Academic integrity and contract cheating policy analysis of colleges in Ontario, Canada

AbstractDue to COVID-19, universities with limited expertise with the digital environment had to rapidly transition to online teaching and assessment. This transition did not create a new problem but has offered more opportunities for contract cheating and diversified the types of such services. While universities and lecturers were adjusting to the new teaching styles and developing new assessment methods, opportunistic contract cheating providers have been offering $50 COVID-19 discounts and students securing the services of commercial online tutors to take their online exams or to take advantage of real-time assistance from ‘pros’ while sitting examinations. The article contributes to the discourse on contract cheating by reporting on an investigation of the scope and scale of the growing problems related to academic integrity exacerbated by an urgent transition to online assessments during the COVID-19 pandemic. The dark reality is the illegal services are developing at a faster pace than the systems required to curb them, as demonstrated by the results. The all-penetrating issues indicate systemic failures on a global scale that cannot be addressed by an individual academic or university acting alone. Multi-level solutions including academics, universities and the global community are essential. Future research must focus on developing a model of collaboration to address this problem on several levels, taking into account (1) individual academics, (2) universities, (3) countries and (4) international communities.

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Contract Cheating And Academic Integrity In Higher Education:, What Can Universities, Governments And Quality Assurance Agencies Do To Understand, Prevent And Respond To The Challenge?

10.54032/2203-007-998-004 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 219

Author(s):

Myra E. J. B. Williamson

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Quality Assurance ◽

Academic Integrity ◽

Contract Cheating

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De-Emphasizing Plagiarism with big data: Modern Approaches and Ethical Considerations

Integrity in Education for Future Happiness ◽

10.11118/978-80-7509-772-9-0050 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Daniel Dusza

Keyword(s):

Big Data ◽

Academic Integrity ◽

Semantic Network ◽

Big Data Analytics ◽

Plagiarism Detection ◽

Contract Cheating ◽

Process Verification ◽

Mass Migration ◽

Writing Problems ◽

The Future

This article introduces present trends in Big Data analytics and how they might be implemented to de-emphasize plagiarism. Regrettably, academic institutions have continued to rely on essay-based coursework and written reports as a basis of assessment. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a mass migration into online learning, and with it, a further increase in the reliance on textual content. With more writers now composing online in the absence of face-to-face accountability to peers and teachers, the risks to academic integrity through plagiarism and contract cheating should be expected to increase. Three empirical research studies were used to investigate how the writing process might be automatically and covertly monitored to measure the dynamics of compositions. The areas of interest include the equipment, the method of data management, and the information that could be gleaned from the recorded data. Each study is progressively more complex, and presented in a manner to support the future formulation of a framework for implementation into education. The results indicate that the equipment that is readily available to most students is capable much more than composing and transmitting a written manuscript. Currently, technology is capable of identifying writing problems and providing assistance to help writers navigate even the most difficult tasks in composition. The technological solutions suggested in this paper provides far more than plagiarism detection. The results in this paper indicate that future writing will be supported through process verification, semantic network authentications, and other certifications that will form part of the future requirements of assessment and academic integrity.

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Academic integrity matters: five considerations for addressing contract cheating

International Journal for Educational Integrity ◽

10.1007/s40979-018-0038-5 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Erica J. Morris

Keyword(s):

Academic Integrity ◽

Contract Cheating

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Essay mills and other contract cheating services: to buy or not to buy and the consequences of students changing their minds

International Journal for Educational Integrity ◽

10.1007/s40979-021-00081-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Michael Draper ◽

