Responding to the COVID-19 emergency: student and academic staff perceptions of academic integrity in the transition to online exams at three Australian universities

Alison Reedy1, Darius Pfitzner1, Laura Rook2, Leonie Ellis3
1Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
2University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
3University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia

Tóm tắt

This paper explores the perceptions of academic staff and students to student cheating behaviours in online exams and other online assessment formats. The research took place at three Australian universities in July and August 2020 during the emergency transition to online learning and assessment in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study sought to inform decision making about the future of online exams at the participating universities. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using online surveys. The findings of the study led to seven key observations, most notably the need to redefine the characteristics of academic misconduct to account for changes wrought to examinations in a digital world. The study concludes with lessons learned in relation to enhancing academic integrity in digital examinations and assessments.

Tài liệu tham khảo

Abdalqhadr A (2020) Academic integrity is an extension of your own personal integrity. Economics, finance and. Manage Rev 1:93–98. https://doi.org/10.36690/2674-5208-2020-1-93-98 Allan S (2020) Migration and transformation: a sociomaterial analysis of practitioners’ experiences with online exams. Research in learning. Technology 28:1–14. https://doi.org/10.25304/rlt.v28.2279 Basit T (2003) Manual or electronic? The role of coding in qualitative data analysis. Educ Res 45(2):143–154. https://doi.org/10.1080/0013188032000133548 Bearman M, Dawson P, O’Donnell M, Tai J, Jorre de St Jorre T (2020) Ensuring academic integrity and assessment security with redesigned online delivery. Deakin University, Melbourne https://dteach.deakin.edu.au/2020/03/23/academic-integrity-online/ Beasley EM (2016) Comparing the demographics of students reported for academic dishonesty to those of the overall student population. Ethics Behav 26(1):45–62. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508422.2014.978977 Bertram Gallant T (2017) Academic integrity as a Teaching & Learning Issue: from theory to practice. Theory Pract 56(2):88–94. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2017.1308173 Biggs J (2001) The reflective institution: assuring and enhancing the quality of teaching and learning. High Educ 41:221–238. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004181331049 Blumenfeldwitz, J. (2020). ULPT: need to cheat on a proctored, online exam? Make a cheat sheet and put it on your laptop screen https://www.reddit.com/r/UnethicalLifeProTips/comments/ckf3fu/ulpt_need_to_cheat_on_a_proctored_online_exam/ Boitshwarelo B, Reedy A, Billany T (2017) Envisioning the use of online tests in assessing twenty-first century learning: a literature review. Res Pract Technol Enhanc Learn 12(16):1–16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41039-017-0055-7 Bretag T, Harper R, Burton M, Ellis C, Newton P, van Haeringen K, Saddiqui S, Rozenberg P (2019) Contract cheating and assessment design: exploring the relationship. Assess Eval High Educ 44(5):676–691. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2018.1527892 Bretag T, Mahmud S, Wallace M, Walker R, McGowan U, East J, Green M, Partridge L, James C (2014) ‘Teach us how to do it properly!’ An Australian academic integrity student survey. Stud High Educ 39(7):1150–1169. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2013.777406 Brimble M (2015) Why students cheat. An Exploration of the Motivators of Student Academic Dishonesty in Higher Education In: Bretag T (eds) Handbook of Academic Integrity Springer:Singapore doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-079-7_58-1 Brown V (2018) Evaluating technology to prevent academic integrity violations in online environments. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration XXI (1) https://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/spring211/brown211.html. Accessed 18 Jan 2021 Busch P, Bilgin A (2014) Student and Staff Understanding and Reaction: Academic Integrity in an Australian University. J Acad Ethics 12:227–243. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10805-014-9214-2 Chirumamilla A, Sindre G, Nguyen-Duc A (2020) Cheating in e-exams and paper exams: the perceptions of engineering students and teachers in Norway. Assess Eval High Educ 45(7):940–957. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2020.1719975 CPA Australia (n.d.) (2021) Professional accreditation requirements Australia and New Zealand Section 5: Frequently asked questions https://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/academics/accreditation-guidelines-for-higher-education-programs/professional-accreditation-guidelines/section-5-frequently-asked-questions Cramp J, Medlin JF, Lake P, Sharp C (2019) Lessons learned from implementing remotely invigilated online exams. J Univ Teach Learn Pract 16(1):1–18 https://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp/vol16/iss1/10/ Curtis GJ, Slade C, Bretag T, McNeill M (2021) Developing and evaluating nationwide expert-delivered academic integrity workshops for the higher education sector in Australia. Higher Educ Res Dev. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2021.1872057 Day K, Lawrence J (2020) Implementing remotely invigilated online exams at scale. Transforming assessment webinar series. 