Promote Academic Integrity in Remote Learning

In a digital classroom, promoting and ensuring academic integrity is considered more challenging as compared to an in-person classroom setting. We can understand that online exams may give increased opportunities to students to cheat as opposed to the supervised exams conducted at institutions, but research indicates that online assessments don’t necessarily increase instances of cheating when compared to those in-person.

As Heidi Dieckmann detailed in a blog, there are a few reasons for the students to cheat – some of them can be managed through intentional teaching methods. As an instructor, you can help curb the temptation to be academically dishonest. Some students might consider this patronising or accusatory so by having regular and honest discussions about the issue, you can help them.

Education

Almost all universities and colleges have a policy detailing what constitutes academic dishonesty and the consequences for those caught plagiarizing or cheating. Inform your students by sharing this code of conduct with them. Mostly, this is done almost automatically by being included in the course syllabus. It’s a good practice to take time out specifically to explain what academic dishonesty means in your class. Take a minute to model what type of referencing is and isn’t acceptable. This level of specificity will help your students understand what it really means to create assignments and submit assessments honestly. This will promote a sense of responsibility amongst the students while studying in a virtual classroom.

Frequency

Sometimes repetition helps enforce the importance of a particular policy and in this case if you talk about plagiarism ahead of every assessment and project, students will be reminded of its consequences. Perhaps you can ask students to complete a form acknowledging they understand the level of academic honesty expected of them for that assignment and the consequences should they cheat. These frequent reminders may seem unnecessary but in reality, students will feel responsible and academic honesty will remain at the top of their minds.

Prevention

Although regular education and encouragement will dismiss dishonest actions for most learners, some may still attempt to cheat. Some students are tempted to take notes, assignments, old exams from previous students of your course. You can take preventive measures wherein you can change the projects, exams, lectures every semester or year. Another big benefit of this practice would be that it will keep your content relevant and up to date.

Modeling

If you model the academic honesty you demand from your learners, then your students will place more trust in you and practice your teachings with confidence. This will also help reinforce a culture of honesty and help students learn how to properly cite sources. For example, include references in your presentation deck that may not be familiar, like citing an image or graph. Students will use your classwork as a guide for their own assignments, learning from your notes, presentation decks, and other posted resources. Furthermore, teaching by your own rules will normalize the act of attribution. This will further strengthen a culture of accountability and honesty in a remote learning environment.

Environment

Many students are daunted by the pressure of higher education – obtain good grades, graduate on time, scholarship expectations, choose a career path wisely, and the list goes on. Every classroom poses some sort of pressure at some point during the course. By making things a bit simpler during their university stint can take the stress off their minds and it will also help your students avoid the feeling of cheating as their only option.

The pandemic has caused added stress in everyone’s life and remote learning has its own challenges. Students may be in different time zones, have unreliable internet, or be managing personal challenges and responsibilities (like caring for children or an ill family member). These circumstances outside of your virtual classroom can make a three-hour exam feel unmanageable. Some measures can be taken to offer your students the confidence they need in finishing their work with honesty – extending timelines (say, 24 hour) to submit assignments can provide more breathing room and hinder the temptation to cheat.

Design

In remote teaching, it’s important to understand the goals of remote learning. Memorization should not be used as the main method of examination. Rather, assessments should be made open book. This deters the temptation to break rules amongst your students by leaving notes available beside their desks, away from their camera. This is a great opportunity for you to truly assess the understanding of your learners. Incorporate questions that demand application of the theory and concepts taught during the class. If multiple choice questions better suit your course, create a larger bank of questions and create multiple versions of the exam. This will diversify the exams students receive, making sharing answers more challenging if students do attempt it.

Creativity

You can try new assessment techniques so that your students find cheating nearly impossible. There are a variety of tools available online. A creative format may engage students more in the process of learning and acquiring knowledge during the course and consequently discoursing the idea of cheating. Some methods can ensure they’re actively participating in the class and feel they are creating the content innovatively. For example, asking for videos or voice recordings instead of typed or written answers is a great way to use digital learning tools and engage students in formats that aren’t easy to copy.

Fostering ethics for a career

You can encourage your students towards a more successful learning experience through a tailored approach with a greater emphasis on academic integrity. Higher education can be challenging and stressful for many students in different ways. By acknowledging their difficulties and providing honest support to your students at various levels, you can foster a work ethic that students will carry throughout their education and then into their career.