Academic integrity Learning lessons and exploring tensions Erica Morris BA MSc PhD Academic Lead
Overview Background and context Perspectives Embedding policy Assessment Lessons and tensions 2
Background and context Student plagiarism as a complex issue (Macdonald and Carroll, 2006) Institutional approaches Policy, procedures and penalties Educating students Staff development Assessment strategies Text-matching tools Good practice resources ASKe CETL Higher Education Academy JISC Plagiarismadvice.org 3
Background and context An interdisciplinary field International Journal of Educational Integrity International Plagiarism Conference International Centre for Academic Integrity (ICAI) Asia Pacific Forum on Educational Integrity (ASPFEI) Plagiarismadvice.org Academy JISC Academic Integrity Service 4
Academic Integrity Service Initiative funded by the HEA and JISC (2009-2011) Enhance understanding of academic integrity issues Highlight cross disciplinary and subject-specific issues Promote institutional approaches Produce guidance Synthesising work from last decade Recommendations Case studies 5
Perspectives in an emerging field Perspectives Terminology Staff and student engagement Implications Research Reviewing policy Developing practice Incidence of plagiarism International students, disciplines 6
Re-thinking terminology Process and procedure Plagiarism prevention, avoidance and minimising risk Plagiarism, misconduct and cheating Case, offence Penalty, punishment Academic dishonesty Code of conduct Promoting academic integrity, culture and values Unacceptable academic practice Good academic practice Outcomes Academic honesty 7
The concept of academic integrity The Centre for Academic Integrity (CAI) defines academic integrity as a commitment, even in the face of adversity, to five fundamental values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. From these values flow principles of behavior that enable academic communities to translate ideals into action (my emphasis, The Centre for Academic Integrity, 1999, p4) 8
Integrating policy and practice Holistic approach (Macdonald and Carroll, 2006) Robust policy and procedures Student and staff engagement Staff development Aligning teaching, learning and assessment strategies Enacting policy Policy as practice 9
Connecting policy and practice Five core elements access approach responsibility detail support Policy Academic integrity decisions Culture of academic integrity Teaching and learning strategies Review of policies and process (Adapted from Bretag et al, 2011; based on East, 2009) 10
Critical role of assessment Changing assessment practices Promoting learning, minimising plagiarism Drawing on original scenarios or case studies Linked tasks, with stages and milestones Evidencing process Assessment for learning Authentic assessments See Bloxham and Boyd (2007); Carroll (2007) 11
Assessment strategies Survey identifying which strategies faculty perceive as effective Categorising strategies What How When Changing questions, question focus, assessing process Creative posters, in-class activities, annotated bibliographies Linked tasks, care in schedules for assessments Hrasky and Kronenberg (2011, pp25-6) 12
Lessons and tensions Raising awareness and enhancing understanding Induction opportunities and guidance Avoid plagiarism or develop good academic practice? Learning and assessing through relevant activity in discipline context Every student in [the] study knew that the plagiarism policy could be found in the student handbook. However, not 1of the 31 students had read it (Power, 2009, p655) 13
Lessons and tensions Adopting authentic assessments for enhancing student employability Lack of guidance on acceptable collaboration and unacceptable collusion Student strategies for sharing information Promoting dialogue within small group tutorials Students emphasised the need to learn about collusion and plagiarism through actually completing tasks and getting feedback, rather than by being handed a booklet about it (Sutton and Taylor, 2011, p839) 14
Lessons and tensions Implications of perspectives Institutional policy and practice Framing research Policy development frameworks Exemplary academic integrity project (Bretag et al, 2013) Evaluating assessment strategies Promoting assessment for learning? Student learning and collaboration Investigate emerging study practices 15
Academic integrity Learning lessons and exploring tensions Erica Morris BA MSc PhD Academic Lead
References Bloxham, S. and Boyd, P. (2007) Developing Effective Assessment in Higher Education: a practical guide. Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press, McGraw-Hill Education. Bretag, T., Mahmud, S., Wallace, M., Walker, R., James, C., Green, M, East, J., McGowan, U., and Partridge, L. (2011) Core elements of exemplary academic integrity policy in Australian higher education. International Journal of Educational Integrity, 7 (2), 3-12. Hrasky, S. and Kronenberg, D. (2011) Curriculum redesign as a faculty-centred approach to plagiarism reduction. International Journal of Educational Integrity, 7 (2), 23-36. East, J. (2009) Aligning policy and practice: An approach to integrating academic integrity. Journal of Academic Language & Learning, 3 (1), A38-A51. Macdonald, R. and Carroll, J. (2006) Plagiarism a complex issue requiring a holistic institutional approach. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 31 (2), 233-245. Morris, E. et al (2010) Supporting academic integrity: approaches and resources for higher education. The Academy JISC Academic Integrity Service, The Higher Education Academy. Available from: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/academic-integrity Morris, E. with Carroll, J. (2011) Policy works: recommendations for reviewing policy to manage unacceptable academic practice in higher education. The Academy JISC Academic Integrity Service, The Higher Education Academy. Available from: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/academic-integrity Power, L. G. (2009) University Students Perceptions of Plagiarism. The Journal of Higher Education, 80 (6), 643-662. Sutton, A. and Taylor, D. (2011) Confusion about collusion: working together and academic integrity. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 36 (7), 831-841. The Center for Academic Integrity (1999) The Fundamental Values of Academic Integrity. Des Plaines, IL: Office of College Relations at Oakton Community College. Available from: http://www.academicintegrity.org/fundamental_values_project/pdf/fvproject.pdf. 17