Ethical use of digital content

Site:	Loomen za stručna usavršavanja
Course:	Developing Digital Teaching Content
Book:	Ethical use of digital content

Printed by:	Gost (anonimni korisnik)
Date:	Tuesday, 28 July 2026, 8:16 AM

1. Ethical use of digital content
2. Ethical principles in digital education
3. Plagiarism in the digital context
4. How to identify and prevent plagiarism?
5. The role of teachers in promoting academic integrity
6. Responsibility when sharing and downloading teaching materials
7. Examples of ethical and unethical practices
8. Conclusion
9. Literature

1. Ethical use of digital content

In digital education, ethics is not only a legal matter but also an issue of professional responsibility. Although technology enables quick and easy sharing, downloading, and adaptation of digital content, it simultaneously requires responsibility for fair and transparent use of such materials. Ethical behaviour in a digital environment means respecting the work of others, being open and honest, and fostering a culture of academic integrity (Council of Europe, 2016a, 2017).

2. Ethical principles in digital education

Digital education is based on:

respecting authorship – acknowledging the author’s contribution through proper source citation (Council of Europe, 2016a, 2017);
transparency – clearly communicating the sources and the process of creating content (Council of Europe, 2016a);
openness – sharing knowledge with others while respecting authors’ rights and legal frameworks (Creative Commons; Council of Europe, 2016a).

According to the Council of Europe (2016a), ethics in education encompasses the principles of integrity, honesty, truthfulness, transparency, respect for others, trust, responsibility, and fairness.

When creating educational materials, educators often use images, texts, videos, or other resources. If someone else’s material is used, it is necessary to:

check whether it is protected by copyright;
respect the terms of use;
clearly cite the source and the author.

3. Plagiarism in the digital context

Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s work or ideas as one’s own, without proper source attribution (Turnitin; Council of Europe, 2016a, 2017; European Network for Academic Integrity, 2021). The Council of Europe (2016a, 2016b) emphasises that integrity includes the obligation of honesty and truthfulness in one’s work, as well as actively combating plagiarism and all forms of unethical behaviour. In digital environments, plagiarism occurs more frequently because information is easily accessible (Turnitin).

Types of plagiarism include:

Direct plagiarism – copying someone else’s text, image, or video verbatim without citing the source
Paraphrased plagiarism – rephrasing someone else’s ideas in your own words without citing the source
AI-generated content – using materials created by AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) without acknowledging that they were generated by artificial intelligence (Council of Europe, 2017; Council of Europe, 2016b).

4. How to identify and prevent plagiarism?

Teachers should know how to:

recognise plagiarism – by using detection tools such as Turnitin or PlagScan, or by analysing language and style (Turnitin);
teach students to cite sources correctly and use available tools to check originality (Council of Europe, 2016a, 2017; European Network for Academic Integrity, 2021);
define clear rules – explain in course instructions what is permitted and what is not (Council of Europe, 2016a, 2017).

The Council of Europe (2016a, 2016b) recommends continuous education for all stakeholders to raise awareness of the importance of ethical behaviour, beyond merely addressing the technical aspects of plagiarism prevention.

If AI tools are used to generate content, it is important to indicate that the material was generated using artificial intelligence. This respects the principle of transparency and prevents hiding the true source (Council of Europe, 2017; European Network for Academic Integrity, 2021).

5. The role of teachers in promoting academic integrity

Teachers play a key role in promoting academic integrity (Council of Europe, 2016a, 2017; European Network for Academic Integrity, 2021) by:

serving as role models for honest and ethical use of sources;
teaching students how to distinguish their own work from borrowed ideas;
creating a culture in which plagiarism is unacceptable (Council of Europe, 2016a, 2016b, 2017).

The Council of Europe (2016a, 2016b) emphasizes that ethical behaviour among teachers is not only about following rules, but also about actively promoting values such as integrity, honesty, and responsibility. Codes of conduct should be “living documents” that adapt to new challenges, including digital technologies and artificial intelligence.

6. Responsibility when sharing and downloading teaching materials

When sharing or downloading educational content, it is necessary to:

check the usage conditions, such as Creative Commons licences;
always cite the author and the source;
protect students’ personal data if it is part of the material (Council of Europe, 2016b, 2017).

7. Examples of ethical and unethical practices

Ethical example:

A teacher uses a photograph from the Unsplash platform where it is clearly indicated that the image is free to use. Under the photograph, the teacher writes: “Photo: ‘Title of the photograph’ by Author’s Name, retrieved from Unsplash.com.“

Unethical example:

A teacher copies parts of a scientific article and includes them in a course presentation without citing the author and the source.

8. Conclusion

Respecting ethical principles is not merely a matter of complying with the law, but a cornerstone of every teacher’s professional integrity. The Council of Europe (2016a, 2016b) emphasises that only through the actions of all participants in the educational process, grounded in shared values and ethical principles, can we build an educational system based on trust, fairness, and high quality.