Education Code of Conduct for Learners

This bulletin applies to all RECA learners

The Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA) delivers pre-licencing and relicencing education for real estate brokers, property managers, mortgage brokers, and real estate appraiser professionals. RECA education includes eligibility, enrolment, participation in courses/programs, and passing the associated examinations. This Code of Conduct for Learners applies equally to industry professionals and those who intend to become industry professionals. An individual’s intellectual engagement, personal integrity, and ethical conduct are inherent in the learning process. These are necessary for their acquisition of new knowledge to develop new skills. As professionals, you are responsible to gain the requisite knowledge, skills, and mindset for continuous improvement to ensure you are competent in the provision of services to the public. Competent practice is integral to maintain the trust, respect, and confidence of other professionals and the public. RECA supports a principles-based approach to learning to develop professional conduct in practice. Learners must ensure they demonstrate the principles, as stated in the Education Code of Conduct, when participating in RECA education programs. Do not assist those who are dishonest. It only undermines your integrity, and that of the profession, while enabling incompetent service to the public. All industry professionals are responsible to gain the knowledge and skills to ensure their own competence to deliver services to the public. Take this opportunity to be the best professional that you can be.

Principle 1: Learners will be actively engaged in their education and make their best efforts to acquire the knowledge and develop the skills as set out by the identified learning outcomes for that course or program.

Learners need to engage intellectually when completing RECA courses. This means they must read all content and complete all knowledge checks. Learners must work though all course content, knowledge checks, and exams seeking to acquire the knowledge and expected skills of the course/program.

Examples of learners breaching principle 1:

• carrying on multiple unrelated activities simultaneously that detracts from the ability to fully absorb course content
• using mobile devices to carry out work activities or communications during classroom instruction
• having unrelated conversations with others during classroom instruction
• skipping through content or failing to read all course content
• failing to review incorrect responses to determine the correct
  response/outcome

Principle 2: Learners will at all times conduct themselves with honesty, integrity, and respectfulness

Learners must not cheat nor participate in any conduct that results in them completing a course, program, knowledge check, or exam from a source outside of their own knowledge. Learners can get advice from others if an assignment or activity guidelines allow it. Learners must be familiar with all examination guidelines and abide by them. They must treat other learners, facilitators, exam proctors, RECA staff, and education partners with respect. Any questions or challenges must be respectful and only for obtaining a proper outcome without insult, threat, or false accusation.

Examples of learners breaching principle 2:

•  attempting to cheat by accessing other computer programs, online windows, external websites, emails, texts, or instant messages
• using prohibited devices, such as cell phones, personal digital devices, or translation devices, during an exam
• engaging others, or attempting to engage others to complete their course or write their exam under a false or fictitious identity
• acting in an abusive manner towards other learners, facilitators, proctors, or RECA staff
• bringing notes or other information into examinations in order to complete such examinations where guidelines do not allow notes, etc.
• copying or trying to get answers from others to examination questions
• seeking exam answers from industry peers on social media (e.g. Facebook) or other online real estate chat groups or forums

Principle 3: Learners may assist other learners when the assistance provided to them supports their engagement in the learning process and results in their honest acquisition of knowledge and skills

Learners must not help other learners cheat or help them complete a course, knowledge check or exam in a way that prevents or detracts the learners from honestly acquiring the knowledge and skills. Learners can assist other learners by providing training and advice to assist other learners understand

Examples of learners breaching principle 3:

• completing assignments for others or writing examinations for othersunder a false or fictitious identity or those who knowingly give false information
• providing answers or participating in any form of cheating during an examination
• completing any part of an online or classroom course for another learner
• providing other learners with the answers to pre-licencing or re-licencing courses.
• permitting other learners to copy their answers during examinations
• sharing exam answers on social media (e.g. Facebook) or other online real estate chat groups or forums

Principle 4: Learners will support RECA’s education requirements and will conduct themselves in a manner that does not undermine the integrity, efficacy, and efficiency of any aspect of RECA’s education

Learners should not involve themselves in activities that decrease the efficiency or effectiveness of RECA education courses, programs or examinations.

This principle does not intend to prevent learners from voicing concerns related to RECA’s education programs. RECA welcomes your constructive criticisms and suggestions as part of our efforts to improve our education offerings.

Examples of learners breaching principle 4:

• being disruptive during examinations or in a classroom setting
• collecting, copying or reproducing any aspect of the exam, by any means
• distributing quiz or exam questions and/or answers to other learners
• maintaining a database of quiz or exam questions and/or answers
• collecting examination questions and/or answers for dissemination to other learners, potential learners or brokerages
• attempting to access RECA online courses, program, or examinations without the appropriate permission
• attempting to disrupt, hack, or otherwise compromise RECA’s ability to deliver its online courses, programs or examinations
• using RECA’s electronic or print education material outside of the applicable course or program and for purposes other than its intended uses

Education and disciplinary outcomes

Individuals who breach the Education Code of Conduct for Learners may be subject to disciplinary action and certain education program outcomes, such as:

• failing grade(s)
• course or program suspension
• expulsion from RECA education courses or programs’

RECA may deny an authorization and issue an Administrative Penalty up to $25,000 for learners who are not industry professionals and who breach the Education Code of Conduct. Learners who are industry professionals and who breach the Education Code of Conduct may be subject to a finding of conduct deserving of sanction and receive discipline ranging from an Advisory Note to licence cancellation. RECA will refer all breaches of the Education Code of Conduct for Learners that constitute a criminal offence to the applicable police (law enforcement) agency.

Related information

Legislation

• Real Estate Act Rules – Schedule 3 Education Code of Conduct
• Real Estate Act Rules – Schedule 4 Education Code of Conduct for

Learners: Compliance Process and Remedies