11 Supporting Ethics and Academic Integrity
What Causes Cheating in Online Courses?
Understanding the factors that motivate students to engage in dishonest behavior is crucial for creating a supportive and integrity-driven online learning environment.
- Time Management and Deadlines: Students facing competing demands may feel overwhelmed, which can lead them to seek shortcuts to meet deadlines.
- Reduced Interaction and Isolation: The lack of face-to-face interaction in online courses can contribute to feelings of isolation and a diminished sense of belonging, making students less likely to seek help when needed.
- Information Overload and Resource Management: The vast availability of online information can overwhelm students, tempting them to copy answers instead of engaging in deep learning.
- Unclear Understanding of Academic Integrity: Students may not fully understand what constitutes academic dishonesty in an online setting, leading to unintentional breaches of integrity.
Student Take
I like that with the right professor,[. . .], I can read and retain information. She’s a perfect example of a great online Professor. She’s flexible with her submissions to accommodate students’ bustling lives. I also feel a great sense of connection with other students as she makes us students frequently communicate via discussion boards. I like that I can work at my own pace the most about taking online courses, and with my anxiety, I can just feel more calm when I can control the area I’m in.
How does Authentic Assessment Support Ethical Academic Practices?
Authentic assessments can significantly enhance learning by focusing on application and analysis rather than rote memorization, thus reducing the incentives to cheat.
- Focus on Higher-Order Thinking: Authentic assessments often require analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, which encourages deeper engagement with the material.
- Real-World Application: These assessments require students to apply their knowledge to solve practical problems, making it harder to find answers through simple searches.
- Increase Student Investment: Engaging tasks that require critical thinking can intrinsically motivate students, making the learning process more appealing than the prospect of cheating.
Authentic assessment is
- Project-Based Learning: Design and execute a real-world project, like a marketing campaign or a scientific experiment.
- Case Studies: Analyze and propose solutions for real-life scenarios in a relevant field.
- Simulations: Engage in virtual environments that mimic real-world challenges, such as patient care or running a company.
- Portfolios: Compile a collection of academic work, demonstrating skills and learning progression.
- Performance Tasks: Execute specific skills in a practical setting, such as creating artwork, performing a music recital, or teaching a lesson.
How Can Faculty Implement Authentic Assessments Effectively?
Implementing authentic assessments involves clear communication, continuous feedback, and strategic design to align with learning outcomes and engage students meaningfully.
- Clear Learning Objectives: Aligning assessments with well-defined learning objectives ensures that students understand the skills and knowledge being evaluated.
- Rubric Development: Detailed rubrics provide clear criteria for performance, which helps in maintaining transparency and enables students to self-assess their work.
- Scaffolding and Feedback: Offering opportunities for feedback and iterative improvement throughout the assessment process allows students to learn from their mistakes and refine their work.
By understanding the motivations behind student dishonesty and leveraging the benefits of authentic assessments, faculty can foster a learning environment that not only discourages cheating but also deeply engages students, enhancing their overall learning experience and success.
Authentic assessment is not
- Multiple-Choice Tests: Students select the correct answer from several options, primarily testing recall of factual information.
- True/False Questions: Assess basic knowledge by determining if statements are correct or incorrect without requiring deeper analysis or application.
- Fill-in-the-Blanks: Require students to insert missing words or phrases, focusing on memorization rather than understanding.
- Matching Exercises: Students match items from two lists based on recall of definitions, terms, or concepts.
- Short Answer Tests: Prompt students to provide brief, direct responses that typically assess recall of facts or straightforward understanding of concepts.
What options are available for remote proctoring?
At FSW, policies related to proctored exams fall to individual departments. Please consult with your department chair to understand the requirements for proctored exams. If you are not required to utilize proctoring software, you are still encouraged to utilize it to enhance academic integrity with your exams.
FSW has partnered with Proctorio, a proctoring software. To learn more about Proctorio, how to use it, and how to educate your students on using it effectively, please visit the FSW Ed Tech Toolkit page and select Proctorio to enroll in that toolkit.
Additional resources from the FSW Knowledge Base
Media Attributions
- College student studying in front of couch © Heather Olson and Adobe Firefly
