Please read this document in its entirety before attempting your assignment.

‘English Language Studies/ ENES101’ Assignment

(Spring 2025)

Topic:
1. Write an essay on the topic “The Role of Education in Promoting Environmental
Awareness”.

OR

2. Write an essay on the topic “Virtual Learning and Access to Education in Remote
Areas”
Word limit: Bachelors Level 1000 to 1200 or Masters Level 1500 to 2000

Expectations:
• Please write the essay in APA format (7th edition)
• Use at least 3-5 references. Your assignment must have a reference list at the end.

You will be submitting two parts for the topic that you choose. Please make sure to place all
parts in one Word document only.
• PART 1: Prewrite to get ideas. Write PREWRITING at the top of your document.
Use your prescribed book to complete this task: Introduction to Academic
Writing, Second Edition by A. Hoshima & A. Hogue.
• PART 2: Write a final copy. Write FINAL COPY at the top of this section.

Rubric:
• Content: 60 marks
• Organization: 10 marks
• Referencing: 10 marks
• Grammar and punctuation: 10 marks
• Format: 10 marks
 Uploading Instructions

1. Create a new MS Word file. Before typing your answer, please add the following
information on the first page:

• Student Name:
• Student ID:
• Course Name/Code:
• Assignment Question:
• Include in your assignment submission, a signed copy of The Student Plagiarism &
Ethical AI Declaration
2. Please upload it as a Word Document only; do not make a PDF file and upload it as this
hamper grading and giving comments on your work.
3. Before uploading, you should suffix your name to the file name and the course code. E.g.,
if a student is uploading an AQD 101 assignment, then the file name should be as follows:
AQD101_FirstName
4. Please note that upon uploading your assignment file, it is saved in “draft” mode. To
“submit,” you must press the Submit button. If you forget to submit by not clicking the Submit
button, the file will remain in “draft” mode and not be considered for grading. Hence, note
this point seriously and proceed accordingly.

5. Please note that students are allowed to make only one submission attempt. As your first
attempt of submission will be the last, please ensure your assignment is relevant, correct and
complete in all aspects.
 IOU’S Plagiarism Policy & Ethical AI Usage

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the universe and peace and blessing be upon the last messenger
Muhammad and all those who follow his path with righteousness until the Last Day.

Please read and understand this policy in detail before attempting any assignments at IOU.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "He who deceives us is not one of us." (Sahih Muslim)

Definition of Plagiarism:

A common form of deception in studies is plagiarism. Plagiarism is sometimes misunderstood when

referring to copying alone; however, plagiarism is much deeper than just copying. It includes quoting
without proper references, collaboration, and stealing other people's ideas while passing them off as
one’s own. Plagiarism is the “failure to acknowledge the ideas or writing of another” or “presentation
of the ideas or writing of another as one’s own” and should be read to cover intentional and
unintentional failure to acknowledge the ideas of others. In this context, “others” means any other
person, including a student, academic, professional, published author or other resource such as the
Internet. The International Open University believes that failing to acknowledge the use of the ideas
of others constitutes an important breach of the institution's Islamic and academic values and
conventions.

Definition of Ethical AI Usage

Ethical AI Usage refers to the responsible and transparent use of artificial intelligence tools (such as
ChatGPT, Grammarly, paraphrasing tools, or AI research assistants) to support academic work—not
to replace or falsify it.

Students may use AI tools for brainstorming, language enhancement, or initial research, but the final
work must reflect the student’s own understanding, application to context, analysis, and critical
thinking.

IOU Stance on Plagiarism & AI Usage

The International Open University will not tolerate plagiarism and unethical AI use in any form, and
any student caught plagiarizing or engaging in Unethical AI use will be penalized. Depending on the
severity of the transgression of plagiarism and/or unethical AI usage, the penalty could range from a
reduction of marks to rejection of marks to rejecting the paper itself.

With respect to the assignments, the following constitutes plagiarism:

1) Copying someone else's assignment

2) Collaboration and working together on an assignment
3) Copying and pasting entire articles on the internet
4) Quoting someone else’s work without referencing the author
5) Using someone else’s ideas or words without referencing them

To avoid plagiarism, be sure to:

• Use quotation marks around a quote and cite the source.

