At Curtin, GenAI can only be used in specific ways or with clear approval. It’s important to understand appropriate use of GenAI technology to avoid breaching academic integrity standards.
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is a technology that uses machine learning to identify patterns within large datasets. GenAI technology can be used to write, paraphrase, create images, and more.
At Curtin University, students can use GenAI for approved study purposes only. However, you are not permitted to use GenAI in your assessments unless you have explicit permission from your Unit Coordinator (UC). If you use it without permission, you may be breaching academic integrity standards.
To understand how or if GenAI is allowed into your specific unit, check your unit guide or Blackboard for detailed information and examples. A list of approved study purposes and appropriate use can be found on the UniSkills GenAI guide.
Appropriate use
Before you use GenAI tools, you need to ensure that any content you plan to enter into the tool is your own work or something you have permission to upload to GenAI.
Additionally, ensure you have removed any personal or identifiable information.
The final product must be your own work, not just the output directly copied from GenAI tools.
To use GenAI tools appropriately, you must do the following:
Clear written permission is required from your UC before you can use GenAI for assessment-related purposes. Permission will be different across units and between assessments, so ensure you check this for each assessment you do in each unit.
GenAI tools can produce incorrect, biased, out-of-date or false information, known as hallucinations. Each response from a GenAI tool should be reviewed using critical thinking and lateral reading techniques.
You are responsible for all information submitted for assessments – if the information from the GenAI tool was incorrect and still used, this may affect your marks.
When directly using information from a GenAI tool, you must cite and reference your use, similar to how you would cite a journal article or website.
Specific instructions on referencing and acknowledging GenAI use in each style can be found in the UniSkills referencing guides.
In addition to acknowledging use, you must also include a declaration of use. The declaration states which tool has been used, the purpose it was used, the prompt you provided it with, and how you modified the output for your needs.
Futher information about appropriate use of GenAI tools, including information around prompting, reviewing, and integrating GenAI into your studies, visit the Library’s GenAI UniSkills guide.
Note: If you are prompting programs to do something for you such as, ‘rewrite this paragraph’ or ‘translate this text’, this indicates that you are using GenAI software.
GenAI and academic integrity
If you use GenAI tools without permission, acknowledgement and/or declaration, you may be breaching academic integrity standards. Unapproved, inappropriate or undisclosed use may be dishonest or unfair behaviour. It is your responsibility to understand and continuously review the tools and software you use.
Turnitin will detect any AI content in submitted assessments.
For advice on avoiding academic integrity issues and frequently asked questions on GenAI, read through the Appropriate Use of GenAI page.
Common GenAI tools at Curtin
Before using any of these tools, ensure you have checked your assessment guidelines and know whether the purpose you want to use it for breaches academic integrity guidelines.
Additionally, ensure that whatever you put into the tool is your own work or ideas.
To improve your GenAI tool understanding and use, attend one of the Library’s regular GenAI workshops.
Microsoft Copilot is available to all Curtin students using Curtin’s Single Sign On; however, you cannot use any version of Copilot unless you have received explicit permission from your unit coordinator. This includes the Copilot function in the Microsoft Office suite, which may suggest that it can ‘write, re-write, paraphrase, translate, edit, etc.’ for you.
Copilot is trained on public web data using Bing search services. The platform has enterprise data protection (EDP), which means all data are secure and encrypted, and users’ data will not be absorbed for future LLM training. You can learn more about Copilot’s enterprise data protection on the Microsoft website.
Through Curtin Library, all students have access to the Curtin version of Grammarly, which uses GenAI to support grammar, spelling, and punctuation of writing. Please note that only the Curtin version of Grammarly is approved for use within an assessment task and its use will not be picked up in Turnitin’s report as written by GenAI.
Students now also have access to Authorship within the Curtin version of Grammarly. It is recommended for students to use this function to record the process of writing their assessment. The report can be shared with the teaching team if required.
Curtin University is a proud Adobe Cloud Campus, which means all students have access to Adobe Express Premium. Adobe Express Premium offers GenAI tools like generative fill for editing images, text-to-image for creating visuals from prompts, and features for text effects, background removal, and asset resizing.
Microsoft Teams offers GenAI features like meeting transcriptions, intelligent call recaps, smart suggestions in chats, voice isolation, speaker recognition, and message rewriting. These tools can enhance productivity and improve communication within the platform.
