How to cope with academic integrity issues
A general case study
©2015
Academic Paper
15 Pages
Summary
Academic Integrity is most important in an academic environment to keep the discipline. Everywhere in the world, the academically immoral and unethical behavior of copying in academic institutions no longer surprises anyone. It is observed that this phenomenon is prevalent even within academic institutions of education intended for the training of teachers. That is, students who soon would be responsible for the ethical code of their students.
Excerpt
Table Of Contents
2
Scope of Academic Integrity
As Educational institutions are moving toward an inclusive approach to inspiring academic
integrity, by creating Student Honor Councils as well as taking a more active role in making
students aware of the consequences for academic dishonesty, academic integrity should be
practices in the Educational institutions and must be noted in curriculum.
Gary Pavela, Director of Judicial Programs and Student Ethical Development, University of
Maryland stated that "Promoting student moral development requires affirming shared
values. More colleges are starting to focus on one value that goes to the heart of the academic
enterprise: a commitment to honesty in the pursuit of truth".
To help with the understanding of a university's level of academic integrity, Clemson
University's International Center for Academic Integrity at Rutland Institute for Ethics has
developed a Campus Assessment Guide which includes information for universities to survey
their own current academic integrity. Apart from the Assessment Guide, the Computer
Science and Engineering Department of The Chinese University of Hong Kong has invented
a plagiarism detection software system named as VeriGuide. This system aims at upholding
the academic honesty levels of various academic institutions (such as: universities,
community colleges).
3
Factors which are affecting Academic Integrity
There are various elements which are affecting Academic Integrity. Let us check the
important elements.
1.
Students are living in a world where they are getting lots of pressure from various
sources and it may lead to a greater tendency to violate the rules.
2. Technology has made copying more easily than before and more tempting termed as
unproductive use of technology.
3. Students have a big impact on consumerism. They will get sources anyhow and get it
done for better grades.
4. We can also observe that many schools or college still not giving that much priority
for Academic Integrity.
5. Another reason can say academic competitiveness is more nowadays. Even students
are not happy with same grade with his colleague is getting. He/she needs more points
than his colleague.
6. Students are facing problems in developing positive study habit. Guidance is a factor
through which students can learn or improve study habit. And it's directly benefited to
academic achievement.
7. Robert & Sampson (2011) found that the member of the educational board will be educated
and their impact on educational institutions is positive, for professional development
it is essential for student learning.
4
How to promote Academic Integrity
It depends on individual to make commitment to Academic Integrity but much dedication is
required to practice this at educational institutions in an ethical culture it's easier and more
rewarding to do the right thing than the wrong thing, and everyone is expected to be
concerned With discerning and doing the ethically right thing.
It is not that students are anti-intellectual, but in present condition lots of distraction can find,
such as duel education, part time jobs, poor Time management, routine travelling, busy in
other activities Lack of maturity etc.
As a Teacher, one of the important things we can do to prevent cheating is to simply tell your
students at the beginning of each semester that we will not tolerate academic dishonesty. Be
sure student really understands the basic, make them understand the topic and make those to
get interested to learn the subject.
Many students attend class for the sake of Attendance. As a teacher we should bring interest
in students to attend class to learn and understand the subject. Make more practical session
rather than only theory classes, make Students to involve in class activities like group
discussion, team building activities etc.. Help students think like a philosopher; ask questions,
challenge assumptions take intellectual risks.
5
Preventive measures
Here mentioning some measures to identify the key issues and also suggests ways to resolve
it. Let us check out the points.
1. To have discussion with students about the outcome of the assessment and don't
presume that they understood everything. In fact some graduate or international
students don't have exposure in documentation.
2. Clearly express to students about the requirement in their assessment or assignment
including all sort of work.
3. Another important thing is that in selection of assigned topics. End of semester if you
are allowing the students to choose topic of their choice higher chance for plagiarized.
So better go for short papers or work where students can also hand in drafts and
specific and chance for plagiarized can minimize.
4. Do not let the students to have old exam papers while others don't have. The issue is
here that students treat it as cheating and they may feel that since others are cheating
we also need to exercise the same.(it is applicable in case question bank Also).
5. Another common practice which teachers are doing that making two to three versions
of examinations where questions are in different order which prohibit students from
easily copying from one to another.
6. Seating arrangement is another option. If students are sitting in assigned seats, it
helps the teachers to identify in case if there any problem occurred.
7. When grading exams put marks end of the student's answers to each question,
otherwise where the institutes are giving papers to students to check there is chance to
rub and re submit for higher grade.
6
8. On tests/Quizzes always include alternate easy question. It allows all students to write
something.
9. Learning and assessment should be integrated (assessment should be based on student
learning abilities)
10. Assessment should measure problem-solving and critical thinking capabilities and
address wide range of questions, such as apply, demonstrate, analyze, compare and
contrast and etc.
11. Test and exam formats of English language (skills-oriented) should be different from
formats of subjects (knowledge-based).
Details
- Pages
- Type of Edition
- Originalausgabe
- Publication Year
- 2015
- ISBN (PDF)
- 9783954894055
- File size
- 673 KB
- Language
- English
- Publication date
- 2016 (January)
- Grade
- 4.0
- Keywords
- Higher education Cheating Academic misconduct Student Educational institution Office of planning and institutional effectiveness
- Product Safety
- Anchor Academic Publishing