Can Instructors Use Social Media to Enhance Learning in a Smart Course Room and Foster a Culture of Academic Integrity?

The purpose of this study was to determine Generation Z’s perceptions of cheating in relation to academic integrity, more specifically plagiarism. Utilizing a phenomenological design the researcher identified three key themes, which included social media assistance, helping not cheating, and Google as a learning tool. From these findings, it can be inferred that with the advent of social media and the accessibility of technology, our newest generation enrolled in middle and high school have a relaxed attitude toward academic integrity. The issues that arise from this study provide teachers, administrators and parents reason to pause and question the appropriate use of technology in our connected 21st Century classrooms.

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Academic Integrity in the Age of COVID-19: the Case of Tertiary Education System in Greece

10.35542/osf.io/g5fmw ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yiannis Kiouvrekis ◽

Giorgos Andrikopoulos ◽

Angelika Kokkinaki

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Academic Dishonesty ◽

Academic Integrity ◽

Online Courses ◽

Tertiary Education ◽

Faculty Members ◽

Domain Experts ◽

Online Mode ◽

Final Exams ◽

Of Greece

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a major readjustment on university educational practices through employment of online mode for the delivery of courses, assessment of students’ assignments and supervision of final exams. The case of Greece is of particular interest given that out of its 26 universities in total, only one provided online courses on a bachelor level prior to the pandemic. One outcome is the fact that faculty admit that there are issues with academic integrity. Predominantly, faculty members consider plagiarism as the main issue regarding academic dishonesty. It is interesting to underline that faculty do not seem to recognize the terms describing other forms of academic dishonesty. Evidence collected in this survey indicates that the coronavirus pandemic contributed positively to an increase in cases of academic dishonesty. This is mainly attributed to conducting many more assessment activities than before online, including the final examinations for the courses. It is useful to add that during that period, we saw many posts on social media soliciting domain experts to “assist” students with online exams and – in some cases – to sit in the exams in lieu of the students themselves. Faculty recognize text similarity software, regulation policies as well as educational actions as tools of determent.

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