Over the past few months I have had the tremendous opportunity to work with an incredible group of women under the direction of Assistant Director-General (ADG) for Social and Human Sciences of UNESCO. Our collective produced this report that was launched today at a special conference in Paris:
UNESCO Women for Ethical AI: outlook study on artificial intelligence and gender
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Sarah Elaine Eaton, PhD, is a Professor and Research Chair in the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary, Canada. Opinions are my own and do not represent those of my employer.
As I write this, the Handbook of Academic Integrity (2nd ed.) is well underway. All the chapters have been submitted and are at various stages of review, revision, and production. Page proofs should start going out to contributing authors this month. This has been a massive project: 150+ authors, 109 chapters, 9 section editors, and me herding all the cool cats who have made it happen.
After all the chapters had been submitted, I realized that we had something new and fresh with this edition. We have pushed the boundaries beyond persistently historical ideas about academic integrity only as a matter of student conduct. So, I wrote an introduction for the handbook that synthesizes some its through lines. The common threads of this updated edition are summed up in this Comprehensive Academic Integrity (CAI) framework.
I wrote this intro in two epic writing sessions, fuelled by gallons of coffee, Vegemite on toast, and a pizza that a friend had delivered to my house because he felt sorry for me eating Vegemite on toasted bread crusts. (I am not kidding.) Anyway, first, I drafted the chapter in full. Then I asked a couple of other section editors and contributors to the handbook to provide me with an open peer review of the draft. In the chapter I acknowledge them by name and I re-iterate my gratitude to them here. Thanks are due to Guy Curtis, Brenda M. Stoesz, Rahul Kumar, Beatriz Moya, and Bibek Dahal for their feedback that helped me to improve the chapter. In the second writing session, I incorporated just about all of their suggestions and completely re-vamped the visual image to the one you see below. The CAI Framework is a high-level synthesis of all the chapters in the handbook and as such, every single author who has contributed to the handbook (as well as those they have cited in their respective chapters) all deserve credit.
According to the publisher’s rules around self-archiving and pre-prints, I am not allowed to share the entire chapter with you ahead of publication. But I can share a summary of it, so I’m doing that here. I’ve also self-archived a copy of this overview (minus the background commentary about Vegemite and pizza) in our university’s digital repository. On the off-chance you want to cite the “official” version of the summary, I have included instructions below. You’ll have to wait for the Handbook to be published to read the full chapter, but in the meantime, I hope this overview is useful.
For years scholars and other experts have called for a more holistic approach to academic integrity (e.g., Bertram Gallant, 2008; Boud & Bearman, 2022; Bretag et al, 2014; Carrol & Duggan, 2005; Löfström et al., 2015; Morris & Carrol, 2016; Turner & Beemsterboer, 2003). The CAI framework synthesizes ideas that have been repeated for decades in various iterations.
The central argument behind a wholistic framework is that academic integrity must encompass, but extend beyond, notions of student conduct, and should be considered a foundation of all aspects of education. In this framework, I do not propose a new definition of academic integrity in part, because several useful definitions already exist (see Bretag, 2016; ICAI, 2021; Tauginienė et al., 2018). Instead, this framework can be used with existing definitions.
The Comprehensive Academic Integrity (CAI) framework includes eight (8) essential elements that includes, and extends beyond traditional notions of academic integrity merely as a student responsibility:
Appreciation to Kieran Forde at the University of British Columbia for his most awesome interpretation of the graphic as a “colourful swirly donut”. Who doesn’t love donuts?! Thanks, Kieran!
References
Bertram Gallant, T. (2008). Academic integrity in the twenty-first century: A teaching and learning imperative. Wiley.
Boud, D., & Bearman, M. (2022). The assessment challenge of social and collaborative learning in higher education. Educational philosophy and theory, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2022.2114346
Bretag, T. (2016). Educational integrity in Australia. In T. A. Bretag (Ed.), Handbook of Academic Integrity (pp. 1-13). Springer Singapore.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-079-7_2-1
Bretag, T., Mahmud, S., Wallace, M., Walker, R., McGowan, U., East, J., Green, M., Partridge, L., & James, C. (2014). ‘Teach us how to do it properly!’ An Australian academic integrity student survey. Studies in higher education, 39(7), 1150-1169. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2013.777406
Carroll, J., & Duggan, F. (2005, December 2-5). Institutional change to deter student plagiarism: What seems essential to a holistic approach? 2nd Asia-Pacific Educational Integrity Conference, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia.
