Ten Years in the Academic Integrity Trenches: Experiences and Issues

Authors

Doug Atkinson, Curtin University
S. Zaung Nau, Curtin University
Christine Symons, Curtin University

Abstract

In 2016, our university launched its Academic Integrity Program (AIP) in order to promote and protect academic integrity. All commencing students must complete this online AIP within 14 days of starting their course. Satisfactory completion of this module with a test score of 80% is required before students can access their course materials. Interestingly, this university program mirrors a decade long effort in our IS discipline area to educate students regarding the importance of academic integrity and values through improvements in education, detection of misconduct, and procedures that deal with this. In this paper, we analyze four descriptive cases of academic misconduct involving plagiarism, collusion, and contract cheating. We then describe the role of academic culture and English language proficiency, noting how these contribute to academic integrity. Additionally, we analyze quantitative data from the faculty Plagiarism Recording System that reflect a decade of front-line experiences of IS academics in upholding and reinforcing academic integrity in both large (1,000 student) undergraduate and small (20 student) postgraduate courses. We describe the AIP that educated 15,000 new students commencing courses in 2016. Finally, we raise issues and make recommendations to deal with the next decade of efforts to improve academic integrity.

Recommended Citation

Atkinson, Doug; Nau, S. Zaung; and Symons, Christine (2016) "Ten Years in the Academic Integrity Trenches: Experiences and Issues," Journal of Information Systems Education: Vol. 27 : Iss. 3 , 197-208.
Available at: https://aisel.aisnet.org/jise/vol27/iss3/5