In this session we will discuss academic integrity violations (AIVs) and our institutional strategy for identifying and resolving AIV claims. We will share the results of a study examining over 1,000 AIV claims over a 5-year period and student outcome trends along with implications for supporting students.
In this interactive session we will discuss academic integrity violation (AIV) claims in an online master's degree program and student outcomes. We will introduce our AIV reporting process and share observations about the types of intentional and unintentional AIVs reported. While the definition of academic integrity continues to evolve, it is important to see it as a part of the student’s educational journey. We will share our philosophy of building a culture of academic integrity and our methods for resolving AIV claims. Finally, we will share the results of a study examining over 1,000 AIV claims over a 5-year period and student outcome trends.
The issue of AIV in online education is more pertinent than ever after the rapid growth of online courses resulting from safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. As students and universities have attempted to acclimate to the online environment some contend that there is a higher likelihood of plagiarism or cheating in an online course. However, technology also provides an increased ability to detect and intervene when AIVs inevitably occur.
Educators and administrators need tools and strategies in place to appropriately address AIVs. It is beneficial to all stakeholders within an institution to learn and enact best practices for not only identifying academic integrity violations or ethical concerns, but addressing them in an impactful and growth oriented manner. Students’ experiences during their program of study will contribute to their professional identity and work when they enter the ‘real world,’ therefore their educational experiences should reflect a scaffolding of support around learning to write and present professionally. This systemic focus of this session will expand the microscopic conversation from academic integrity as solely a writing issue to a periscopic conversation where academic integrity forms a composite of the entire student and subsequent working professional.
In this session, the presenters will identify how academic integrity is an interwoven student variable that cannot and should not be treated in a silo. By studying multiple variables across the student’s course of study, we can implement multi-faceted interventions to support a student's successful completion of their program. Identifiable indicators, once determined, can signal program leadership, faculty, and support systems to intervene in ways that are in the best interest of the student. Beyond identifying AIVs in student coursework and determining whether action is warranted, we wanted to understand how student’s fare after an AIV claim. Do they learn from their mistake? Do they struggle in other aspects of the program? The results of this study provided evidence that even the slightest intervention can lead to positive student outcomes.
The goal of this study was to examine the relationship that academic integrity formed with other student variables. Armed with this holistic information, we could see how crucial it is to expand our understanding and treatment of academic integrity concerns. The study included master’s and doctoral level students attending a 100% online university. Program enrollment for the duration of this study climbed steadily over the 5-year period from (500 to 1,500) students. The program faculty are largely full-time but include part-time faculty as well. Faculty are trained in the use of Turn-It-In, an online tool, embedded in our learning management system (course room), that scans students’ written work to identify potential academic integrity concerns. When faculty identify a student assignment that appears to include plagiarism, they submit the student’s assignment for review by the Office of the Dean. The Office then makes a determination as to whether an AIV has occurred and determines the outcome associated with the violation. If considered egregious or a history of violations is evident, the Office sends the claim along with any student feedback to the school-level AIV committee for further review.
In this study, we examined over 1,000 academic integrity violation claims that occurred during a five year period. We aimed to assess the relationship between academic integrity and other vital outcome variables. We looked at summative outcomes such as cumulative grade point average and academic status as well as academic and ethical performance data such as at-risk notifications and clinical interventions. Our results revealed what proportion of students remain enrolled following an AIV, how likely they are to also be identified as “at-risk”, and whether they are also referred to an intervention process for ethical concerns. In our presentation we will share the full results of our study regarding whether AIV claims are a predictor for future struggles or success.
Plan for Interactivity
This engaging session will implement several strategies that will allow the audience to interact with the material and presenters. As with all learning and training, we want the audience to be active participants in the learning process. The presenters will use creative and brief PowerPoint slides to guide the conversation and formulate large group discussions. The emphasis will be on generating a learning environment where audience members are involved frequently. In addition, the presenters will provide a one page cheat sheet which can be obtained by the audience through the conference website that highlights the main takeaways of the session.
Attendees will be asked to engage in small group discussions where they will apply the materials to their own contexts. Breakout groups will be brief with the intention of provoking social learning across all in attendance. It is recommended that attendees interact with one another in order to promote their understanding of the materials. The goal is to take advantage of the diverse wealth of knowledge and experiences present in the room.
The presenters will utilize student vignettes and examples to highlight the comprehensive nature of academic integrity. The vignettes will garner feedback from the larger audience in an attempt to elicit strategies and interventions aimed at enhancing the learning of the student. Furthermore, we will use real-time polling to interact with the audience. Real-time polling will allow us to understand how the audience is thinking about the topics being presented and influence which paths to take them down. Salzer (2018) identified that active learning is the optimal way to engage learners in an educational atmosphere as they interact directly with the material rather than being a passive attendee.
Session Takeaways
Attendees will leave this presentation with three key takeaways related to the story academic integrity tells us.
1) An understanding that academic integrity is interwoven within the student’s entire academic profile.
2) Early intervention can lead to improved academic outcomes (e.g. GPA, program completion) and ethical outcomes (e.g. no CDC reports). It was found that the majority of students who had received an academic integrity review successfully completed their program. The review process is not meant to be a punitive intervention, but an invitation for student growth and development and could influence future academic and clinical behaviors for the students as evidenced by the results of our study.
3) A holistic approach to early student intervention and support can bolster the student’s performance as they progress through the program.