Eaton, S. E. (forthcoming). Comprehensive academic integrity (CAI): An ethical framework for educational contexts. In S. E. Eaton (Ed.), Handbook of Academic Integrity (2nd ed.). Springer.
Löfström, E., Trotman, T., Furnari, M., & Shephard, K. (2015). Who teaches academic integrity and how do they teach it? Higher Education, 69(3), 435-448. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-014-9784-3
Morris, E. J., & Carroll, J. (2016). Developing a sustainable holistic institutional approach: Dealing with realities “on the ground” when implementing an academic integrity policy. In T. Bretag (Ed.), Handbook of Academic Integrity (pp. 449-462). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-098-8_23
This blog has had over 3 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!
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.
Here is an overview of the book that Zeenath Reza Khan and I edited, with contributions from authors in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, UAE, Sweden and Mexico.
Book Description
This book addresses issues related to ethics and integrity in teacher training. Authors pay special attention to the role ethics plays in teaching practice and the importance of establishing expectations for students to learn with integrity from a young age. The book celebrates global perspectives on ethics and integrity for pre-service teachers, acknowledging that although some aspects of ethics are universal, the ways in which these are implemented can vary. Contributors present original research, case studies, and recommendations for practice and teaching.
The book draws on a range of theoretical and conceptual foundations including applied ethics, academic integrity, and moral education.
eBook ISBN: 978-3-031-16922-9Published: 01 January 2023
Number of Pages: XIII, 178
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Share or Tweet this: Just published! Ethics and Integrity in Teacher Education (Eaton & Khan, eds.) – https://wp.me/pNAh3-2RW
This blog has had over 3 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks! 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.
Coming soon… “Ethics and Integrity in Teacher Education” (Eaton & Khan, eds.)
One of the best things about being on Research and Scholarship Leave (RSL, also known as “sabbatical”) is having time to write and do research. I’m super excited to share that my friend and colleague, Dr. Zeenath Reza Khan, and I have just submitted a manuscript for our edited volume, Ethics and Integrity in Teacher Education.
This book was two years in the making. Zeenath and I are both educators in higher education, but like so many others who work in academic integrity, we often hear that students arrive at post-secondary institutions ill-prepared for what awaits them, including expectations about how to uphold and enact academic integrity. We hear cries of frustration that academic integrity education must start much earlier – and we agree. However, for that to happen, teacher trainees must receive direct and explicit training about how to teach concepts and skills related to academic integrity. If this is not embedded within their pre-service teacher education, the teachers themselves are ill equipped to provide students with this important ethical foundation in K-12 education.
We sought out some of the most highly qualified experts in the world on ethics and integrity for this volume. The result is a specialized team of elite scholars from Canada, the US, the UK, Australia, Mexico, Sweden, and the UAE who have contributed chapters on various topics related to how to teach academic integrity and ethics in teacher training programs and in K-12 education.
Here is a “sneak peek” about what to expect…
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Preface
Chapter 01: Ethics in Teacher Training: An Overview – Sarah Elaine Eaton (Canada) and Zeenath Reza Khan (UAE)
Chapter 02: Embedding principles related to academic integrity in teacher education in Australia – Ann Rogerson (Australia), Claire Rogerson (Australia), and Tiffani Apps (Australia)
Chapter 03: Using Codes of Professional Ethics and Conduct in Teacher Education: Pitfalls and Best Practice – Daniella Forster (Australia) and Bruce Maxwell (Canada)
Chapter 04: Preparing Preservice Teachers to Teach Academic Integrity and Ethics – Sonja Bjelobaba (Sweden) and Marita Cronqvist (Sweden)
Chapter 05: Ethics education in teacher education: a comparative study of teacher education programs embedding ethics education into teacher education curriculum – Afnan Boutid (UAE) and Stephanie Martin (UAE)
Chapter 06: Starting from a Place of Academic Integrity: Building Trust with Online Students – Astrid Kendrick (Canada)
Chapter 07: The Role of Compassion in Academic Integrity Management Processes – Luis I. Guerrero-Martínez (Mexico), Pablo Ayala-Enríquez (Mexico), and Jean Guerrero-Dib (Mexico)
Chapter 08: Formalising Preservice Teacher Training to Work with Parents to Promote Academic Integrity in K-12 Education – Brenda M. Stoesz (Canada)
Chapter 09: Proposing a preservice teacher-training module to manage parental involvement in K-12 assessments – Zeenath Reza Khan (UAE) and Veena Mulani (UAE)
Chapter 10: Incorporating Ethics into Everyday Classroom in Science Education – Shivadas D. Sivasubramaniam (UK)
Chapter 11: Educational Integrity in Schools: A Framework for Young Learners – Irene Glendinning (UK)
We do not yet have an exact date of when the book will be published, but we expect it might be in late 2022 or early 2023. We’ll provide updates on this blog and on social media about the progress of the book.
