Goal of the Project

In 2012, while working as the Media Technologist at Heartland Community College, I was tasked with producing an Academic Integrity Video which would inform students of their responsibilities with regards to integrity, plagiarism, and acting ethically when submitting work for grades and representing themselves in the highest professional manner as students.

Project Specs

Category

  • A/V Recording
  • Post Production
  • Motion Graphics

Software Used

  • Apple Final Cut Pro 7
  • Apple Motion 5

(click icon to view name)

Hardware Used

  • Sony NEX-VG20 Video Camera
  • Manfrotto 055XB Tripod
  • Manfrotto 701HDV Tripod Head
  • Sennheiser ew 112-p G3 Wireless Lapel Microphone System

Audience

  • Heartland Community College Students, Faculty, Staff, Administration, and Visitors

Solution to the Problem

A video composed of short, interview-style video clips was recorded and produced using a variety of familiar faces to many of the students of the college. Represented are the Dean of Student Success, a Professor of Mathematics and Physical Science, an Associate Professor of English, a College alumni and current employee, and a current student (at that time). On this project, I chose the royalty free audio music, created the motion graphic title sequences and lower thirds text, recorded all video interviews including setting up the backdrop, lighting, video camera and microphones, and performed all of the post-production to create the final video using Apple Final Cut Pro 7. The Heartland Community College Academic Integrity Video seen via a YouTube link on Heartland Community College's YouTube channel.

Feedback from Others

"Tom worked with a subcommittee from the Academic Integrity committee to help produce a quality video that introduces the topic to students and relays why academic integrity is important. This video is fabulous!"

-Janice Malak, Professor II of Sociology at Heartland Community College (September 6, 2012)

"Tom has done another amazing job of putting together a video that will truly benefit the students of HCC. He humbly goes above and beyond in his attention to detail. It's great to work with Tom!"

-Tammy Truitt, Associate Director of Adult Education at Heartland Community College (June 28, 2012)

Video Text Transcription

(Music)

(Item on Screen: Defining Academic Integrity at Heartland Community College)

(Mariah, Heartland Community College Student Speaking)
I would define academic integrity as just doing your best on your papers, on your homework and not using someone else's work.

(Peter Betz, Heartland Community College Professor of Mathematics and Physical Science Speaking)
Academic integrity to me would mean that a student is honestly and ethically representing their work particularly work that they submit for a grade.

(Rachel, Heartland Community College Student Speaking)
Academic integrity is just doing your best and being honest in your work. To be like the best student that you can and not shortcutting things.

(Claron Sharrieff, Heartland Community College Data Entry Assistant Speaking)
Integrity is important to me because it is something that my mother instilled in us as children. "Be honest." "You wouldn't want it done to you." That I think really stands out because you wouldn't. You wouldn't want to find out that somebody invaded your confidentiality or sold your information for profit. It's... it's wrong. Period.

(Amy Munson, Heartland Community College Dean of Student Success Speaking)
For the institution and for our Division of Student Success academic integrity means more than just what happens outside or inside the classroom. Or even what happens at the institution but how well we can prepare students for other challenges, obstacles and choices that they are going to make in life.

(Item on Screen: Academic Integrity Resources at Heartland Community College)

(Jennifer Swartout, Heartland Community College Associate Professor of English Speaking)
We absolutely teach academic integrity as an integral part of our writing courses. And that is because this is probably the first time that a lot of students are using outside sources and often very complex, intellectual sources in their writing. They are learning how to write a research based paper and so it is one of the primary conversations and one of ongoing conversations we have from day one almost until the end of the semester.

(Mariah, Heartland Community College Student Speaking)
We have the librarians, we have the tutoring center, we have well just the teachers, we have all sorts of wonderful online resources. It's just… Heartland makes it very easy to cite your sources and find credible sources and everything. I think it is one of the best.

(Item on Screen: Consequences of Not Having Academic Integrity at Heartland Community College)

(Rachel, Heartland Community College Student Speaking)
I think some of the consequences that are fair for having poor academic integrity are of course the legal and academic one's put in place by the schools but also just personal and societal consequences because if you aren't trustworthy or honest then that's going to come out in your friendships and in work and every other relationship that you have because people might not trust you.

(Peter Betz, Heartland Community College Professor of Mathematics and Physical Science Speaking)
Fair consequences for violations of integrity really depends on a case-by-case basis. A lot of times as I look at it I look at what the student did and kind of the context that it happened in. In the past I have ranged from having a student redo something and have a conversation about why what they did was wrong and how they needed to do it right. I have done a zero on the assignment and I have also done an F in the course. To fairly major incidents were I sent it on to the school's policy board and the student was expelled for three years from Heartland. Most of them are small and fairly minor and we usually just deal with those on kind of a one-on-one basis.

(Amy Munson, Heartland Community College Dean of Student Success Speaking)
Some of the consequences for not having academic integrity at Heartland Community College can range from being disallowed services like not being allowed to take tests in the testing center or not being allowed in tutoring or the Fitness and Rec. Center. It could also involve a failing grade for a project or test, failing grade for the course or suspension or expulsion. I would say that any time a student has a question about academic integrity, concerned about plagiarism or any other thing related to academic integrity the first thing they want to do is talk to their instructor, review the syllabus, review the policy for the course and for the project.

(Item on Screen: The Value of Academic Integrity at Heartland Community College)

(Amy Munson, Heartland Community College Dean of Student Success Speaking)
The most important thing about maintaining your academic integrity while you are at Heartland Community College is it will set you up for that success in your future choices in life, in your career, in other institutions where you go to school. It allows you to meet those high expectations. To push yourself to achieve a lot of times more than maybe what you thought you could achieve.

(Claron Sharrieff, Heartland Community College Data Entry Assistant Speaking)
Trust. I think trust is a big, big issue with society period. And in order to have that trust other people have to believe in you. They have to know that you have that degree of integrity.

(Rachel, Heartland Community College Student Speaking)
I find a satisfaction in knowing that people can trust what I say in my word and my work and that I have done the best on the project or the assignment.

(Claron Sharrieff, Heartland Community College Data Entry Assistant Speaking)
Give yourself a chance to grow. Give yourself a chance to open your mind. Give yourself a chance to think and apply yourself.

(Jennifer Swartout, Heartland Community College Associate Professor of English Speaking)
And so it might be a semester of struggle and then suddenly you realize that you are pretty good at this stuff. You know and that this is really a metaphor for life. Right. School is like life. There is going to be pressures and learning curves and things that are stressful. But that it is all do-able but we have to give ourselves time to master that learning curve.

(Amy Munson, Heartland Community College Dean of Student Success Speaking)
Academic integrity is important especially at Heartland Community College because we value the learning that happens. Not just the grades that students get. But if they perform well and are successful in their courses and have implemented academic integrity they are going to be set up to achieve greater things in life.

(Item on Screen: For Information On Academic Integrity at Heartland Community College see http://www.heartland.edu/documents/aqip/
AcademicIntegrity/policy.pdf)

(Music Ends)