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Importance of Academic Integrity in Education

The document discusses the importance of academic integrity and addresses issues with academic misconduct. It emphasizes introducing academic integrity at a young age and providing guidelines to students. While misconduct is often not properly addressed, strengthening integrity and policing misconduct is needed.

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Rachel
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36 views4 pages

Importance of Academic Integrity in Education

The document discusses the importance of academic integrity and addresses issues with academic misconduct. It emphasizes introducing academic integrity at a young age and providing guidelines to students. While misconduct is often not properly addressed, strengthening integrity and policing misconduct is needed.

Uploaded by

Rachel
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Rachel Teel

STS 589 FA20


Homework #2
11/23/2020

Academic Integrity and Academic Misconduct


Academic integrity is a critical aspect of education, especially when it comes to higher
education. The final step of the education system is college/university, the habits and values
that are formed there are most likely going to stay for the following industry career. Academic
misconduct is directly connected to one’s academic integrity, and in order to hold the
education standards of integrity the misconduct must be efficiently handled. In engineering
academic integrity is vital to foster as integrity later is industry is critical due to legal reasons. In
the different engineering codes the concept of avoiding deception and attributing the true
source of information is frequently referenced.
I believe that academic integrity needs to be highly emphasized in all educational
settings. The core purpose of academia is to learn and grow as individuals and integrity should
be a fundamental concept from the beginning. At a young age, students should begin to learn
about academic integrity so that they value is carried throughout schooling and then further
into the working world. An honor code can help to define the foundation of the academic
integrity expected from each student and should be discussed at the beginning of every school
year. In higher education, students are there by choice and academic integrity should be held to
a high standard.
In my experience, academic integrity was only discussed to specify the things I could do
wrong in school, until I went to college. College was the first place that discussed the issue in
terms of having integrity instead of just the basic no cheating rules. Academic integrity was
taken very seriously at my undergraduate college and was emphasized in each of my
engineering classes. I was surprised at the beginning that professors expected me to
understand exactly what they meant by academic integrity, as I had not grown up with that
term being used. Many of my classes throughout the years used honor codes and rules for how
to conduct oneself with academic integrity specific to the class and assignments. This was very
helpful as it served as guidelines for applying the principles in the appropriate way for the given
class.
Rachel Teel
STS 589 FA20
Homework #2
11/23/2020

The value of academic integrity can be enhanced by introducing it to all students at a


young age and providing guidelines for conduct. One of the issues is that “[s]tudents are no
longer embarrassed by it” (Selingo, 2004, p.26) so there is not a huge deterrent unless severe
consequences are laid out ahead of time. If students are helped to understand that academic
integrity involves holding yourself to a higher standard, then it will become a life principle that
no one wants to break. Selingo (2004) notes that Georgia Tech put in a university-wide honor
code and have seen a 22 percent drop in the number of students found cheating. An honor
code can give students something to guide them through academic integrity and the earlier
that is started in education the more successful it will be.
I believe that academic misconduct is a topic that is not talked about enough and in a lot
of cases not handled properly. In all my years of school, I have never actually seen academic
misconduct handled per the syllabus. I have been around cheating that was caught in high
school, but no big consequences ever came of it. I am sure many others have similar
experiences, which leads to academic integrity and misconduct not taken very seriously.
Students and teachers/professors need to be responsible for academic misconduct and the
consequences that should come of it. One of the major issues in dealing with misconduct is that
“many faculty members simply ignore or are unaware of the cheating that goes on in their
classrooms” (Selingo, 2004, p.26). That kind of attitude from faculty only feeds into students
not taking it seriously.
Stone (2003) says in his editorial that “[p]lagiarism is morally and ethically wrong” (p.47)
and I think that this applies to all academic misconduct. The opportunity to get an education is
not something that should be taken lightly and going against academic integrity and the policies
in place is wrong. The lack of consequences that many students observe lead to frustrated
students that no longer care about misconduct. I have personally been frustrated after seeing
people cheat and get a higher grade than I honestly worked hard for. It creates an environment
around cheating and academic misconduct that does not teach young students to respect
academic integrity and trust that misconduct will be properly handled.
Rachel Teel
STS 589 FA20
Homework #2
11/23/2020