This blog has had over 3 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!
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.
Image courtesy of patrisyu at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
With the new academic year just around the corner, universities and colleges are grappling with a return to campus. Some institutions are calling for mandatory vaccine requirements, and the list continues to grow. In Canada, for example, journalists are sharing news of this rapidly changing landscape on a daily basis. Here are just a few examples of news stories from major news outlets:
Just this morning, the President of the University of Calgary sent a campus-wide e-mail stating:
“Starting September 1, the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary, and the University of Lethbridge will require all those coming to campus to undergo regular rapid testing. Those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are exempt from this requirement.
Students, faculty, and staff who are not fully vaccinated, and those who would prefer not to disclose their vaccine status, will need to regularly complete a rapid screening test and receive a negative result before they participate in in-person activities.
Any individual who cannot be tested or vaccinated based on medical or other protected grounds recognized by the Alberta Human Rights Act can request an accommodation.”
The e-mail was signed by all three Alberta university presidents:
Bill Flanagan, President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Alberta
Ed McCauley, President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Calgary
Mike Mahon, President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Lethbridge
I applaud this decision – wholeheartedly and unequivocally.
What was absent from this communication, and most of the communication I have seen about vaccine requirements on campuses, is what the consequences will be for falsifying vaccine documents. On August 9, the Associated Press published an article on how “Fake COVID-19 vaccination cards worry college officials” in the United States.
It is utterly naïve to think that fake COVID-19 test results or vaccination records are limited to the United States or other countries. These are already available for sale for Canadians. I will not include links to these services in this blog post because I do not want to give the impression that I am endorsing any of these services, but you can do a simple Internet search yourself to find out how easy it is to buy these in Canada.
One Canadian news report claimed that fake COVID-19 vaccine passports were available for purchase online for as little as $12. That’s about the same cost as a box of donuts and a couple of coffees from a popular Canadian donut chain restaurant.
A critical question that remains unanswered is: What are the consequences for presenting fake or fraudulent COVID-19 documents on our campuses?
For staff and professors, I expect that human resources departments will be involved. For students, I expect that presenting fake COVID-19 would be a violation of student conduct rules (e.g., academic or non-academic misconduct). What is unclear is how such cases will be dealt with.
Falsifying COVID-10 vaccination status or test results is a willful act of dishonesty and needs to be treated as such.
I contend that such consequences need to be articulated through institution-wide policies and procedures and must be consistent across the institution. For example, it would be ridiculous for a student in arts to receive a warning and a student in science to receive an expulsion for the same offence of presenting a fake COVID-19 vaccination record. Similarly, it would diminish public trust in the institution if contract-based staff were dismissed from their employment for presenting faked COVID-19 documents, but tenured faculty members or administrators received a warning.
Universities and colleges need to take a strong and public stance on the issue of fake COVID-19 documentation.
This is no time to hide behind political-speak such as, “Violations will be addressed on a case-by-case basis” or “We do not expect this to be a problem”. This is a time for universities and colleges to communicate clear and firm expectations that presenting accurate and honest information regarding COVID-19 vaccination status or test results is essential for upholding the academic integrity and ethical standards. In addition, institutions need to develop and communicate clear and firm consequences for presenting fake or falsified COVID-19 documents.
Further, it would be useful for institutions to track and report on misconduct that occurs related to COVID-19, for all campus stakeholders including students, staff, faculty, and administrators and report back to the community on how cases are addressed. This is a not only a matter of public interest, it is a matter of public health. Lives are literally at stake.
This blog has had over 2 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!
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 or anyone else.
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D. 
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