 • Reference all quotations and citations
• Reword/paraphrase. Don’t write word for word what you have read. First, take notes in your
own words, then write your assignment from your notes (not the text).

For more information on how to avoid plagiarism and how to properly cite a source, visit the following
websites:

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/college-success/10314.html

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/plagiarism.html

You may also test your understanding of plagiarism by using this link:

https://ilrb.cf.ac.uk/plagiarism/tutorial/whatis1.html

Unethical AI Usage Examples:

1. Submitting assignments fully written by AI without critical review or personal input.

2. Using AI tools to rewrite (paraphrase) entire sections without understanding the content.

3. Copying AI-generated research summaries, literature reviews, or reflections without

acknowledging AI assistance.

4. Relying on AI for the complete structure, analysis, and content of an assignment.

To Use AI Ethically:

• Use AI for supportive purposes only (e.g., clarifying concepts, improving grammar).

• Critically review and modify AI-generated content to reflect your own understanding.

• Clearly declare any AI assistance you have used, where appropriate.

• Use AI responsibly to enhance your learning, not to bypass it.

Similarity Indicator

IOU reserves the right to submit all academic assignments to a plagiarism checker to produce similarity
ratings for each assignment and AI-content detectors to produce similarity and AI-generated content
ratings for each assignment. The similarity indicator provides a rating of how similar the text in the
assignment is to resources available on the Internet while the AI-content check assesses the extent to
which AI tools were used to generate the work.

In line with universal academic writing practices, IOU prefers that text be paraphrased in the student’s
words and not quoted directly, with the original author of the knowledge being duly cited and
referenced. Any use of AI tools must also be transparently acknowledged, and students are reminded
that over-reliance on AI-generated content may undermine academic integrity and the development
of essential academic skills
As University-wide norm, IOU recommends that the similarity indicator does not exceed 20%.

Result of Plagiarism & Unethical AI Usage

Assignments a rating higher than or equal to 50% will be automatically rejected and validated for
plagiarism and unethical AI usage through a manual check by the tutorial assistant or relevant
academic. The student will be given a grade of 0 and there will be no second chances for submitting
the assignment.

Any detected misuse of AI tools, including unacknowledged AI-generated content or over-reliance that
compromises academic integrity, will be treated with the same seriousness as traditional plagiarism.
The tutorial assistant or relevant academic will use the combined similarity and AI-content ratings,
along with academic judgment, to determine the final grade of the submission

The Tutorial Assistant or relevant academic will use the similarity rating to determine the final grade
of the submission.

Remember that we are Muslims studying Allah’s religion, and so plagiarizing in Islamic Studies is a sin
and can rob your studies of reward.

May Allah bless you all and success with your coursework. Ameen.

IOU Admin.
 Student Plagiarism and Ethical AI Usage Declaration

I, the undersigned, hereby declare that the work I am submitting for this assignment is my
own original work, and I have not engaged in any form of plagiarism or academic dishonesty.
I understand that plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, copying someone else’s work,
quoting without proper citation, paraphrasing without acknowledgement, and using AI tools
or any other resources without proper disclosure.
Ethical AI Usage Declaration: I further declare that any AI tools or content generators I have
used in the preparation of this assignment have been properly acknowledged. I understand
that over-reliance on AI-generated content may compromise the integrity of my work and
academic growth. I confirm that I have followed the university’s guidelines on ethical AI usage
and have cited all sources appropriately.
I am aware that assignments found to be in violation of plagiarism or ethical AI usage policies
will be subject to the university’s penalties, including but not limited to automatic rejection
or a grade of 0 for the assignment.
By signing below, I confirm that I have read and understood the university’s plagiarism and
ethical AI usage policies and agree to abide by them.
Student Name: ___________________________
Student ID: ___________________________
Course Name: ___________________________
Assignment Title: ___________________________
Date: ___________________________
Signature: ___________________________