education | Learning, Teaching and Leadership

Don’t want to attend your Zoom class? There’s a bot for that

October 16, 2020

Did you know that there’s now a bot that will attend Zoom classes on behalf of students? Well, there might be more than one, but one in particular, Beuler, has the tag line of “Zoom out. Sleep in.”

Beuler – About Us – Screen Shot 2020-10-16 at 7.46.20 AM

In the “About Us” section of the website, it says: “Bueler was created as a dorm room project by two Zoom University students who understand the consequences and dangers of early classes. Instead of sacrificing their health and wellbeing, they decided to create a software application that would go to their classes for them.”

Dustin Bakkie did this video for educators on how to counter its use in classes.

Policy can take a long time to catch up to practice, as I pointed out with some colleagues in this article, so my guess would be that many institutional academic misconduct policies would not yet include explicit language to make the use of such bots a breach of integrity. Having said that, there may be provisions in some policies that prohibit students engaging with a third party to complete academic work on their behalf, or having someone else impersonate them. In this case the “one” might not be a human, but instead a bot, so policy interpretation might be the key to holding students responsible for their actions.

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Sarah Elaine Eaton, PhD, is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, and the Educational Leader in Residence, Academic Integrity, University of Calgary, Canada. Opinions are my own and do not represent those of the University of Calgary.

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Webinar: Creating a Culture of Equity in Academic Integrity: Best Practices for Teaching and Learning with Dr. Ceceilia Parnther

October 7, 2020

Creating a Culture of Equity in Academic Integrity: Best Practices for Teaching and Learning – Webinar

Presenter: Dr. Ceceilia Parnther

Overview:

Ceceila Parnther This session will review inequitable practices related to academic integrity. These practices threaten to undermine the vital work of celebrating and affirming a diverse academic community. This presentation will consider the ramifications for students, teachers, and researchers, and offer research-based solutions to refine current approaches to teaching and upholding academic integrity.

Learning Outcomes:

Engaged participants will:

Define the current challenges to equity in academic integrity.
Recognize current practices and the ways they may uphold unequal outcomes.
Review best practices for equitable practice in academic integrity.

Presenter bio:

Ceceilia Parnther, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator in the Department of Administrative and Instructional Leadership at St. John’s University. Her research interests include academic integrity education and equitable college student success initiatives. Before joining the faculty, Ceceilia worked in student and academic affairs in various capacities, including academic integrity, advisement, and student conduct. Among others, her most recent research is found in Higher Education Research and Development, Innovative Higher Education, and The Journal of College Student Retention.

Date: Friday, October 9, 2020
Time: 10 – 11:30 a.m. – Mountain Time – Please adjust to your local time zone.
Locations: Online via Zoom

Please note: This workshop will be recorded, registration will close on Thursday, October 8, 2020 at 1 p.m. (MT) and a Zoom link for the workshop will be sent to you the morning of the webinar. The recording link will only be sent to registered participants.

Keywords: academic integrity, academic misconduct, student conduct, equity, diversity, inclusion

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

A Systems Approach to Address Contract Cheating

September 24, 2020

I’m delighted to be giving a presentation today at the the 8^th Congress on Academic Integrity organized by the Center for Academic Integrity, University of Monterrey (UDEM), Monterrey, Mexico.

Abstract

In this presentation I examine how a systems approach is needed to address contract cheating in its various forms. Using the 4M framework, I demonstrate the role of the individual (micro), the department (meso), the learning organization (macro) and stakeholders beyond the institution (mega).

In this session, I share insights from my forthcoming book, Plagiarism in Higher Education: Tackling Tough Topics in Academic Integrity to be published by ABC Clio/Libraries Unlimited in 2021.

Keywords: academic integrity, academic misconduct, contract cheating, 4M Framework, SoTL

You can find a complete English-language slide deck and the script for the talk archived online here: http://hdl.handle.net/1880/112560

Integridad Académica: Un enfoque de sistemas para enfrentar la compraventa de trabajo académico1
8.° Congreso de Integridad Académica

En esta presentación Eaton examina cómo y por qué se requiere de un enfoque de sistemas para abordar la compraventa de trabajo académico.

