New Report Offers Insights into Cheating and Underscores the Opportunity to Reimagine Student Assessment for a Post-Pandemic World
HOBOKEN, N.J.— July 23, 2020 —John Wiley & Sons Inc., today released a report revealing academic integrity concerns among online educators. While cheating remains an ongoing issue for higher education institutions – whether classes are held in-person or online – the disruption created by COVID-19 presents an opportunity to reimagine student assessment in a post-pandemic world.
The report, Academic Integrity in the Age of Online Learning, indicated that 54% of educators had no experience teaching fully online courses prior to the COVID-19 campus closures. In addition to other challenges, 93% of instructors surveyed said they perceive students are more likely to cheat online than in person. It remains to be seen if the perception of online cheating is due to instructors’ lack of experience teaching virtually, which may shift over time. The report includes a range of strategies instructors are now employing to combat the problem while underscoring the importance of strong course design and personalization.
“Creatively addressing issues like academic integrity is one facet of building the future of education,” said Renee Altier, Wiley SVP and General Manager, Business Education, & Careers. “With Wiley's core capabilities, our partnerships, and our deep connections to experts in this space, we are perfectly positioned to make a difference for the instructors and students we serve.”
Accordingly, Wiley doubled down on its commitment to supporting educators in the wake of COVID-19 and is now leveraging its core strengths in research and technology to help turn the tide of the trend. On the heels of the company’s virtual Summer Camp and Higher Education Cheating Hackathon, recommendations emerged in the following areas:
- Technology: By offering features such as question pools, value randomization, answer shuffling, generic question titles, timed assignments, password-protected assignments, and assignment availability restrictions, Wiley’s digital courseware offerings give instructors more power than ever to discourage answer-sharing.And Wiley now offers online proctoring through a partnership with Examity, as well as the capability to support the major institutionally licensed proctoring solutions.
- Motivation: Student motivation increases when instructors provide a clear roadmap for success, emphasizing learning above getting a good grade and connecting course objectives to real-world problems.
- Assessment: In an online learning environment, high-stakes exams can no longer be the sole form of assessment. Instructors should consider offering frequent opportunities for practice and quizzing coupled with varied ways to measure learning such as alternative assignments and open book exams. Less pressure results in less anxiety and reduced motivation to cheat.
- Connections and Collaboration: Instructors who involve their students in creating a culture of academic integrity, such as co-creating a code of conduct, generally see lower rates of cheating. Moreover, encouraging teacher-student interaction helps increase students’ sense of connection with teachers, classmates, and the overall subject matter.
“Wiley is demonstrating a powerful commitment to academic integrity by helping higher education faculty leverage peer-tested, research-backed strategies that are practical to implement in their courses,” said David Rettinger, President Emeritus of the International Center for Academic Integrity, who presented his research on the psychology of cheating at Wiley’s recent event. “In today’s online environment, there are powerful digital tools and platforms that support students' academic dishonesty and others that help faculty discourage it. However, entering a technological ‘arms race’ to maintain academic integrity is a losing proposition. Instructors must break this cycle and develop pedagogical approaches that create a culture of integrity and personal responsibility.”
Visit wiley.com to access the complete report; recordings from Wiley’s Summer Camp for Online Teaching can be found here.
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Contacts
Lauren Andrich, +1 201 748 5838
[email protected]
Methodology
The Academic Integrity in the Age of Online Learning report is based on the results of a survey conducted in May 2020. Wiley conducted a survey with nearly 800 instructors in the U.S. The results have a +/- 3.5% margin of error at a 95% confidence level. About half the respondents were WileyPLUS users. Instructors taught a wide range of courses, with over 70% teaching STEM courses and nearly 50% teaching Business, Finance or Accounting courses. Nearly half taught at a 4-year public school and nearly one-quarter at a community college.
About Wiley
Wiley drives the world forward with research and education. Through publishing, platforms and services, we help students, researchers, universities, and corporations to achieve their goals in an ever-changing world. For more than 200 years, we have delivered consistent performance to all of our stakeholders. The Company's website can be accessed at www.wiley.com