Thomas Lancaster ◽

Sandie Dann ◽

Robin Crockett ◽

Irene Glendinning

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Academic Integrity ◽

Institutional Policy ◽

Duty Of Care ◽

Contract Cheating ◽

Students At Risk ◽

Consumer Rights ◽

The World ◽

Core Value ◽

Do So

AbstractVery few parts of the world have legislation that prohibits the operation or the promotion of contract cheating services. This means that commercial companies providing such services can formally register and operate in most countries. If a student enters into an agreement with a contract cheating provider, what rights do they have to change their mind and what are the risks if they choose to do so? This paper examines the question through legal, institutional and societal lenses, showing that although a student has the consumer rights to withdraw from a contract with an essay mill, they may also be putting their future at risk by doing so. Contract cheating providers are now embedded within many institutions, using sharp practices to connect with vulnerable customers, but are also perfectly placed to blackmail students or threaten to report them to their institution if they ask to cancel their order. The paper argues that, while not condoning the practice of contract cheating, supportive processes need to be in place to help students at risk as part of standard institutional duty of care. This must be backed up by institutional policy that considers academic integrity as a core value for all.

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Academic Integrity Policy Analysis of Publicly-Funded Universities in Ontario, Canada: A Focus on Contract Cheating

Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy ◽

10.7202/1083333ar ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 62-75

Author(s):

Jennie Miron ◽

Amanda McKenzie ◽

Sarah Elaine Eaton ◽

Brenda Stoesz ◽

Emma Thacker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Academic Integrity ◽

Policy Development ◽

Research Team ◽

Publicly Funded ◽

Contract Cheating ◽

Policy Documents ◽

Document Type ◽

The Core ◽

Core Elements ◽

Academic Integrity Policy

In this article we report findings from a review of universities’ academic integrity policies in Ontario, Canada. The research team systematically extracted, reviewed, and evaluated information from policy documents in an effort to understand how these documents described contract cheating in Ontario universities (n = 21). In all, 23 policies were examined for contract cheating language. The elements of access, approach, responsibility, detail, and support were examined and critiqued. Additionally, document type, document title and concept(s), specific contract cheating language, presence of contract cheating definitions and policy principles were reviewed. Findings revealed that none of the universities’ policies met all of the core elements of exemplary policy, were reviewed and revised with less frequency than their college counterparts, lacked language specific to contract cheating, and were more frequently focused on punitive rather than educative approaches. These findings confirm that there is further opportunity for policy development related to the promotion of academic integrity and the prevention of contract cheating.

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Book review, integrity in education for future happiness

International Journal for Educational Integrity ◽

10.1007/s40979-021-00076-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Irene Glendinning

Keyword(s):

Academic Dishonesty ◽

Academic Integrity ◽

Contract Cheating ◽

Face To Face ◽

Use Of Technology ◽

Problems And Solutions ◽

New Ideas ◽

Virtual Conference ◽

And Training

AbstractThe joy of doing any review is having a legitimate excuse to spend time learning about what other researchers are working on, then to reflect on what is new. This book review with a rich tapestry of current research and thinking about integrity in education and research, is no exception. This publication is the product of a virtual conference that took place in April 2020, which, had the Covid-19 pandemic not arrived, would have been held face-to-face in Dubai.Each of the 15 chapters brings to light new ideas for encouraging academic integrity and ethical conduct, or for deterring and managing academic dishonesty. Some chapters place familiar problems and solutions into new contexts and illustrate classroom experiences in different parts of the world. The key topic of education and training of teachers, researchers and students features in several chapters, including a welcome focus on secondary education. There is no shortage of empirical research in the book, including analysis of data on institutional policies an, admissions. Three chapters concern innovations in use of technology and how they are being applied and developed, with useful take-aways for evidencing contract cheating.Inclusion of the student voice is important in research into academic integrity. We hear from students through formal research, informal feedback and a whole chapter about one student’s journey.The book has been fittingly dedicated to the memory of Tracey Bretag (19/6/1962–7/10/2020), who managed to continue her support for the series of PAEB conferences by recording her keynote, despite being already very frail. Whether you decide to read the whole book or just select a few chapters, the ideas you will find there largely stem from Tracey’s legacy. We are reminded that there is so much more to do to improve integrity in education and research, locally and globally.

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