strategies to deter online academic misconduct : Mary Hricko, PhD – Kent State University @ Geauga strategies to deter online academic misconduct
Types of online academic misconduct : Types of online academic misconduct
Slide 3 :
cheating : cheating Students work with classmates to complete tests
Students have others complete assignments and take tests for them
Students use online tutoring sites to find answers to assignments and tests
Students order instructor copies of texts to get test bank
Students post test questions online for others
plagiarism : plagiarism Students use term paper sites to complete research papers
Students use blog postings from other classes to submit responses to discussion questions
Students copy content from YouTube, Flickr and other participant web sites to acquire information for their assignments and projects
Students engage in what they refer to as “collaborative writing” by “cutting and pasting”
disruptive postings : disruptive postings Students post inappropriate material in discussion boards and public forums
Students “flame” their instructors or fellow classmates with no remorse
Students post off topic commentary to redirect class discussions and attempt manipulate the course direction
Students openly criticize the instructor online to other students
disruptive behavior : disruptive behavior Students organize online mutinies to complain about class assignments and grading
Students harass other students in the class; students harass instructors
Students do not follow classroom procedures for contacting instructor; they ignore classroom parameters for communication
Students lurk in the class and complain that they are confused about assignments
procrastination : procrastination Students send email to instructor citing problems technology within minutes of when assignment is due
Students send partial assignment (email with no attachment)
Students send assignment in file format that cannot be opened
Students send assignment to wrong online instructor on purpose
missing in action : missing in action Students do not log into class on a regular basis
Students log in, but they do not participate in class activities
Students expect you to keep them informed of what they need to do
Students complain that they do not understand how to do the assignments after the due date
Students do not interact with the content designed to help them
why students engage in these behaviors : why students engage in these behaviors
Research shows… : Research shows… Sproull & Kiesler (1991) show that people interacting on the computer are isolated from social cues and feel safe from surveillance and criticism
White (2008) notes “students feel less bound by convention and less concerned with consequences” in an online environment
self-management : self-management Students under-prepared to manage the rigors of an online course become easily frustrated when they have to master the technology to access the content
While students are active online in social networks, they may not understand how to participate appropriately in an online classroom
Students are conditioned on the “anytime, anywhere” concept
Prevention strategies : Prevention strategies
know : know Do you know the tenets of your institution’s Student Conduct Code? (for online instruction?)
Do you have a policy in place for disciplining remote access students who are transient students?
What legal rights you have as an instructor and what legal rights do your students have?
Will the policies you develop to manage such behavior will be supported by the institution?
course design : course design Develop a class orientation to help students understand how to navigate and use the features of the course
Establish detailed communication procedures
Establish “Code of Conduct” for expected behavior
Establish specific class policies for submission of assignments, contacting the instructor, posting to discussions etc.
course design : course design Model behaviors that you want your students to follow (e.g. copyright, file-sharing, documentation)
Provide access to information that helps students understand what constitutes plagiarism or cheating in your class
Provide detailed instructions regarding the submission of assignments and other graded work; hold firm to these rules
class management : class management Address and resolve problems immediately
Remind and reiterate class policies and procedures to students
Contact students on a regular basis to establish personal connection with them
Contact students who engage in negative behaviors immediately and document interaction
Meet face to face with problem students
class management : class management Hold students accountable to deadlines and class policies
Block students from public classroom access if negative behavior persists (moderate postings)
Request formal meeting with students who do not adhere to class policies
Document all interactions; do not “flame” student, but report student to appropriate third party (dean, academic advisor)
class management : class management Seek advice from the experts
Know what resources are available (plagiarism school)
Remove the student from the course
Take legal action if student poses potential threat to you or the other students
Write a detailed incident report and document incident for record
targeted strategies : targeted strategies
to prevent cheating : to prevent cheating Have students take tests at testing center
Individualize student assessments and assignments
Develop assignments and projects that require personal relationship with content
Develop project based assessments that require students to submit sections of the final product
to prevent plagiarism : to prevent plagiarism Require students to multiple elements of the finished product
Require students to submit targeted bibliography
Require students to submit pages from where direct citations were taken
Develop assignments that are difficult to plagiarize
to prevent disruption : to prevent disruption Explain to students why it is important to respect diverse opinions in class discussions
Explain to students why it is important to edit postings before submission
Establish guidelines for students to follow if there is a problem; request that students contact you first rather than responding to each other if there is a problem
Redirect potential problems
to prevent disruption : to prevent disruption Tell students on a regular basis what they are doing right in the class; establish a positive learning environment
Help students who are having problems immediately so frustrations do not lead to anger
Provide good feedback regarding assessments so students have a clear understanding of their grade
What to do when it occurs : What to do when it occurs
Note: : Note: “Cyberspace” is not a separate legal jurisdiction, and it is not exempt from the normal requirements of legal and ethical behavior within the University community…if conduct would be a violation of University in the offline classroom, it will still be a violation when it occurs online…
The Ohio State University Student Conduct Code
student rights : student rights Students have the right to learn in a safe and secure environment
Students may have the right to express their opinion (freedom of speech) in classroom contexts
Students have the right to receive timely and appropriate feedback for their work
Students have the right to complain
educators’ rights : educators’ rights Educators have the right to remove a disruptive student from the classroom
Educators have the right to limit harmful discourse that violates the institution’s harassment policies
Educators have the right to determine classroom parameters that prevent online academic misconduct when there is no institutional policies in place
Additional information : Additional information
resources : resources Best Practice Strategies to Promote Academic Integrity n Online Education - http://www.itcnetwork.org/file.php?file=%2F1%2FAcademicIntegrityBestPracticesColor.pdf
Best Practices for Exemplary Online Instruction http://facweb.bhc.edu/tlc/learn/hottopics/exemplary.html
Managing Difficult Students in the Online Classroom http://deoracle.org/online-pedagogy/teaching-strategies/managing-difficult-students-in-the-online-classroom.html
Contact information : Contact information Dr. Mary Hricko
mhricko@kent.edu
MaryHr – twitter, plurk, jiatu,