Introduction:
The Plagiarism, Collusion, and Cheating Policy aims to minimize incidents that negatively impact the center's risk ratings and reduce the need for malpractice or maladministration investigations. This policy provides Britsafe™ Qualifications UK Limited staff with a foundational understanding of plagiarism, collusion, and cheating, offering common examples of each. By increasing staff awareness, Britsafe™ believes that trainers and assessors can better inform learners about actions considered plagiarism, collusion, or cheating.
This increased understanding supports staff involved in qualification delivery and registered learners by clarifying unacceptable practices, ultimately reducing the risk of learners unknowingly breaching the policy. Consequently, learners are less likely to face withdrawal from qualifications or restrictions on enrolling at their chosen training center due to policy violations.
Scope:
This policy applies to all Britsafe™ Qualifications UK Limited staff and registered learners involved in delivering or participating in qualifications or units.
Plagiarism:
Plagiarism involves using another’s work, altering words but retaining the original structure and meaning, without acknowledging the source or ownership. External Quality Assurers (EQAs) visiting Britsafe™ Qualifications UK Limited may check for and report plagiarism by sampling learner portfolios. Britsafe™ has assessment controls in place, allowing assessors and IQAs to identify plagiarism when marking assessment papers.
Obvious Examples of Cheating:
- Having someone else complete the work.
- Providing false information about a source.
- Copying directly from the internet without acknowledgment.
Less Obvious Examples of Plagiarism:
- Copying parts or all of another person’s work.
- Receiving help from friends or family, including dictation.
- Copying and pasting from internet sources without citation.
- Copying text or extracts from other works without referencing.
- Copying from another learner’s portfolio, with or without permission.
- Using or taking another learner’s work.
Collusion:
Collusion is considered to be a type of plagiarism if two or more people knowingly and with planned intent work together and submit work that is not solely theirs.
- Two or more learners sharing information leading to the production and submission of the work by both learners.
- Passing off the work of another learner with their consent.
- A learner knowingly provides an opportunity for other learners to see their work, such as during an examination.
Cheating:
Cheating involves intentionally passing off someone else's work as one's own. Britsafe™ Qualifications UK Limited is committed to implementing effective safeguards to prevent staff from assisting learners in ways that would unfairly enhance their performance during assessments and examinations.
- Accessing examination materials before the examination.
- Assessors, tutors, or invigilators providing assistance to learners during the preparation, submission, or marking of assessments.
- Impersonating another learner to provide an unfair advantage.
- Encouraging or accepting unauthorized assistance from others.
- Copying or viewing another learner’s work during an assessment.
