Presented by
Niva Kaspi
Perth Institute of Business and Technology
Academic integrity: Sharing ideas and strategies
• Common types of coursework-related misconduct
• Cross-cultural perspectives on academic integrity
• Preventative measures for staff and students
• Show-case of PIBT’s Professional and Academic Communication unit
• Open forum discussion (20 min.)
This session
Professional and Academic Communication (PAC):
• The first PIBT-designed Diploma unit to receive full credits
from ECU Faculty of Business and Law
• Cohort is approximately 97% international
• Allows PIBT to design and adapt to suit changing needs of
the cohort: enhanced communication and language skills
• Designed in consultation with ELP and learning design
specialists
• Taught in a computer lab, student-centred, ‘blended’
mode
“The lengths university students will go to cheat”, (Smith, 2015).
“Deakin University students kicked out for 'contract cheating‘”
(Jacks,2016).
“Thousands of university students caught cheating - but future doctors
and teachers escaped penalty because of an 'educate rather than punish
policy‘” (jeans,2016).
“Alarming numbers of students caught cheating at SA universities”,
(Kemp, 2016)
Making headlines
• Outsourcing by purchasing work from a ‘ghost-writing’ service
• Use of online translating and paraphrasing sites
• Copying (Ctrl+C) from the internet
• Copying other students’ work
• Extensive collaboration
• Extensive edits and rewrites by friends/family
Common types of academic misconduct
• Lack of awareness of plagiarism rules
• Textbook-focused learning habits
• Rote learning and memorising traditions
• Using another author’s words as a form of respect
• Traditions of reciting poetry and revered scholarly arguments
• Collectivist cultural norms that value sharing
• Lack of confidence stating/forming own opinion
• Lack of confidence criticising ideas of experts
• Low language proficiency and insufficient paraphrasing skills
• Time pressure, work, and other commitments.
Adapted from: Leeman Bartzis, 2009
‘Plagiarism’, ‘Cheating’ , or something else?
some cross-cultural perspectives:
• Ensure students are skilled in reading, quoting, paraphrasing, and referencing
• Know your students: set up an early ‘benchmarking’ in-class writing activity
• Change assessments regularly
• Use recent events or readings in assessment topics/material
• Encourage personalised response in assessment task
• Include critical application, analysis, interpretation in assessment questions
• Scaffold assessments, allowing lecturers to monitor progress and offer
feedback.
Measures to prevent misconduct –
Tips for lecturers, coordinators, and institutions
• Include marks for correct referencing
• Utilise similarity-check software (eg Turnitin) and allow students to
resubmit prior to deadline
• Exam to discourage assignment outsourcing or collusion
• Set realistic assignment deadlines
• Explain what level of collaboration is acceptable
• Become familiar with assignment writing services (online or offline) and
their mode of operation.
Measures to prevent misconduct –
Tips for lecturers, coordinators, and institutions (cont.)
• Easy to locate and use
• Difficult to detect with similarity-check software
• Widespread use
Ghost-written assignments
Excerpt taken from an online ghost-writing service:
“What we can do for you:
Write from materials you supply
Supplement your research in those areas that are ‘light’.
Research and write the entire script.
On demand provide additional notes, glossary of terms etc. – a bonus unique to
our site.
What we deliver to you:
A high quality, unique script totally undetectable by anti-plagiarism software. It is
custom written for you and never re-used.
On time delivery, every time.
Free amendments if your brief has not been met.
Guaranteed high quality using our verification system.”
www.spinbot.com
• Essay question requires students to reflect on their own experience and
compare with research
• All research material pre-selected for the students
• Two submission points – draft and final (both graded)
• Draft submission template provided
• Project-planning (time and task management) part of the draft submission
• Finished essays not admissible as draft submission
• ‘Conduct’ criterion makes up one fifth of the mark
• Substantial misconduct penalties
• Turnitin submission (resubmission allowed until due date)
• Final submissions compared with early, in-class written assessment.
How do we do it in PAC1100D?
The design of major assignment - Essay
• ‘Reading for a purpose’ activity tailored to specific readings
• Paraphrasing and quoting – when and how to? activities
• Paraphrasing tips, step-by-step, online tutorials, and worksheets
• Specific grammar activities for paraphrasing
• Reporting verbs and phrases lists and worksheets
• Referencing videos, quizzes, and online tutorials
• Consolidating library search, paraphrasing, and referencing activity
• Editing and peer review sessions.
