This module and the next are about giving you the tools you need to be successful in your studies. Online learning and school life can be overwhelming at first, but once you find the steps that work for you, you’ll be unstoppable! 

In this module, we’ll share effective ways to prepare for online tests, presentations and teamwork, as well as information on academic integrity, accessible accommodations, and George Brown services that are here to help.

In the next, you’ll learn strategies for finding successful strategies that work for you to learn and work your best while maintaining your well-being.

As a student, you are responsible for demonstrating academic integrity in all your work, including learning, scholarship and field placement. It is important that you understand our guidelines and your rights, so you receive an accurate and fair assessment of your work.

Academic integrity is the demonstration of the values of honesty, equity, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility in all forms of learning and scholarship. All members of the George Brown community must uphold and demonstrate a commitment to these values. For students, failure to comply may result in suspension or expulsion.

Any breach of academic integrity, intentional or unintentional – including cheating, plagiarism, interfering with the educational environment, fabrication, falsification, impersonation, inappropriate use of technology and Generative AI, and copyright – is subject to conditions and resolutions outlined in our Academic Integrity Policy.

Read our full Academic Integrity Policy

8 things you should know about academic integrity at George Brown

1. Check your course outline

Once you receive your course outlines, take a moment to read through the sections on academic integrity. It is up to you to speak with your professor if you have any questions.

2. Submit your own original work

Any assignment you submit (essays, papers, lab assignments) must be your own work. Representing someone else's work as your own is plagiarism.

If you submit someone else's work as your own, even with permission, you are not only violating the principles of academic integrity, but you are also implicating that person in academic misconduct.

Allowing someone to represent your work as their own, unless authorized by faculty, is also academic misconduct.

3. Be mindful of the use of Generative AI

It is up to your program and faculty members if Generative AI is permitted or not permitted per course. Please refer to your course outline or speak to your program administrator if you have any questions. Generative AI tools include, but are not limited to, ChatGPT, Copilot, Bing, ChatPDF and Dall-e. Generative AI sources are not infallible and have been known to produce inaccurate, biased, unethical and offensive information.

It is good practice to disclose and keep track of all the activities you engage in with Generative AI tools for your coursework: which tools you used, the prompts you used, the links to the outputs, and dates. This documentation may be requested by your instructors. This documentation can also help you reflect on your learning process.  

4. Fully cite and reference your sources

To avoid committing plagiarism, you must acknowledge the source of anything included in your submitted assignment that is not your own work. Citing sources is an important part of the academic process – your instructor needs to know what parts are your original thoughts, ideas and research, while your readers need to know where to locate more information. It is also crucial you diversify your sources for your work.

Check out our resources on citing sources for details.

5. Follow the expectations provided by faculty for working in groups

You may be required to participate in group assignments in your courses. In those cases, your professor will clarify the rules and roles around collaborative work.

6. Document your work and communication

For your own protection, it is important to keep detailed track of your work. Some ways of doing this include:

• Saving all communication between you and your instructors and/or peers
• Take notes during conversations
• Work in cloud-based programs that show history or use track changes
• Avoid large copy and pasted segments into your documents

7. Impersonation is not allowed

Students taking part in the impersonation of, or the act of having another person impersonate, another student at any academic assessment or in connection with any other form of work related to your studies (including Work Integrated Learning) is considered a breach. Same goes for forging and falsifying documents.

8. When in doubt, ask

If at any point you are unsure that something in your work could be considered misconduct, or if you have a question about what constitutes a breach of academic integrity, ask your professor. It is much better to be up front ahead of time instead of dealing with potential confusion and consequences later.

Getting ready for a test can be anxiety-inducing for most, or monotonous for others. No matter how you feel about them, it’s good to establish a process for yourself for before, during and after, so you don’t feel panicked or pained when the next test comes up! Here are some tips for taking tests and managing test anxiety:

Before the test

• Go over the instructions and time frame for your test as soon as you can to understand the requirements, in case you have any questions for your instructor or are experiencing any technical difficulties. Your test may require different software or hardware, so you don’t want to be left stuck in the moment!
• Of course, study the materials and make sure you feel as ready as you can! Ensure that you have enough time leading up to the test to feel prepared and well-rested.
• Engage in positive self-talk or visualize yourself being successful on the test. You’ve put a lot of work into getting ready, now trust yourself. This helps to facilitate better focus and confidence and decrease anxiety. Recall the last time you did well on a test and thrive on that success.
• Ensure you have a quiet spot free from distractions, with a strong internet connection.

During the test

• Take a few deep breaths before you start to clear your head and adjust your focus. And remember the positive self-talk! Repeat as necessary throughout if you feel worry bubbling up.
• Remain conscious of your time limit and how much time you need per question.
• It may be easier to write longer answers in a word-processing program, but make sure doing so doesn’t affect the program you are taking the test in.
• If you have technical problems, don’t panic! But do contact your instructor immediately with all relevant details.
• Take things slow, don’t rush if you can. And check your work before you submit it!

After the test

• Calmly assess your own progress and make notes of what challenged you so you can better address them in the future.
• In some cases, you may see your grade immediately; in others, you will have to wait until your instructor provides it.
• Ask yourself, how can you improve? Did your plans work? What didn’t work?
• If you want even more help with improving your grades and study skills, book an appointment with the Tutoring & Learning Centre!

Making presentations either on your own or with your team is not going away because you are studying online. So we have put together some tips that will help you create an amazing presentation and share it virtually with your class.

