The Whole Package – Integrity as a Holistic Institutional Approach
Wednesday November 16, 2022 - 3:00 PM to 3:45 PM
Concurrent Session 7

Brief Abstract

What are best practices to ensure Academic Integrity? A panel of cross-functional educators from Western Governors University will share the start-to-finish assessment process specifically designed to ensure academic authenticity and integrity. Panel members will discuss design and delivery, and audience members will have opportunities to ask questions and share experiences.  

Extended Abstract

The idea of academic authenticity and integrity has always been important in education, but the move to emergency online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic put a microscope to the occurrence of and increase in visible cheating and other dishonest academic behaviors.  However, a recent Wiley (2022) survey showed that within the 20% or less of students caught cheating, there was little difference in the percentages across testing environments.  The behaviors and the reasons for cheating also remain largely the same. Behaviors like these not only threaten reputation and quality, but also reduce the value of credentials when those credentials are earned in spaces where known cheating occurs. High levels of stress and anxiety can increase the likelihood of cheating and inconsistent approaches and processes have not established a standard expectations for students across levels and courses which can lead to long-term consequences including a lack of learning (Moody, 2021). Developing a system to ensure authenticity supports the learning process.

Addressing academic authenticity and integrity is not and should not be a one-size-fits-all approach.  There are myriad ways to detect and address these behaviors.  But what if you could design, develop, and deliver your assessments in such a way that authenticity and integrity is built in?  During this session, we will hear from a panel of cross-functional experts who will discuss ways to build in security throughout the assessment lifecycle, from design and development, through delivery and maintenance cycles.  Taking a holistic view of the assessment lifecycle can help increase the security of assessments, uphold academic integrity, and increase the trustworthiness of credentials.  During this session, we will begin by hearing from each of the panelists, who are experts in assessment design, psychometrics, assessment development, delivery, and authenticity.  Following, the moderator will pose prepared questions to the panel as well as solicit questions and feedback from participants with a focus on how to uphold security and integrity. The audience will help to direct the discussion by providing questions, sharing their own examples, participating in polls (written and/or verbal), and walking through two brief “choose your own path” scenarios.  We will compile key takeaways from the session and make them available electronically after the session.

Learning Outcomes (takeaways):

1. Describe the importance of a comprehensive approach to academic authenticity and integrity

2. Develop an understanding of multiple processes and procedures designed to support academic authenticity and integrity.

References

Moody, J. (2021). How cheating in college hurts students. US News and World Report.

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-cheating-in-...

Wiley. (2022). New insights into academic integrity: 2022 update.  

http://read.uberflip.com/i/1444056-academic-integrity-infographic-final/0?