Additional activities to enhance academic integrity:
• Take pride in citing your sources
• Develop effective note-takinghabits
• Develop correct paraphrasingskills
• Follow the referencing rules
Message to our students:
Advice to students: How to avoid
academic misconduct?
• Reference all your sources – both direct quotes and paraphrases - in-
text and at the end text reference list
• Place quotation marks or block indent direct-quotes
• Make sure your paraphrasing is sufficiently different to the original
source
• Do not write your assignment with other people
• Do not allow others to copy your work or share answers
• Do not allow or pay someone else to write or edit your work
• Do not write or edit work for other students
Never give others a copy of your work; especially not an electronic copy!
References
Jacks, T. Deakin University students kicked out for 'contract cheating. (2016, May 18). The Age. Retrieved from http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/deakin-university-students-
kicked-out-for-contract-cheating-20160517-goxm1y.html
Jeans, D. Thousands of university students caught cheating - but future doctors and teachers escaped penalty because of an 'educate rather than punish policy’. (2016, April
6). Daily Mail Australia. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3525604/Students-Adelaide-universities-cheating-future-doctors-teachers-face-light-
punishments.html
Kemp, M. Alarming numbers of students caught cheating at SA universities. (2016, April 6). The Advertiser. Retrieved from http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-
australia/trainee-doctors-teachers-nurses-caught-cheating/news-story/d2d86c9dae9e8baecfa6704e9ef66df4
Leeman Bartzis, O. (2009) ‘Cheating’ or ‘Sharing’? Academic Ethics Across Cultures. In Presentation made to AACRAO Conference, Chicago. Retrieved from
http://subjectguides.wcupa.edu/c.php?g=61428&p=395703
Smith, A. The lengths university students will go to cheat. (2015, August 11). The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/the-
lengths-university-students-will-go-to-cheat-20150811-giwjog.html
Questions and discussion…

Academic integrity: Sharing ideas and strategies

  • 1.
    Presented by Niva Kaspi PerthInstitute of Business and Technology Academic integrity: Sharing ideas and strategies
  • 2.
    • Common typesof coursework-related misconduct • Cross-cultural perspectives on academic integrity • Preventative measures for staff and students • Show-case of PIBT’s Professional and Academic Communication unit • Open forum discussion (20 min.) This session Professional and Academic Communication (PAC): • The first PIBT-designed Diploma unit to receive full credits from ECU Faculty of Business and Law • Cohort is approximately 97% international • Allows PIBT to design and adapt to suit changing needs of the cohort: enhanced communication and language skills • Designed in consultation with ELP and learning design specialists • Taught in a computer lab, student-centred, ‘blended’ mode
  • 3.
    “The lengths universitystudents will go to cheat”, (Smith, 2015). “Deakin University students kicked out for 'contract cheating‘” (Jacks,2016). “Thousands of university students caught cheating - but future doctors and teachers escaped penalty because of an 'educate rather than punish policy‘” (jeans,2016). “Alarming numbers of students caught cheating at SA universities”, (Kemp, 2016) Making headlines
  • 4.
    • Outsourcing bypurchasing work from a ‘ghost-writing’ service • Use of online translating and paraphrasing sites • Copying (Ctrl+C) from the internet • Copying other students’ work • Extensive collaboration • Extensive edits and rewrites by friends/family Common types of academic misconduct
  • 5.
    • Lack ofawareness of plagiarism rules • Textbook-focused learning habits • Rote learning and memorising traditions • Using another author’s words as a form of respect • Traditions of reciting poetry and revered scholarly arguments • Collectivist cultural norms that value sharing • Lack of confidence stating/forming own opinion • Lack of confidence criticising ideas of experts • Low language proficiency and insufficient paraphrasing skills • Time pressure, work, and other commitments. Adapted from: Leeman Bartzis, 2009 ‘Plagiarism’, ‘Cheating’ , or something else? some cross-cultural perspectives:
  • 6.
