8.1 Building a culture of integrity

Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT or Bard can support your learning. They can explain concepts or generate practice questions, but they must be used ethically.

Appropriate uses of such tools include: brainstorming, planning and simplifying concepts. Examples of misuse include: submitting AI text as your own, copying without referencing and bypassing learning.

Integrity is not just about avoiding plagiarism. It is about building honest, responsible, and respectful habits. Open University research shows early engagement with Turnitin reduces referrals and improves outcomes (Oldham, 2025).

A culture of integrity is built through choices: time management, careful notetaking, critical thinking, seeking help early, and valuing learning as much as grades.

Activity 5 Integrity pledge

Allow approximately 10 minutes

Write an integrity pledge for yourself using the following as prompts:

  • One habit you will commit to.
  • One skill you want to improve.
  • One reason integrity matters to you.
(A text entry box would appear here, but your browser does not support it.)

OpenLearn - Using Turnitin effectively: building integrity into your writing
ou logoCreative Commons non-commercial share alike icon Except for third party materials and otherwise, this content is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence, full copyright detail can be found in the acknowledgements section. Please see full copyright statement for details.