Utilizando el marco de referencia de las 4M, Eaton muestra el rol de la persona (micro), el departamento (meso), la institución y la comunidad (mega).

Palabras clave: integridad académica, mala conducta académica, marco de referencia de las 4M, Investigación en Docencia y Aprendizaje (IDA / SoTL)

Se encuentra las diapositivas y todo el contenido de esta presentación aquí: http://hdl.handle.net/1880/112565

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

¿Cómo se dice “contract cheating”? Exploring Academic Integrity Terminology in Spanish-speaking contexts

September 15, 2020

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by: Sarah Elaine Eaton and Beatriz Moya Figueroa

Abstract

In this brief report we explore linguistic differences in how contract cheating has been explained and translated into Spanish.

Keywords: academic integrity, academic misconduct, terminology, contract cheating

Palabras clave: integridad académica, mala conducta académica, terminología

Overview

Academic integrity is a concern across the world. Contract cheating, which is the outsourcing of academic work to third parties is a growing problem. We know that contract cheating happens in a multitude of languages, including Spanish (Eaton & Dressler, 2019). In order to address a problem, we must first have a common language to talk about it. The term “contract cheating” was coined by Clarke and Lancaster (2006), as a more updated way and comprehensive term to address academic outsourcing in text-based as well as non-text-based disciples. “Contract cheating” is now preferred over “essay mill” or “term paper mills”, though all of these terms remain in use in various contexts.

In this brief report we explore linguistic differences in how contract cheating has been explained and translated into Spanish.

ENAI Glossary: A Starting Point

We acknowledge and applaud the work done by the European Network for Academic Integrity (ENAI) (n.d.) to produce a multilingual glossary of terms relating to academic integrity. The glossary is available in ten languages; but currently, Spanish is not one of them. We consulted the glossary in the closest language, Portuguese, (see Taúginienė et al., 2019) and found contract cheating referenced as, “fraude no contrato” (p. 23), explained as, “Forma de má conduta que existe quando uma pessoa utiliza uma entidade terceira para a assistir a produzir trabalho, independentemente de envolver um pagamento ou favor” (p. 23).

Although the accompanying explanation describes contract cheating well, to translate “fraude no contrato” (Portuguese) into Spanish would result in “el fraude de contrato”, the meaning of which could be misconstrued as contractual fraud in a legal sense, rather than an academic one. For this reason, we contend that “el fraude de contrato” is not an appropriate translation of the English term, “contract cheating”.

In Search of a Spanish Translation

Having eliminated that possibility, we continued our inquiry, but we found no standardized translation of the term. Instead, we encountered a variety of phrases used in the literature. Some examples of translations we found include:

“realización por parte de un tercero de trabajos escritos” (Gómez Córdoba & Pinto Bustamante, 2017, p. 170)

Gómez Córdoba & Pinto Bustamante (2017) self-identified in their paper as being in Columbia.

“comprar ensayos finales (u otros ensayos) en agencias específicas o de otros estudiantes” (Denisova-Schmidt, 2016, p. 6)

Denisova-Schmidt (2016) self-identified as working in Switzerland.

La “compraventa de trabajos académicos” (Comas, Sureda, Casero, & Morey, 2011, p. 209)

These researchers self-identified as being in Spain.

La “compra de textos” (Armesto, 2016, p. 6)

A review of the front matter of the publication in which Armesto’s article was published showed she works in Mexico.

We found the term used by Comas et al. (2011), “compraventa de trabajos académicos” to be the closest translation to the English phrase contract cheating if one is speaking about the commercial industry, including aspects of both buying and selling. However, we acknowledge that the term “compraventa de trabajos académicos” excludes those who complete academic work on behalf of others who do not receive payment (e.g. family members, partners, friends, etc.).

To convey the idea that a third party who is not part of the commercial cheating industry is completing work on behalf of a student, the phrase used by Gómez Córdoba & Pinto Bustamante (2017), “realización por parte de un tercero de trabajos escritos” might be more accurate. However, we point out that this phrase specifically addresses text-based disciplines and excludes fields where the academic work produced does not necessarily include prose writing, including computer code.