    • Ensure studentsare skilled in reading, quoting, paraphrasing, and referencing • Know your students: set up an early ‘benchmarking’ in-class writing activity • Change assessments regularly • Use recent events or readings in assessment topics/material • Encourage personalised response in assessment task • Include critical application, analysis, interpretation in assessment questions • Scaffold assessments, allowing lecturers to monitor progress and offer feedback. Measures to prevent misconduct – Tips for lecturers, coordinators, and institutions
  • 7.
    • Include marksfor correct referencing • Utilise similarity-check software (eg Turnitin) and allow students to resubmit prior to deadline • Exam to discourage assignment outsourcing or collusion • Set realistic assignment deadlines • Explain what level of collaboration is acceptable • Become familiar with assignment writing services (online or offline) and their mode of operation. Measures to prevent misconduct – Tips for lecturers, coordinators, and institutions (cont.)
  • 8.
    • Easy tolocate and use • Difficult to detect with similarity-check software • Widespread use Ghost-written assignments
  • 9.
    Excerpt taken froman online ghost-writing service: “What we can do for you: Write from materials you supply Supplement your research in those areas that are ‘light’. Research and write the entire script. On demand provide additional notes, glossary of terms etc. – a bonus unique to our site. What we deliver to you: A high quality, unique script totally undetectable by anti-plagiarism software. It is custom written for you and never re-used. On time delivery, every time. Free amendments if your brief has not been met. Guaranteed high quality using our verification system.”
  • 10.
  • 11.
    • Essay questionrequires students to reflect on their own experience and compare with research • All research material pre-selected for the students • Two submission points – draft and final (both graded) • Draft submission template provided • Project-planning (time and task management) part of the draft submission • Finished essays not admissible as draft submission • ‘Conduct’ criterion makes up one fifth of the mark • Substantial misconduct penalties • Turnitin submission (resubmission allowed until due date) • Final submissions compared with early, in-class written assessment. How do we do it in PAC1100D? The design of major assignment - Essay
  • 12.
    • ‘Reading fora purpose’ activity tailored to specific readings • Paraphrasing and quoting – when and how to? activities • Paraphrasing tips, step-by-step, online tutorials, and worksheets • Specific grammar activities for paraphrasing • Reporting verbs and phrases lists and worksheets • Referencing videos, quizzes, and online tutorials • Consolidating library search, paraphrasing, and referencing activity • Editing and peer review sessions. Additional activities to enhance academic integrity:
  • 13.
    • Take pridein citing your sources • Develop effective note-takinghabits • Develop correct paraphrasingskills • Follow the referencing rules Message to our students:
  • 14.
    Advice to students:How to avoid academic misconduct? • Reference all your sources – both direct quotes and paraphrases - in- text and at the end text reference list • Place quotation marks or block indent direct-quotes • Make sure your paraphrasing is sufficiently different to the original source • Do not write your assignment with other people • Do not allow others to copy your work or share answers • Do not allow or pay someone else to write or edit your work • Do not write or edit work for other students Never give others a copy of your work; especially not an electronic copy!
  • 15.
    References Jacks, T. DeakinUniversity students kicked out for 'contract cheating. (2016, May 18). The Age. Retrieved from http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/deakin-university-students- kicked-out-for-contract-cheating-20160517-goxm1y.html Jeans, D. Thousands of university students caught cheating - but future doctors and teachers escaped penalty because of an 'educate rather than punish policy’. (2016, April 6). Daily Mail Australia. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3525604/Students-Adelaide-universities-cheating-future-doctors-teachers-face-light- punishments.html Kemp, M. Alarming numbers of students caught cheating at SA universities. (2016, April 6). The Advertiser. Retrieved from http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south- australia/trainee-doctors-teachers-nurses-caught-cheating/news-story/d2d86c9dae9e8baecfa6704e9ef66df4 Leeman Bartzis, O. (2009) ‘Cheating’ or ‘Sharing’? Academic Ethics Across Cultures. In Presentation made to AACRAO Conference, Chicago. Retrieved from http://subjectguides.wcupa.edu/c.php?g=61428&p=395703 Smith, A. The lengths university students will go to cheat. (2015, August 11). The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/the- lengths-university-students-will-go-to-cheat-20150811-giwjog.html
  • 16.