Transcript Slide 1

Maintaining academic
integrity in online courses
Clint Brooks, M.Ed.
NorthWest Arkansas
Community College
Academic
Dishonesty
and Academic
Integrity
What is Academic Dishonesty?

“…acts which may subvert or
compromise the integrity of
the educational process”
(NWACC, 2006, 154)
What is Academic Dishonesty?

Includes:
 “Copying from another
student’s paper during an
examination.”
 “Plagiarism”
 “Substituting for another
person …to take an
examination”
(NWACC, 2006, 154)
Why is Academic Integrity so
important?

“…two out of three students
admitted to having engaged
in at least one of 14
questionable academic
behaviors” (McCabe &
Trevino, 1996)
Why is Academic Integrity so
important?

“70 percent of students at the
schools admitted to (test
cheating)” (McCabe &
Trevino, 1996)
Why is Academic Integrity so
important?



Institutional integrity
Ethical integrity of students
Professional integrity of
disciplines
Academic Integrity and
Distance Learning

“…both students and
faculty believe it is easier
to cheat in a distance
learning class, …”
(Kennedy, et. al.; 2000)
Academic Integrity and
Distance Learning
40% admit to helping
other students with
online exams.
 Only 13.7% admit to
helping other students
during lecture exams.
(Lanier, 2006, 253)

Approaches
to Addressing
Academic
Dishonesty
CIHE (Commission on
Institutions of Higher
Education) DL Best Practices

“When examinations are
employed … they take
place in circumstances
that include firm student
identification.”
(CIHE, 13)
CIHE (Commission on
Institutions of Higher
Education) DL Best Practices

“The institution otherwise
seeks to assure the
integrity of student work.”
(CIHE, 13)
Institutional Approaches to
Academic Dishonesty
Faculty Reporting
 “Grading Sanctions”
 “Admonition or
Probation”
 “Suspension or
Expulsion”
(NWACC, 2006, 155)

Do no harm
Fear of harming students’ careers
 “perceptions of complicated
disciplinary processes,”
 “confronting and reporting
student cheating”
 “These factors may lead faculty
to ignore or side-step student
cheating,”
(Bertram Gallant and Drinan, 2006,
p. 845)

Control, Identify, Monitor
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Proctoring
Picture identification
Signed confirmation
Time limits
These tactics are not
negative, in and of
themselves
Prevention and Student Ethical
Responsibility



Honor Codes
Student and Faculty
Responsibilities
10 Principles of
Academic Integrity for
Faculty (McCabe &
Pavela, 2004, 12-14)
10 Principles of Academic
Integrity for Faculty (McCabe &
Pavela)
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
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Recognize and affirm
academic integrity as a
core institutional value.
Foster a lifelong
commitment to learning.
Affirm the role of teacher
as guide and mentor.
10 Principles of Academic
Integrity for Faculty (McCabe &
Pavela)

Help students
understand the potential
of the Internet--and how
that potential can be lost
if online resources are
used for fraud, theft, and
deception.
10 Principles of Academic
Integrity for Faculty (McCabe &
Pavela)



Encourage student
responsibility for
academic integrity.
Clarify expectations for
students.
Develop fair and creative
forms of assessment.
10 Principles of Academic
Integrity for Faculty (McCabe &
Pavela)

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Reduce opportunities to
engage in academic
dishonesty.
Respond to academic
dishonesty when it
occurs.
Help define and support
campus-wide academicintegrity standards.
Practical
Approaches to a
PreventionBased Approach
Writing

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Identifiable via searches
Identifiable via style and
consistency
Writing – The Challenge

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“Many websites provide written
papers including
http://www.schoolsucks.com and
http://www.cheathouse.com.”
(Lanier, 2006, 247)
“AllFreeEssays.com …
Asian Grade …
School Sucks …
TermPaperGenie…”
(Weisbard, 2007)
Writing – Identifying via
Searching
most universities will
have sizable amounts of
plagiarism occurring in
their subjects using
electronic means to
download text from the
internet.
(O’Connor, 2003)

Writing – Identifying via
Searching
It is suspected that this is
the tip of the iceberg in
that any copying from
textbooks is, at this time,
unable to be detected
(O’Connor, 2003)

Writing – Identifying via
Searching

Services


Turnitin.com
Controversies


Presumption of guilt
Copyright of student
papers
Writing – Identifying via
Searching

Other search options:



Google
Yahoo
Ebscohost
Writing – Identifying via Style
and Consistency
“Inconsistent writing style”
 “Use of language”
 “Datedness”
 “Repetition”
(University of Tasmania,
2006)

Writing – Identifying via Style
and Consistency
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Use students regular
writing as a benchmark for
their formal writing
Have students write as
often as is practical and
fair
Project-based Assessment
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Web-based projects
Multimedia projects
Mailed projects
Experiential projects
Project-based Assessment

“With project-based
assessment, the dangers
… are diminished the more
individually the project is
tailored to the resources
used in the course, the
student's individual
interests, and the use of
intermittent ‘checkpoints’”
(Abbott, et. al., 2000)
Collaborative Assessment

