understanding, preventing and managing academic misconduct in higher education institutions: the...
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Understanding, Preventing and Managing Academic Misconduct in Higher Education Institutions: The Griffith Trial
A/Professor Anna Stewart
University of Western Sydney 3 July 2008 2
Academic Misconduct Issues• Wide range of behaviours• Culturally constructed construct• Pervasive• Difficult/time consuming to detect and manage• Questions of ‘intent’ and ‘ignorance’• Institutional reputation and credibility
University of Western Sydney 3 July 2008 3
Academic Misconduct Issues
• Wide range of behaviours• Culturally constructed construct• Pervasive• Difficult/time consuming to detect• Questions of ‘intent’ and ‘ignorance’• Institutional reputation and credibility
“Griffith is a joke....you can cheat as much as you want....if you get caught (highly unlikely) you can cry your way out of it (special circumstances) This is especially true of the GC campus”
University of Western Sydney 3 July 2008 4
Importance for student learning• Students who cheat fail to learn• Students who do not cheat feel frustrated• Students are terrified
• Academic misconduct is a very unwise decision and you will almost always be caught out. Even if you don't get caught out you are still cheating yourself out of great opportunities to learn.
• Whats worse most of the kids that did enact such behaviour receive higher marks than they would otherwise. Its really disheartening to those who try.
• I have not participated in academic misconduct, but since undertaking my first semester earlier this year I have been petrified that i would commit plagiarism or academic misconduct without realising
University of Western Sydney 3 July 2008 5
Staff Survey Semester 1 2007
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Faculty/Academic Element
2005 Cases
2006 Cases
Arts 8 6
Education 34 3
Griffith Law School 4
GBS 141 48
Griffith Health 2 9
EIT 11 10
ENS 55 30
Science 2 3
257 100
FoI Figures provided to Courier Mail late 2006
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A holistic institutional response• Promote academic integrity
– Promotion of supportive culture that values ethical conduct – Consistency, transparency and fairness
• Prevent academic misconduct – Proactive rather than reactive
• education and deterrence • assessment practices
• Management of allegations of misconduct– Tracking across Groups/Faculties and of multiple offenders– Improved detection (including ‘text matching’ software)– Proportional responses
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Framework for Promoting Academic IntegrityPromotion
Prevention Management
University of Western Sydney 3 July 2008 9
Framework for Promoting Academic IntegrityPromotion
Prevention Management
Education
University of Western Sydney 3 July 2008 10
Framework for Promoting Academic IntegrityPromotion
Prevention Management
Education
Deterrence
University of Western Sydney 3 July 2008 11
Framework for Promoting Academic IntegrityPromotion
Prevention Management
Education
Deterrence
Awareness
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Framework for Promoting Academic IntegrityPromotion
Prevention Management
Education
Deterrence
Awareness
Centralised management system
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The Framework
• Two stage management process (monitored centrally)– School / Department level response– Institutional level response (Formal response managed by
relevant Chair of Assessment Board)
• Principles– Protect student’s rights– Proportional and escalating interventions – Recognise and support the central role of Course Convenors
• Focus on prevention and developmental responses
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Central Management System• Necessary to ensure
– Concerns tracked across the institution– Institutionally consistent responses
• Academic Integrity Management System database (AIMS)• Academic Integrity Manager• Committee of Chairs of the Assessment Board
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Central role of Course Convenor• Designing courses/assessment to minimise opportunities• Modelling/promoting appropriate behaviour• Detecting concerns
– reporting to central management system
– serious/repeat concerns escalated to Chair of Assessment Board
• School/Department based response– course convenor investigates
– responds to ‘minor’ and ‘unintentional’ concerns
– educational/developmental responses
– If necessary supported by Program Convenor/HoS/FYA
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Course Convenor flow process• Course convenor identifies concern
– Completes Concern form and sends to AI manager• AI manager
– Checks students academic record– Enters details into the AIMS– Provides CC with
• partial filled Closure form• Draft letter/email to student• Also sent to HoS
• Course convenor– Sends email to student– Student response within 14 days– Cc conducts investigation and evaluates case (14 days– CC contacts AI for previous beaches (AIM sends reminder email at 21 days)– CC finalises concern, completes closure form and sends to AI manager
• AI Manager – Records decision on AIMS– Prepares draft finalisation letter for course convenor
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Chair of Assessment Board • Serious and repeat concerns escalated to the Chair• Similar process to the Course Convenor flow process• Have the right to exclude students from the university• Committee of the Chairs of the Assessment Board
– Facilitate consistency of responses– Monitor the processes– Provide support for the Academic Integrity Manager
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Trialled in three elements/groups
• Approved University Council October 2007– Faculty of Arts
– Faculty of Education
– Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
• end of Semester 2, 2007 (three weeks)• Semester 1, 2008
University of Western Sydney 3 July 2008 19
Academic Element
MinorMediumSerious
PlagiarismCheatingCollusion
No of Cases Closed
Arts 28 minor13 medium8 serious
46 Plagiarism1 Cheating2 Collusion
46
Education 3 minor3 medium6 serious
12 Plagiarism 12
SEET 15 minor6 medium13 serious
25 Plagiarism1 Cheating8 Collusion
28
TOTAL 86
2007 Semester 2 trial
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• Effective and efficient in – recording & identifying multiple incidences
– providing information about a students’ academic performance and relevant correspondence
• Greater clarity about the role of the Academic Integrity Manager.
• Greater clarity about what constitutes a Level I, II or III breach
• Professional development required for academic staff
University of Western Sydney 3 July 2008 21
TestimonialBeen at Griffith for a long time (decades) and in that time there
has been three main phases.• Everything left to the staff, however, problematic because
not consistent as handled differently by each individual staff member.
• Second process – Uni took over – very bureaucratic and very unpopular – most staff steered clear of the process.
• New trial procedure – leaves decision in the hands of the Course convenor while recording in central database – this is preferred because back in the hands of academics while process lends itself to achieving consistent outcomes.
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Seriousness matrix• Curtin University framework to promote common understandings
(Yeo & Chien, 2007)– Focus not on definition of plagiarism– But on degree of seriousness– and extent to which it constitutes misconduct
• Four criteria for determining the seriousness– Experience of the student– Nature of the act of plagiarism– Extent of the plagiarism– Intention of the student plagiarise (only for seriousness)
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• Two first year students, B and C, handed in substantial assignments (worth 30%) that were practically identical. On questions the students, I found that B, who completed the assignment first, allowed C to have it for a few days “just to get a few ideas to get started”. C then basically copied the assignment and submitted it without B’s knowledge. Both admitted their respective roles. B appeared genuinely dismayed at C’s actions.
University of Western Sydney 3 July 2008 24
University of Western Sydney 3 July 2008 25
Where to from here?• University trial approved for Semester 2 2008
– Trial will be continuously evaluated– External audit on completion
• Back to Council for consideration for full roll out in 2009
• Academic Integrity Change Management Group– Communication strategy– Developing website– Staff resources– Student resources
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Contact details
• Academic Integrity Manager– Jenny Martin
– (07) 373 54275
• Anna Stewart– [email protected]
– (07) 373 55784