How can I be proactive about promoting academic honesty?
Being proactive about academic honesty can set the tone for your class and hopefully prevent some instances of academic dishonesty from occurring. There are several strategies you can use to promote academic honesty, such as embedding assignments that help students learn how to cite sources. Activities that encourage students to practice academic honesty could minimize instances of academic dishonesty by reducing student stress around assessment expectations and mastery of the course student learning outcomes.
It is helpful to integrate these practices before the course begins, but it’s not too late to address the topic with students in the middle of the semester, especially if your assignments have changed. Below, you will find several strategies to cultivate academic honesty.
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Reflect on what academic integrity and dishonesty mean in your discipline
Spend some time considering what academic integrity and dishonesty mean to you in the context of your discipline, your department, and your specific courses. Depending on the courses you teach, you may find that certain actions by students may be considered cheating in one course but not in another (e.g., working together on assignments, citation of sources), so it is helpful to spend time reflecting on your personal stance and the stance of your department. Once you have done some reflecting, it will be easier for you to articulate your policies and make your expectations clear to your students.
The following CSUN policies can help you make a decision about your academic integrity policies. The academic dishonesty policy is the first policy listed in our Online Catalog. On this page you will find:
Include in your syllabus multiple student resources (e.g., campus offices, tutoring, resources for how to cite work properly) to combat temptations to cheat—students plagiarize because they feel academically insecure.
Keep in mind that there isn’t always agreement among faculty or understanding among students about “gray areas.” Use these gray areas as opportunities to engage your students in a dialogue about your expectations, and don’t assume they are obvious to students. For example, if the students in a group project don't all contribute equally to the work, is it cheating that they have put their name on the final project/presentation when they may have done very little? Or, if a group of students studies together for an essay final exam using a study sheet you've distributed, will you view it as cheating if they all write similar answers?
If the semester has already started, amend your syllabus and email your students a revised version. Share with them your renewed interest in fostering a culture of academic integrity thereby demonstrating an interest in their success! This small intervention could prevent cheating on your finals this semester.
What's the line between collaboration and copying when students work together? UC San Diego’s Academic Integrity Office also provides guidance on how to communicate integrity for different kinds of assignmentsLinks to an external site. such as group projects.
Embed student assignments on academic integrity in your course
Include short low-stakes assignments that demonstrate why integrity is essential not only as a student, but after students graduate. Can you give examples of how this unfolds in the workplace? Below are some resources to consider: `
Modeling academic standards and our course expectations is a powerful way of teaching academic integrity. For instance, if our lecture slides do not have citations, taking a moment to acknowledge the error, can help students understand that integrity is important for everyone. Another way to model academic integrity includes timeliness. When we expect students to be responsive and turn in things on time, we maintain our integrity by reciprocating our standards.
Reducing the temptation to cheat
Avoid Over-relying on High Stakes Assessments: Courses that are designed with assignments worth a significant point percentage make it especially tempting for students who might be experiencing desperation in order to pass the class. For instance, if a course only has two or three midterms and a final exam to total up their final score in the class, this means failing just one of these assessments puts them at risk for failing the entire course. These are environments we would expect higher numbers of cheating to occur. Instead, provide more opportunities for formative assessment so students can get ongoing feedback if they are learning the material and how to improve.
Modify Assignments: Memorization-based assessments (e.g., multiple choice tests sometimes from publisher test banks) that you never change and that test lower-level critical thinking provide fertile ground for cheating. Because higher-level critical thinking is a hallmark outcome that faculty want for students, a careful re-examination of course objectives often results in modifications to course assignments. In addition to encouraging higher-level critical thinking among students, assignments that are not based on memorization also discourage cheating by making it more difficult.
Create a Testing Environment that Minimizes Temptation (in face-to-face classes)
Require that cell phones are put completely away during exams. What does your syllabus say about having cell phones out during exams?
Change your exam questions frequently. The internet has facilitated cheating by allowing students to investigate through past students (e.g., cohorts, student groups/clubs) what questions or even what topics will be on an exam.
Walk around the room, even in smaller classes (e.g., 20-30 students) and avoid using this as time for you to catch up on work/email; the research is clear that when people perceive they are being watched, their behavior changes.
If students talk with you during the exam, always position your body facing the class.
On testing days, require surprise seating arrangements to rearrange where students normally sit; spreading students out if possible.
If you use blue books/green books, require everyone to turn in a blank one and redistribute; this prevents arriving at a test with notes in their bluebook.
Number your exams and determine if you got them all back.
On testing day, pass out tests one-by-one or watch each person in a row take one test; it doesn’t take that much time—even in a 200-plus class size.
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Where do students obtain papers and exams?
Unfortunately, many of us have discovered course materials on a variety of websites claiming to offer study aids. Reduce student temptation by investigating if these sites are harboring your course materials. This is not a comprehensive list; if you find others you think we should add, email us at facdev@csun.edu (last updated June 29, 2023).
If you discover your materials are on one of these sites, contact them and demand that they remove them since they are your intellectual property. Assuming they want to avoid legal problems, they should comply with your orders. Consider sharing this with your department chair so local discussions can emerge on how to make positive changes.