Your say | AI accusations in nursing subjects

A regional university’s dealings towards its nursing students has been slammed after it was revealed hundreds of students had appealed academic misconduct allegations, many due to artificial intelligence misuse.

Generic photo for investigation into cheating at universities. cheats

From the physical submission to the digital submission, education institutions and their students are entering a new era of assignment submission attached with a digital footprint.

That digital footprint has expanded into a grey area as artificial intelligence creeps into everyday software where the education sector can barely keep up with rapidly evolving technological changes.

Last week it was revealed that hundreds of students at the University of Southern Queensland had lodged appeals with the Student Guild after they were accused of academic misconduct - many of which related to the use of AI detectors flagging assignments.

University of Southern Queensland Student Guild revealed more than 500 students this year had lodged appeal cases at the advocacy unit for academic misconduct allegations. Photo Kevin Farmer / The Chronicle

Nursing students were most at risk of assignments being flagged with possible AI misuse, according to reports from UniSQ nursing students, and an advocacy officer at the Queensland University of Technology Student Guild.

A number of UniSQ nursing students have recalled frustrating appeal meetings with the university where they provided evidence of their drafts, only to be told they were not sufficient.

Evidence was not substantial enough, with some versions of drafts having only a few minutes of working time, was the reason they were either failed, marked down, or given an official warning.

A number of students even reported having their allegations dropped altogether.

As artificial intelligence becomes part of everyday electronics, questions over whether the methods for picking it up are fair and even catching those who use it, particularly in practical subjects such as healthcare and nursing.

Here’s what you had to say:

From physical to digital assignments, the education sector is increasingly needing to be vigilant over new threats to academic integrity, but is artificial intelligence detection to be trusted?

“Nursing should be structured like an apprenticeship; they should be paid to work hands on majority of the time, and then have theory in blocks,” Reggie Gray commented.

“If it was structured this way, the student would have proven competency and knowledge in a hospital, where they couldn’t be accused of AI / plagiarism.”

“It was that way and then it became straight uni study. Never could understand how one learns the pracs by studying a book and this breeds nurses who won’t change an adult diaper or vomit etc. It is beneath them,” said Azara D’Dogue.

“It’s the AI checkers, sometimes they say it’s plagiarism when it’s not,” Matty Davis wrote.

“The final draft appearing to be only worked on for a short period. Are you kidding? I write everything down and type it up when I’m finished. So I’d fail based on that assessment too. How ridiculous,” Letisha Skye wrote.

“Exactly what I do as well. I write everything down then type it up,” said Jodie Hammond.

“Their auto checking system is so crap. Not just for AI but also other plagiarism, so many people have had trouble. As someone studying at UniSQ in the health area I stress about it all the time. It even picks up when you put in headings even though you have to put those certain headings in it shows that’s it’s been “copied””.

“Not just nursing students. Im changing universities for the same reason, professors are allowed to accuse you & fail you, with no option for feedback or discussion,” Vanessa Hanson-Devereux said.

“So would they accept your assignments written by hand or typed using a typewriter? Let’s all go back in time, this is how I did it when I was younger. Just photocopy pictures and diagrams from books and go old school. I have a feeling your educators would soon change their tune when accusing people of cheating.” Shell Evans said.