We do not claim that our search was exhaustive. We have highlighted particular examples from the extant literature to illustrate the inconsistency in how contract cheating is discussed in scholarship written in the Spanish language.

Conclusion: Call to Action

In order to effectively address a problem, we must first be able to name it; to talk about it in ways that others will understand. Only then can we, as community of educators, advocates, and scholars, be as unified in our actions against the problem as we are in the way we talk about it. Therefore, we conclude with a call to action to our colleagues across the Spanish-speaking world to produce a Spanish-language glossary for academic integrity that includes a precise phrase to convey contract cheating that can be used with confidence as a common term.

References

Armesto, G. (2016). El plagio académico: ¿Qué es y cómo distinguirlo? Revista de integridad académica, 1(1), 5-7.

Clarke, R., & Lancaster, T. (2006). Eliminating the successor to plagiarism: Identifying the usage of contract cheating sites. Paper presented at the Second International Plagiarism Conference, The Sage Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, United Kingdom.

Comas, R., Sureda, J., Casero, A., & Morey, M. (2011). La integridad académica entre el alumnado universitario español. Estudios Pedagógicos, 37(1), 2007-2225.

Denisova-Schmidt, E. (2016). El desafío global de la integridad académica. International Higher Education (Spanish edition), 87, 5-7. Retrieved from http://ceppe.uc.cl/images/stories/recursos/ihe/Numeros/87/art_03.pdf

Eaton, S. E., & Dressler, R. (2019). Multilingual essay mills: Implications for second language teaching and learning. Notos, 14(2), 4-14. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1880/110695

European Network for Academic Integrity (ENAI). (n.d.). Glossary. Retrieved from http://www.academicintegrity.eu/wp/glossary/

Gómez Córdoba, A., & Pinto Bustamante, B. (2017). La integridad académica: el dilema de la formación médica / Academic integrity: The dilemma of medical education. Revista Educación y Desarrollo Social, 11(2). doi:org/10/18359/reds.3248

Taúginienė, L, Gaižaúskaitė, I, Glendinning, I, Kravjar, J, Ojsteršek, M, Ribeiro, L, Odiņeca, T, Marino, F, Cosentino, M, Sivasubramaniam, S. Glossary for Academic Integrity (Portuguese). ENAI Report 3G [online]. Tradução de: Malaquias, A, Fachada, B, Ribeiro, L. 2019. http://www.academicintegrity.eu/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Glossary_PT.pdf

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Note: This post is a re-print of our short paper. Here is how to cite this content:

Eaton, S. E., & Moya Figueroa, B. (2020). ¿Cómo se dice “contract cheating”?: Exploring academic integrity terminology in Spanish-speaking contexts. University of Calgary. http://hdl.handle.net/1880/112526

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

CFP: Degrees of Deceit – Impact of Counterfeit Credentials and Admissions Fraud

September 9, 2020

Call for chapter proposals

Editors: Sarah Elaine Eaton (University of Calgary, Canada) and Jamie Carmichael (Carleton University, Canada)

Fraudulent credentials have existed since the days of hand-scribed parchments. However, in recent years, scandals such as Operation Varsity Blues in 2019 and 2020 in the United States have drawn renewed attention to the topic of fake credentials, university admissions fraud, and diploma mills. The issue of fraudulent credentials is a global one, and there are no academic disciplines or professions that are immune to the problem.

The Internet has made it even easier for individuals to obtain fraudulent credentials online in a matter of minutes. The platform economy that underpins this nefarious activity churns out both the good and the ugly. However, it is predicted that the ugly will diminish as technical tools become more accessible and easier to manipulate. Therefore, it can be challenging for college admissions staff to spot fake credentials given the changing landscape, particularly during admissions season, when workloads surge and demands to meet deadlines to process admissions applications are unrelenting.

The purpose of this book is to analyze the issue of fraudulent credentials and their impact on higher education admissions, as well as in professional and industry contexts. This volume offers a scholarly examination and discussion of the issues. Evidence-based submissions are also welcomed by higher education professionals and practitioners. We welcome a variety of contributions from case studies to preferred practices, historical inquiries, empirical studies, literature reviews, and conceptual papers. Chapters will include substantive references to credible sources.