25 march 2020. http://transformingassessment.com/sites/default/files/files/TA_webinar_25_mar_2020_slides_extended.pdf. Accessed 18 Jan 2021 Dendir S, Maxwell RS (2020) Cheating in online courses: evidence from online proctoring. Comput Human Behav Rep 2:1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2020.100033 Eaton SE, Crossman K, Behjat L, Yates RM, Fear E, Trifkovic M (2020) An institutional self-study of text-matching software in a Canadian graduate-level engineering program. J Acad Ethics 18:263–282. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10805-020-09367-0 Ellis C, van Haeringen K, Harper R, Bretag B, Zucker I, McBride S, Rozenberg P, Newton P, Saddiqui S (2020) Does authentic assessment assure academic integrity? Evidence from contract cheating data. Higher Educ Res Dev 39(3):454–469. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2019.1680956 Elzainy A, El Sadik A, Al Abdulmonem W (2020) Experience of e-learning and online assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic at the College of Medicine, Qassim University. J Taibah Univ Med Sci 15(6):456–462 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1658361220301517 Evering LC, Moorman G (2012) Rethinking plagiarism in the digital age. J Adolesc Adult Lit 56(1):35–44. https://doi.org/10.1002/JAAL.00100 Grajek S (2020). EDUCAUSE COVID-19 quick poll results: grading and proctoring. EDUCAUSE review https://er.educause.edu/blogs/2020/4/educause-covid-19-quickpoll-results-grading-and-proctoring. Accessed 18 Jan 2021 Grym J, Liljander V (2016) To cheat or not to cheat? The effect of a moral reminder on cheating. Nordic J Bus 65(3–4):18–37 Hamblin NC (2017) Academic dishonesty in the digital age from the perspective of rural high school general education teachers in Southwest Ohio: a phenomenological study. Dissertation 1584, Liberty University https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/1584/. Accessed 18 Jan 2021 Harmon OR, Lambrinos J (2008) Are online exams an invitation to cheat? J Econ Educ 39(2):116–125. https://doi.org/10.3200/JECE.39.2.116-125 Harper R, Bretag T, Rundle K (2020) Detecting contract cheating: examining the role of assessment type. Higher Educ Res Dev 40:1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2020.1724899 Harrison D (2020) Online education and authentic assessment. Inside Higher Education https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2020/04/29/how-discourage-student-cheating-online-exams-opinion. Accessed 18 Jan 2021 Hillier M (2014) The very idea of e-exams: student (pre) conceptions. In: Hegarty B, McDonald J, Lok S-K (eds) Rhetoric and reality: critical perspectives on educational technology. Proceedings Ascilite, Dunedin, pp 77–88 Holden OL, Norris ME, Kuhlmeier VA (2020) Academic integrity in online testing: a research review. PsyArXiv June 10 preprint doi:https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/rjk7g Hollister KK, Berenson ML (2009) Proctored Versus Unproctored Online Exams: Studying the Impact of Exam Environment on Student Performance. Decis Sci J Innov Educ 7(1):271-294 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4609.2008.00220.x Hsiao CH (2015) Impact of ethical and affective variables on cheating: comparison of undergraduate students with and without jobs. High Educ 69:55–77. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-014-9761-x Hu G, Sun X (2017) Institutional policies on plagiarism: the case of eight Chinese universities of foreign languages/international studies. System 66:56–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2017.03.015 Ilgaz H, Afacan Adanır G (2020) Providing online exams for online learners: does it really matter for them? Educ Inf Technol 25:1255–1269. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-019-10020-6 International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) (2020) Toolkit to support quality assurance agencies to address academic integrity and contract cheating https://www.teqsa.gov.au/sites/default/files/inqaahe-teqsa-qbbg-academic-integrity-toolkit-v1-0.pdf James R (2016) Tertiary student attitudes to invigilated, online summative examinations. Int J Educ Technol Higher Educ 13(19):1–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-016-0015-0 Joel W (2020) Exam anxiety: how remote test-proctoring is creeping students out. The Verge https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/29/21232777/examity-remote-test-proctoring-online-class-education. Accessed 18 Jan 2021 Lacey B (2010) How remote online proctoring can reshape how your educational organisation sees assessment. Janison [website]. https://www.janison.com/resources/post/how-remote-online-proctoring-can-reshape-how-your-educational-organisation-sees-assessment/# Ladyshewsky RK (2015) Post-graduate student performance in ‘supervised in-class’ vs. ‘unsupervised online’ multiple choice tests: implications for cheating and test security. Assess Eval High Educ 40(7):883–897. