition. I am looking forward to what 2023 holds!

If you have any questions, queries or need any support in regard to the issues mentioned in this article, please feel free to email.