Academic Integrity: What It Is and Why It Matters

1. Academic Integrity: What It Is and Why It Matters Mary Kay Solon, PT, MS University of Saint Francis Department of Physical Therapist Assistant Studies

2. Introduction • Topic of interest • Parent • Professional • Faculty • Member of a community • Integrity and breaches of integrity have gotten a lot of press

3. Bazerman and Tenbrunsel (2011) and Ariely (2012) posit that the many factors that impact decisions and actions in sports, the workplace, healthcare, and in education are varied and complicated.

5. Franciscan Values • Reverence the unique dignity of each person • Encourage a trustful, prayerful community of learners • Serve one another, society, and the Church • Foster peace and justice • Respect creation

6. What Is Academic Integrity? • Honesty to oneself and others; • “Cultivating honesty lays the foundation for lifelong integrity, developing in each of us the courage and insight to make difficult choices and accept responsibility for actions and their consequences, even at personal cost.” (p. 6) • Trust and open communication between students and faculty; • Fair treatment and mutual respect between faculty and students; • Personal responsibility to assist in preventing cheating. The Clemson University International Center for Academic Integrity .(October, 1999). The fundamental values of academic integrity.

7. “True academic integrity means that there is honesty in all matters relating to endeavors of the academic environment” (p. 1122) • Teaching and learning of knowledge and skills • Discovery and dissemination of new knowledge • In health care professional education it includes rendering diagnoses, administering treatment, communicating with patients or clients. Turner & Beemsterboer(2003)

8. What is Academic Dishonesty? • Copying from another student during an exam • Using a crib sheet during a closed-book exam • Previewing the exam from a “test file” when the teacher does not permit this and is unaware of the file • Presenting a paper copied from a file or purchase and presenting it as original work • Faking the results of a laboratory experiment or work • Asking for examination content or answers from another student • Using material from another student’s paper without credit to the other student • Working in a group when an assignment was assigned as individual work

9. Academic Dishonesty (cont.) • “sitting for” or taking an exam for another student • memorizing questions from an exam in order to create a file for later use • writing a laboratory report without performing the lab activity/experiment • purchasing or receiving notes from a fellow student • basing an “article report” on an abstract rather than reading the assigned article • selecting two answers on a computer answer sheet when instructed to make one choice • allowing another student to look at one’s answer sheet during a quiz or exam • claiming authorship or participation in a group paper or presentation when no contribution was made Danielson, Simon and Pavlik (2006)

11. Other Types of Academic Dishonesty • Attempting to cheat, even if unsuccessful Lambert and Hogan (2003, p. 2) • Feigning illness when not ill in order to postpone a quiz, exam, or submission of an assignment • Reporting the death of a loved one in order to postpone quiz, exam, or submission of assignment • Ariely(2012) • Adams (1990)

12. Adams (1990)

13. Why Is There Academic Dishonesty? • Pressure to succeed (high stakes, parental pressure) • Limited time to study • Fear of losing status amongst peers • Feeling peer pressure to cheat • Observing cheating • Lack of understanding of what plagiarism is • Citing sources • Quotations • Lack of knowledge of institutional policies Theartand Smit(2012)

14. Research supports that students with more knowledge of institutional policy tend to cheat less and students with less knowledge of institutional policy tend to cheat more. Jordan (2001, p. 243)

16. Additional Reason Intrinsic versus extrinsic learners: Valuing learning and the learning process, course content, and the connection of the course and material assessed to the bigger picture vs. the “means to an end” approach. Jordan (2001) Classroom Diversity: Student Engagement Across the Spectrum

17. Why Academic Integrity Matters • Issue of fairness • Correlation between frequency of cheating in college and work place dishonesty Nonisand Owens Swift (2001) • Skills gap Hardy (2012) • Inflated perception of abilities

18. So…. What Can We Do About It? “1) Recognize and affirm academic integrity as a core institutional value. 2) Foster a lifelong commitment to learning. 3) Affirm the role of teacher as guide and mentor. 4) Help student understand the potential of the Internet – and how that potential can be lost if online resources are used for fraud, theft and deception. 5) Encourage student responsibility for academic integrity. 6) Clarify expectations for students. 7) Develop fair and creative forms of assessment. 8) Reduce opportunities to engage in academic dishonesty. 9) Respond to academic dishonesty when it occurs. 10) Help define and support campus-wide academic-integrity standards.” McCabe and Pavela(2004, p. ##)

19. Honor Code • An honor code typically includes a statement of the values of the educational institution as well as a description of the expected behaviors for all persons who function at the institution. Many honor codes place responsibilities on students for not only upholding their personal behaviors of honesty but to assist others as well. • Two purposes: educational and regulatory • Educational: enhanced general good citizenship as a student and member of society. • Regulatory: clearly delineates what is punishable. It is very important that, for the regulatory purpose of honor codes to be effective, they must be uniformly practiced and enforced. Turner and Beemsterboer (2003)

21. Bluffton University observes the honor system in taking examinations and writing research papers. No monitor is in the classroom during test or examination periods. Students are asked to write and sign the following pledge on every examination paper: “I am unaware of any aid having been given or received during this examination.” If a student cannot conscientiously sign this pledge, the course instructor is to be notified. Plagiarism is considered a serious violation of the honor system. Reported offenses are normally resolved through the campus judicial system. Although the honor system applies specifically to the academic area, it is understood that the spirit of the honor system should pervade all aspects of campus life.

