Dozens of Year 12 students from a prominent Melbourne Catholic boys\u2019 school lost crucial marks for an important English assessment after they used artificial intelligence to cheat.<\/p>\n
At least 50 pupils from Mazenod College, an independent school in Melbourne\u2019s eastern suburbs, had marks deducted from their oral presentation after teachers caught them using AI to write their speech, according to a source privy to the matter. <\/p>\n
The task, which is worth 20 marks of their overall Unit 4 English Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) score, requires students to prepare and present a three to five-minute oral presentation expressing their point of view on an issue they\u2019re passionate about.<\/p>\n
This mark then forms part of a student\u2019s English study score, which is used to determine their overall Year 12 mark at the end of the year, known as an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR). <\/p>\n
Mazenod College Principal Dr Paul Shannon said the students were caught out during a review of the Year 12 Oral English assessment process. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe College identified evidence that suggested artificial intelligence tools were used by several students,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe matter was thoroughly investigated, and all appropriate processes were followed in submitting results to the VCAA. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis included conversations with the students involved, and the appropriate reduction in marks for the affected assessment.\u201d<\/p>\n
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While no students failed the assessment, the incident was a good reminder about the repercussions of using artificial intelligence to complete their school work.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile the use of AI tools is a growing challenge within all schools, they have no place in assessments and examinations, where every student must be able to demonstrate their own knowledge, independently and fairly,\u201d Dr Shannon said.<\/p>\n
It is a breach of Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) rules for a student to submit an assessment that\u2019s not their own work, is plagiarised, or has been completed with \u201cunacceptable\u201d assistance, which includes copying someone else\u2019s work, sample answers or corrections dictated by another person.<\/p>\n
Schools are allowed to include artificial intelligence in their teaching and learning, and unattributed or disallowed use of generative AI in assessments may be a breach of academic integrity. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s up to schools to investigate and respond to allegations a student has breached VCAA rules or its own policy for school-based assessments.<\/p>\n
A VCAA spokesman said \u201cschools are responsible for administration of school-assessed coursework (SACs)\u201d.<\/p>\n
Mazenod College, which charges between $10k and $11k on tuition fees depending on year level, prides itself on its rich curriculum that encourages students to pursue their academic goals, in a fun, learning and engaging environment. <\/p>\n
More than 1460 boys attend the Year 7 to 12 campus, which last year achieved a median ATAR of 80.45 and median study score of 33, with 15.3 per cent of its Year 12 VCE cohort achieving at least one study score above 40. <\/p>\n
Written exams for the VCE class of 2026 kick off Tuesday, October 27, starting with the three-hour English exam. <\/p>\n