In engineering specifically, the attitude that misconduct does not bring consequences
comes through when the work is hard. Engineering is known for being a hard major, and when
students have grown up around cheating and misconduct without consequences, they are
much more likely to continue or start those same practices. The availability of technology now
provides an even easier access to information in a secret manner and the availability of so many
documents to copy for personal use.
The current prevalence of academic misconduct needs to be address in several different
manners. Strengthening the value of academic integrity in students will help to lower the
misconduct and allow students to truly value learning. The other form of attack is policing
situations that are likely to product academic misconduct and properly handling infractions that
are found. Selingo gives a tip to emphasize learning in students “give students examples of
what’s not acceptable when working with others” (2004, p.27). This advice applies to instances
other than group work, as guidelines can help students delineate in their mind what is expected
of them. Outlining the consequences of breaking the outlined guidelines is also important, and
even more critical is following through on those.
Faculty failing to follow through and give consequences for academic misconduct falls
into the category of a deceptive act, which goes against engineering ethical codes. Another way
faculty can show students that academic misconduct is of importance, is by alerting students
and using a plagiarism detection tool for all assignments. I agree with Neill and Shanmuganthan
that “the issue of detection has not received enough attention” (2004, p.20). On occasion a
professor will use a detection tool, but it has always been unclear exactly what that tool is
looking for and how useful it is. A proper software tool to analyze student documents for any
form of plagiarism, will help faculty properly police misconduct. Once that is doable the issue of
actually acting on the consequences is important to show students that it will be followed
through completely. It will require involvement from many different groups to successfully
combat academic misconduct and develop academic integrity. Neill and Shanmuganthan (2004)
note that 75 percent of college students admit to cheating. I hope to see that value go down in
the coming years, and it will require diligent effort from all.
Rachel Teel
STS 589 FA20
Homework #2
11/23/2020

References
Stone, W. R. (2003, August). Plagiarism, Duplicate Publication, and Duplicate Submission: They
Are All Wrong! [Editorial]. EEEAntennas and Propagation Magazine, 45(4). Retrieved
2020.
Selingo, J. (2004, September). The Cheating Culture. ASEE Prism, 14(1), 24-30.
Neill, C. J., & Shanmuganthan, G. (2004, September/October). A Web-Enabled Plagiarism
Detection Tool. IT Pro, 19-23.

Common questions

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The prevalence of academic misconduct can be attributed to several factors, including insufficient deterrents, faculty ignorance or inaction regarding cheating, and a general lack of embarrassment among students regarding such actions. Studies indicate a high admission rate among students for engaging in cheating, highlighting the need for effective detection and enforcement of consequences to reduce this behavior .

Educational institutions can proactively enforce academic integrity by implementing comprehensive honor codes, employing consistent use of plagiarism detection tools, and clearly outlining and enforcing the consequences of misconduct. This approach requires commitment from faculty to be vigilant in detecting and addressing infractions, along with creating an academic culture that values learning and ethical conduct. Proactive policies should also include educating students early on about the importance and expectations of integrity within their academic journey .

The use of detection tools for academic misconduct remains limited due to unclear understanding about what these tools examine and the perceived effectiveness. Additionally, there is a lack of sufficient emphasis on detection, resulting in sporadic use by faculty without comprehensive follow-up actions. Enhancing the knowledge of these tools' capabilities and ensuring consistent application and enforcement of consequences are crucial to increase their prevalence and effectiveness .

Technological advances make it easier for students to access and use information inappropriately, facilitating academic misconduct through secretive access to materials and ease of plagiarism. To counteract this, it is vital to implement comprehensive plagiarism detection tools and ensure their use is transparent and consistent. Faculty must be proactive in using such tools to check assignments and should actively address any detected infractions to maintain a culture of integrity .

Faculty often struggle with awareness and enforcement of academic misconduct policies, sometimes ignoring or being unaware of cheating in classrooms. This lack of action can lead students to not take academic misconduct seriously, as they witness a disconnect between policy and practice, resulting in frustration and a diminished respect for academic integrity .

Faculty's failure to enforce academic misconduct policies in engineering education can have significant ethical implications, as it encourages a culture of deception that contradicts core engineering principles. Such failures undermine the ethical foundation of the profession, which prioritizes honesty and proper attribution of information. This discrepancy between policy and practice can lead to a relaxed attitude towards ethical breaches in professional settings, potentially resulting in severe consequences .

Introducing academic integrity at a young age is vital to instill its value early on, ensuring it becomes an ingrained principle carried throughout schooling and into professional life. Educating students about the importance of integrity early can help normalize the concept, thus reinforcing its importance and encouraging adherence as they progress in their academic and professional careers .

The discussion and expectations regarding academic integrity vary significantly across educational levels. Students often encounter a focus on 'no cheating' without a deeper discussion of integrity until reaching higher education. This inconsistency can lead to initial confusion but also highlights the need to establish clear guidelines and honor codes early in educational curricula to standardize expectations and reinforce the importance of maintaining integrity throughout their studies .

Implementing honor codes has been shown to positively influence student behavior by providing a framework and lowering the incidence of academic misconduct. For instance, Georgia Tech's introduction of a university-wide honor code led to a 22 percent reduction in students found cheating, highlighting the effectiveness of such codes in guiding student behavior towards maintaining academic integrity .

Academic integrity is crucial in higher education as it sets the foundation for habits and values that carry over into industry careers. Particularly in engineering, where integrity is critical due to legal and ethical reasons, academic integrity ensures that students learn the importance of avoiding deception and correctly attributing sources. Engineering codes frequently reference these principles, stressing their importance in both academic and professional settings .

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