7 tips for giving great online presentations

• Make yourself visible. Many presenters complain that they can’t see their audience on virtual calls. But it's worse if the audience can't see you! Make sure you have proper lighting, centre yourself on camera and are close enough to the camera (typically not farther back than seeing past your midsection). 
• Start and end on time. Between connectivity and log-on issues, start times can be tricky. Make sure you have checked your internet connection and have sufficient battery on your device.
• Keep your slides simple. Slides with lots of text can be confusing and hard to read.
• Be clear and efficient. Make sure your presentation is easy to understand.
• Make your presentation entertaining. Just because the presentation has lots of factual information doesn't mean it has to be dry and dull. You can add a lot of flair without making your talk unprofessional.
• Use visuals. Make sure you add graphics that elevate your presentation and provide value.
• Leave time for questions. If you set an hour for the presentation, at least 15 minutes should be used for questions and discussion.

Remember, as a George Brown student, you have free access to Microsoft 365 programs, which include Word and PowerPoint! Canva is also a free and easy-to-use tool for presentations. You also have free access to LinkedIn Learning, which has courses on how to use Canva and Microsoft Office tools.

Like tests and online presentations, you may find yourself working in virtual team assignments as well. And believe it or not, we have more tips for that!

• If possible, choose group members with similar schedules and time zones to help things move smoothly. Then plan specific regular meetings, as it can be much easier to work together in real time instead of a series of emails.
• Be proactive in preparing as much as you can ahead of time.
• Establish group roles and responsibilities, trying to tailor to everyone’s strengths and interests. It may also be beneficial to choose a group leader or speaker who are comfortable acting as project managers.
• Clear communication is key! Be honest, respectful, clear and patient with one another, it will make a big difference to how smoothly the workflow will go, and roles stay aligned.
• Identify a to-do list, by order of what needs to get done first, or what would take the longest to accomplish.
• It’s natural for conflict to come up, and there are some simple ways to handle it. For instance, you can create a team contract that states everyone’s roles, your goals, overall plan and conflict resolution strategy. Get everyone to sign the charter and abide by those rules. Don’t be afraid to speak to your instructor or your teammates – it’s best to handle conflict as soon as possible in clear, calm communication!

George Brown has a variety of services available to help with your academic success! Here’s what you can take advantage of:

Library Learning Commons (LLC)

Through the LLC, you can get support with research and citation, borrow books and tech equipment, access captioned media and etexts, explore media databases, search for online resources, book study rooms, take care of printing needs, and more.

Tutoring & Learning Centre (TLC)

If you’re struggling with your studies or grades and need some extra help, that is okay! The TLC provides English, math, accounting, health sciences, study skills, software proficiency and other learning supports through professional and peer tutoring, workshops and resources.

Mentorship programs

Some other student services include academic and personal mentorship with either peers or professionals, such as:

• Peer Mentor+
• Black Student Success Network
• Indigenous Initiatives

Accessible Learning Services (ALS) provides academic support and services for George Brown students who have a disability or ongoing medical concerns. ALS is committed to ensuring that students with disabilities receive reasonable and effective academic accommodations and support services to fully participate in the academic environment. ALS services are free and confidential.

You are not required to disclose your specific diagnosis to ALS to receive accommodations. However, documentation outlining the functional impacts of your disability is required and will help Accessibility Consultants understand your strengths and challenges so that they can determine the most appropriate accommodations to support your learning.

If you are a student with a disability, your first step is to register with ALS by filling out the Confidential Registration Form. Please see the registration process below for further details.

If you are a student already registered with ALS, you can book an appointment with your Accessibility Consultant at any time to discuss your accommodation plan or any barriers you may be experiencing in the learning environment.

You can learn more about all our accommodations in the ALS Guidelines and Process Manual.

Who can register?

• Students with both temporary and permanent disabilities.
• Students who suspect they have a disability.
• Students who are in the process of being assessed by a health-care provider may also be eligible to receive interim accommodations.

How to register

• As soon as you have been accepted into your program, or if you are currently in a program and experiencing disability-related barriers to learning, fill out the Confidential Registration Form along with your documentation (if you have it).
• If you need help with the Confidential Registration Form or if you are having trouble getting documentation, contact the Intake Coordinator at alsregister@georgebrown.ca.
• In your first appointment, you will meet an Accessibility Consultant to discuss your accommodation needs and find out about resources available to support your learning. 
• You may find it helpful to prepare questions you want to ask in advance. If you need to reschedule, please contact the Welcome Desk at your campus. 

Helpful workshops

ALS provides workshops throughout the semester to provide essential resources, information, and skills to help you succeed at George Brown. If you are a new student coming from high school, we highly recommend you sign up for a Transitions to Success workshop.

Financial support

Students with a permanent or persistent and prolonged disability who receive Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) funding may be eligible for the Ontario Bursary for Students with Disabilities (BSWD) Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment – Students with Disabilities (CSG-DSE) to help pay for eligible disability-related educational services and/or equipment. Please connect with your Accessibility Consultant to discuss if this applies to you. Visit the OSAP website for more details.

Adaptive technologies

Many adaptive technologies are available for free through online resources. These include screen readers and voice to text options. Here are some video tutorials to help get you started:

• Microsoft 365: Voice Dictation and Read Aloud
• Windows 10: Read Aloud
• Apple OSX: Speech To Text
• Apple iOS: Text to Speech
• Android Devices: Select to Speak
• Google Docs: Voice Dictation