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2014.956683 Lederman D (2020) Best way to stop cheating in online courses? ‘Teach better’. Inside Higher Education. https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2020/07/22/technology-best-way-stop-online-cheating-no-experts-say-better. Accessed 18 Jan 2021 Lee-Post A, Hapke H (2017) Online learning integrity approaches: current practices and future solutions. Online Learn 2(1):135–145 https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1141915 Lewin K (1958) Group decision and social change. In: Maccoby EE, Newcomb TM, Hartley EL (eds) Readings in social psychology p 197–211. Rinehart & Winston, Holt Manoharan S (2019) Cheat-resistant multiple-choice examinations using personalization. Comput Educ 130:139–151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2018.11.007 Marsden H, Carroll M, Neill JT (2005) Who cheats at university? A self-report study of dishonest academic behaviours in a sample of Australian university students. Aust J Psychol 57(1):1–10. https://doi.org/10.1080/00049530412331283426 Merkel, W (2021) Collage of confusion: An analysis of one university’s multiple plagiarism policies. System 96 doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2020.102399 Mishra L, Gupta T, Shree A (2020) Online teaching-learning in higher education during lockdown period of COVID-19 pandemic. Int J Educ Res Open 1:1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2020.100012 Munoz A, Mackay J (2019) An online testing design choice typology towards cheating threat minimisation. J Univ Teach Learn Pract 16(3):1–16 https://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp/vol16/iss3/5 Ng CKC (2020) Evaluation of academic integrity of open book assessments implemented in an undergraduate medical radiation science course during COVID-19 pandemic. J Med Imaging Radiat Sci 51(4):610–616. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmir.2020.09.009. Epub 2020 Oct 10. PMID: 33077414; PMCID: PMC7547610. Owunwanne D, Rustagi NK, Dada R (2010) Student perceptions of cheating and plagiarism in higher institutions. J Coll Teach Learn 7(11):59–68. https://doi.org/10.19030/tlc.v7i11.253 Raaheim R, Mathiassen K, Moen V, Lona I, Gynnild V, Ringlund Bunæs B, Trygve Hasle E (2019) Digital assessment – how does it challenge local practices and national law? A Norwegian case study. Eur J Higher Educ 9(2):219–231. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2018.1541420 Ray A (2020) Collusion or simple confusion? Why academic misconduct rules must be reformed. Peppercorn. ANU Law Students’ Society's Biannual Magazine https://www.peppercorn-anulss.com/post/collusion-or-simple-confusion-why-academic-misconduct-rules-must-be-reformed. Accessed 18 Jan 2021 Reich RW, Milhano C, Valentine D (2018) A comparison of proctored on ground exams vs. unproctored online exams in undergraduate finance courses. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the academy of business research international conference Rios JA, Liu OL (2017) Online proctored versus unproctored low-stakes internet test administration: is there differential test-taking behavior and performance? Am J Dist Educ 31(4):226–241. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2017.1258628 Rundle K, Curtis GJ, Joseph C (2019) Why students do not engage in contract cheating. Front Psychol 10(Article 2229):1–15 doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02229 Sankey M (2020) COVID-19 exam software survey 2020. An ACODE Whitepaper https://www.acode.edu.au/pluginfile.php/8244/mod_resource/content/2/eExamsWhitepaper.pdf. Accessed 18 Jan 2021 Selwyn N (2008a) A Safe Haven for Misbehaving? Soc Sci Comput Rev 26(4):446–465. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894439307313515 Selwyn N (2008b) ‘Not necessarily a bad thing ...’: a study of online plagiarism amongst undergraduate students. Assess Eval High Educ 33(5):465–479. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602930701563104 Sidi Y, Blau I, Eshet-Alkalai Y (2019) How is the ethical dissonance index affected by technology, academic dishonesty type and individual differences? Br J Educ Technol 50(6):3300–3314. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12735 Starovoytova D, Arimi M (2017) Witnessing of cheating-in-exams behavior and factors sustaining integrity. J Educ Pract 8(10):127–141 https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1139834.pdf Stockwell (2020) Tech experts want online exam monitoring canned. ABC Triple J Hack https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/online-exam-monitoring/12388630. Accessed 18 Jan 2021 Sullivan DP (2016) An integrated approach to preempt cheating on asynchronous, objective, online assessments in graduate business classes. Online Learn 20(3):195–209. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v20i3.650 Sutherland-Smith W (2013) Crossing the line: collusion or collaboration in university group work? Aust Univ Rev 55(1):51–58 https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1004398.pdf Sutton A, Taylor D (2011) Confusion about collusion: working together and academic integrity. Assess Eval High Educ 36(7):831–841. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2010.488797 Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Organisation (TEQSA) (2020) Online delivery – key considerations for providers 8 April 2020 https://www.teqsa.gov.au/latest-news/publications/online-delivery-key-considerations-providers Tremayne K, Curtis GJ (2020) Attitudes and understanding are only part of the story: self-control, age and self-imposed pressure predict plagiarism over and above perceptions of seriousness and understanding. Assess Eval High Educ. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2020.1764907 UNESCO (2020) Exams and assessments in COVID-19 crisis: fairness at the centre https://en.unesco.org/news/exams-and-assessments-covid-19-crisis-fairness-centre Wiley (2020) Academic integrity in the age of online learning. Survey shows sharp rise in instructor perception of cheating https://www.wiley.com/network/instructors-students/covid-19-online-teaching-resources-1/is-student-cheating-on-the-rise-how-you-can-discourage-it-in-your-classroom