“These methods constitute
very powerful means of
developing generic skills
required by employers such as
oral and written
communication skills, group
management and the ability to
evaluate written and oral
presentations critically.”
(Hargreaves, 1997)
Online Testing Conditions

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Time
Attempts
Randomization
Proctoring (including off-site
proctoring: NCTA – National
College Testing Association http://www.ncta-testing.org/cctc/)
Other
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Vary assessment methods
Gear assessments to subject
matter and discipline
Individualize assessments
How does
Blackboard CE
(WebCT) Help
Maintain
Academic
Integrity?
Blackboard CE (4.1)

Assignments
Blackboard CE (4.1)

Assignments
 Clarifies expectations
 Opportunity for written or
project based assessment
 Opportunity for experiential
assessment
Blackboard CE (4.1)

Discussions
Blackboard CE (4.1)

Discussions
 Opportunity for regular student
writing
 Teacher as guide and mentor
 Collaborative environment
Blackboard CE (4.1)
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E-Mail
Blackboard CE (4.1)

E-Mail
 Opportunity for regular student
writing
 Teacher as guide and mentor
 Individualized interaction
Blackboard CE (4.1)

Quiz Tool
Blackboard CE (4.1)

Quiz Tool
 Time Limits
 Selective Release
 Multiple Attempts
 Randomization
 Security
Blackboard CE (4.1)

Presentations/Web pages
Blackboard CE (4.1)

Presentations/Web pages
 Opportunity for creative
assessment
 Opportunity for collaborative
assessment
 Opportunity for experiential
assessment
 Opportunity for project based
assessment
Conclusion and
Questions
References


Abbott, Lynda, Siskovic, Holly, Nogues, Val,
and Williams, Joanne G. “Learner
Assessment in Multimedia Instruction:
Considerations for the Instructional
Designer.” 2000. <
http://teachnet.edb.utexas.edu/~lynda_abbo
tt/SITEentry3223.html>.
Betram Gallant, Tricia, and Drinan, Patrick.
“Organizational Theory and Student
Cheating: Explanation, Responses, and
Strategies.” Journal of Higher Education.
Vol. 77 Issue 5 (Sep/Oct 2006): 839-860
References

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CIHE (Commission on Institutions of Higher
Education). Best Practices for Electronically
Offered Degree and Certificate Programs.
13
Grijalva, Therese C., Nowell, Clifford, and
Kerkvliet, Joe. “Academic Honesty and
Online Courses.” College Student Journal.
Vol. 40 Issue 1 (Mar 2006): 180-185
Hargreaves, D.J. “Student learning and
assessment are inextricably linked.”
European Journal of Engineering
Education; Vol. 22 Issue 4 (Dec 1997):
p401, 9p
References
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Kennedy, Kristen, Nowak, Sheri,
Raghuraman, Renuka, Thomas, Jennifer,
and Davis, Stephen F. “ACADEMIC
DISHONESTY AND DISTANCE
LEARNING: STUDENT AND FACULTY
VIEWS.” College Student Journal. Vol. 34
Issue 2 (June 2000): 309, 6p
Lanier, Mark M. “Academic Integrity and
Distance Learning*.” Journal of Criminal
Justice Education; Vol. 17 Issue 2, (Sep
2006): 244-261
References

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McCabe, Donald L., Trevino Linda Klebe.
“What we know about cheating in college.”
Change; Vol. 28 Issue 1 (Jan/Feb 1996):
28.
McCabe, Donald L., Trevino Linda Klebe.
“Ten [Updated] Principles of Academic
Integrity: How Faculty Can Foster Student
Honesty.” Change; Vol. 36 Issue 3
(May/June 2004): 12-14.
NorthWest Arkansas Community College.
“Academic Dishonesty.” NorthWest
Arkansas Community College Catalog;
2006. 154-155
References

O’Connor, Steve. “Cheating and electronic
plagiarism – scope, consequences and
detection.” CAVAL Staff Publications. 2003.
CAVAL. May 2003.
<http://www.caval.edu.au/about/staffpub/do
cs/Cheating%20and%20electronic%20plagi
arism%20%20scope,%20consequences%20and%20
detection%20EDUCASUE%20May%20200
3.doc>.
References


University of Tasmania. “How to identify
academic dishonesty.” University of
Tasmania Teaching and Learning Website.
2006. University of Tasmania. May, 10,
2006.
Weisbard, Phyllis Holman. “STUDENT
CHEATING, PLAGIARISM (AND OTHER
QUESTIONABLE PRACTICES), THE
INTERNET, AND OTHER ELECTRONIC
RESOURCES.” Women's Studies
Librarian's Website - University of
Wisconsin System. 2007. UW System
Women's Studies Librarian.
<http://www.library.wisc.edu/libraries/Wome
nsStudies/plag.htm>.
Contact Information

Clint Brooks
Director of Distance Learning
NorthWest Arkansas Community
College
One College Drive
Bentonville, AR 72704
[email protected]
(479)619-4382