22. Honor Statements • “On my honor I have neither given nor received any aid on this exam.” (Indiana University Medical School, Bloomington -Dr. Bruce Martin’s Physiology Class) • “I will not knowingly engage in any dishonorable behavior, cheat, steal, lie or commit any act of plagiarism during any academic work, course or endeavor. If I observe an act which I believe violates the University’s Honor Code, I may, at my discretion, report it to the appropriate personnel.” (University of Findlay)

23. The literature consistently reports that the incidence of cheating is lower in institutions with honor codes. • McCabe and Trevino (1993) • Surveyed students from 31 colleges. • 14 institutions had traditional academic honor codes and 17 did not. • 47% of students of the non-honor code institutions reported one or more serious incidents of test or exam cheating, only 24% of the students from honor code institutions reported incidents. • McCabe (2005) explains that it is not only the presence of the honor codes at these institutions but also the culture and environment of integrity that may be more apparent and valued by students of many of these institutions.

24. Practical Steps: The Syllabus Include in syllabus what happens when • an assignment is late • student misses a quiz • student misses an exam • student’s work is not their own or student is found to be cheating on quiz or exam Be very clear.

25. Research on USF Course Syllabuses • Fall 2012 (sabbatical) • Reviewed 39 course syllabuses representing 39 departments or disciplines • Selected courses labeled as 100 or 200 level when available but excluded foundational courses (READ, ENG 100, MATH 120) • Results

26. No reference to honesty policies or procedures • General statement • Referred student to Student Handbook • Cut and pasted statements from Student Handbook. Note: at USF, “first offense” is handled as described in the course syllabus • Plagiarism • 50% deduction on paper • F or F/0 on assignment • Re-submit but lateness penalties applied • Re-submit with 20% deduction if lack of understanding • F in course

27. What Else Can Be Done? • Reduce opportunities • Promote content as valuable – intrinsic learning • Have policies and procedures in place in advance • Educate students on what proper citation is • Be consistent in handling breaches • Promote community of learners and the value of honesty • Be honest and demonstrate the same principles in our work

28. In Academic Dishonesty: An Educator’s Guide (Whitley & Keith-Spiegel, 2001) Educators are striving to ensure equity in assessing students; contribute to the moral and ethical development of students; uphold the mission in higher education to transfer and advance knowledge; support student morale and support faculty morale; favorably impact the future behavior of students and, finally, uphold the reputation of the institution.

29. Aaron, A., Simons, P., & Graham-Webb, D. (2011). Academic dishonesty and unprofessional behavior. Radiologic Technology, 83, 133-140. Adams, M. (1990). The dead grandmother/exam syndrome and the potential downfall of American society. The Connecticut Review, 1–6. Ariely, D. (2012). The (honest) truth about dishonesty. New York: Harper Collins. Bazerman, M. H, & Tenbrunsel, A.E. (2011). Blind spots: Why we fail to do what’s right and what to do about it. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. The Clemson University International Center for Academic Integrity. (October, 1999). The fundamental values of academic integrity. Retrieved from http://www. academicintegrity.org/icai/assets/FVProject.pdf

30. Danielson, R. D., Simon, A. F., & Pavlik, R. (2006). The culture of cheating: From the classroom to the exam room. The Journal of Physician Assistant Education, 17, 23-29. Jordan, A. E. (2001). College student cheating: The role of motivation, perceived norms, attitudes, and knowledge of institutional policy. Ethics and Behavior, 11, 233–247. McCabe, D. L. (2005). It takes a village: Academic dishonesty and educational opportunity. Liberal Education, 91, 26-31. McCabe, D. L, & Pavela, G. (2004). Ten updated principles of academic integrity. Change,36, 10-15.

31. McCabe, D. L. & Trevino, L. K., (1993). Academic dishonesty: Honor codes and other contextual influences. Journal of Higher Education, 64, 522- 538. Nonis, S., & Owens Swift, C. (2001). An examination of the relationship between academic dishonesty and workplace dishonesty: A multi-campus investigation. Journal of Education for Business, 77, 69-77. Pincus, H. S., & Schmelkin, L. P. (2003). Faculty perceptions of academic dishonesty. Journal of Higher Education, 74, 196–209. Sportsman, S. (2012). Academic dishonesty in 2012. (Elsevier white paper). Retrieved from Elsevier website: http://pages.elsevieradvantage.com/rs/elsevierhse/ images /ACG-October-2012-White-Paper- Dishonesty.pdf

32. Theart, C. J., & Smit, I. (2012). The status of academic integrity amongst nursing students at a nursing institution in the Western Cape. Curationis, 35,1-8. Turner, S. P., & Beemsterboer, P. L.(2003). Enhancing academic integrity: Formulating effective honor codes.Journal of Dental Education, 67, 1122 1129. Weimer, M. (2012, July). Makeup exams: Seeking answers in a Sea of Student Excuses. Faculty Focus. Retrieved from http://www.facultyfocus.com/ articles/educational-assessment/makeup –exams seeking-answers -in-a-sea-of-student-excuses/ Whitley, B. E., Jr., & Keith-Spiegel, P. (2001). Academic dishonesty: An educator’s guide. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates

33. Thankl Thank you. mksolon@sf.edu