Topics:

History of credential fraud: Chapters delve into this history of credential fraud, during ancient times, as well as modern times.
Admissions fraud in higher education: Chapters focus on issues particular to admissions fraud in higher education, including admissions test fraud and other fraudulent activities related to admissions fraud, including: transcripts, reference letters, and previous educational credentials.
Credential forgery: Chapters on this topic explore forged credentials (i.e., fake diplomas, degrees, and transcripts) from legitimate and reputable educational institutions.
Diploma mills: Chapters on this topic investigate low-quality for-profit colleges and universities, as well as business selling credentials from institutions that do not actually exist.
Impact on industry and the professions: Chapters on this topic address the impact of credential fraud in professional contexts and industry.
Introduction of technology to circumvent credential fraud: Chapters on this topic examine how technology can be employed to thwart the risk of credential fraud. This topic can span the spectrum of data protection, and the use of technologies like blockchain, to computer vision, which has the potential to detect “fake” documents or outliers.

Contributor guidelines:

If you are interested in submitting a book chapter, send a 500-word proposal in Word format by November 1, 2020.

Chapter proposals should clearly indicate:

Proposed title
Purpose statement
Methodology or submission type (i.e., empirical research, historical inquiry, literature review, etc.)
Overview of topic(s) to be addressed
Originality and significance of the work
Reference list (APA 7^th edition) (Minimum of 3 references)
Full contributor information (name, institution, e-mail, phone, address, ORCid) and brief bio (~50 words)

Proposals will be reviewed for suitability using the following criteria:

Substance and quality of the proposal, including the proposed source material (i.e., references)
English language proficiency
Clarity and feasibility
Alignment with the proposed chapter topics
Note that chapters with excessive self-citations will not be favourably received.

Decisions on chapter proposals will be made by February 1, 2021.

Full chapters are to be 5000-8000 words, including abstract and references (APA, 7^th ed.). Chapter drafts will undergo rigorous peer review. Deadline for full chapters is June 1, 2021.

Submit your proposal in Word format to:

seaton (at) ucalgary.ca
Jamie.carmichael (at) carleton.ca

About the editors

Sarah Elaine Eaton, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Calgary, Canada, where she also serves as the inaugural Educational Leader in Residence, Academic Integrity. Eaton’s research focuses on academic ethics in higher education. Her work can be found in the British Educational Research Journal, Journal of Academic Ethics, the Journal of Educational Thought and Interchange, among other places. She is the co-Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal for Educational Integrity (Springer Nature) and co-founder and co-editor of Canadian Perspectives on Academic Integrity. In 2020 she received the Research and Scholarship award from the Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education (CSSHE) for her contributions to research on academic integrity in Canadian higher education.

Her previous books include: Women Negotiating Life in the Academy (Eaton & Burns, Eds., Springer, 2020); Academic Integrity in Canada (Eaton & Christensen Hughes, Eds, Springer, 2021) and Plagiarism in Higher Education: Tackling Tough Topics in Academic Integrity (ABC Clio / Libraries Unlimited, 2021).

Jamie Carmichael is the Associate Registrar of Scheduling and Systems at Carleton University. She is accountable for the construction of the university timetable, scheduling and administration of formally scheduled examinations, the operation of two examination centres for students with disabilities, a university-wide space management system, implementation and maintenance of core student administrative systems (from the audit to CRM), and production of the graduate and undergraduate calendars. Since 2009, she has received eight service excellence nominations for her work that range from information technology projects (i.e., timetabling data collection utility tool to secure exam upload system), team acknowledgement to innovation.

Carmichael is completing her Masters in Applied Science candidate in Technology Information Management (Engineering) and her research area is contract cheating and machine learning. She has presented or co-presented her work at the International Society for Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM) conference (2019) and the International Center for Academic Integrity annual conference (2020).

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Learning, Teaching and Leadership

Don’t want to attend your Zoom class? There’s a bot for that

Webinar: Creating a Culture of Equity in Academic Integrity: Best Practices for Teaching and Learning with Dr. Ceceilia Parnther

A Systems Approach to Address Contract Cheating