Exploring transnational approaches to educational integrity:

a showcase of the work of APFEI

Dr Ruth Walker. University of WollongongDr Tracey Bretag, University of South Australia

Dr Julianne East, La Trobe University

what is integrity?

• the more common term ‘academic integrity’ generally encompasses a commitment to the key educational values of ‘honesty, trust, equity, respect and responsibility’

• enshrined in HE institutional policies & procedures and deployed to prevent particular types of student misconduct:

cheating in exams, collusion & copying from other students, buying essays online, plagiarism etc etc

changing educational contexts in Australia

• very high % of international students in higher education institutions

• increasing traffic in education with international, transnational and study abroad programs

• vision statements, strategic plans & frameworks of many universities now focus on strengths as ‘international’ or ‘global’

beyond student deficit• clearer focus in recent years on educative rather

than punitive approaches • alignment of policy and practice• a recognised need for academics, authors and

teachers to model ethical practice (Tracey Bretag on academic self plagiarism)

• implications of the use of digital technologies and changed ‘economies of effort’:– competing pressures of popular media culture &

pedagogical directives – text-matching software to find plagiarism

shift in focus

= a multi-dimensional issue that impacts on the many facets of teaching, learning and research

regional approaches

USA: individual responsibility & American exceptionalism – values, honour codes, good citizenship (Centre for Academic Integrity CAI)

UK teaching opportunities to foster ethical writing and research practice, with strong focus on new technologies (Plagiarism Conference UK)

Australia focus on broad culture of integrity to foster ethicalwriting and research practices, the responsibility of

all stakeholders (APFEI)

Asia Pacific ….?

educative approachesStrategies to inform and educate students about academic integrity can range from: • generic instructions not to plagiarise & why • guides on how to avoid plagiarism by using good referencing techniques• online module & quiz• independent orientation workshops • integrated classes inside core subjects • subject or discipline-specific discussion about academic integrity• assessment tasks that focus on developing research & writing skills and are scaffolded across

the curriculum

what is APFEI?

Originally an informal association of interested academics, teachers and scholars from universities around Australia 2003-2005

• first conference in 2003• journal IJEI established in 2005• incorporated in 2006• began seeking institutional members 2009 with eight

universities currently joined and research networks & activities across the UK and the USA

APFEI’s objectives

To provide a central point of reference where issues of educational and academic integrity can be discussed, researched, progressed and shared with the wider academic community in the Asia Pacific region, and also to:

• present models of best practice in the management of educational and academic integrity

• publish an international refereed journal (IJEI)• oversee conferences• collaborate on research and project development

future directions

APFEI’s new online presence:

• discussion forum• membership• resources (bibliography and

policies)• activities (journal, conferences,

grant, competition)

journalThe International Journal of Educational Integrity (IJEI)• edited by Dr Tracey Bretag, UniSA• International & peer reviewed• focus of IJEI: “to provide a platform for educators across all

sectors to research issues in the multi-disciplinary field of educational integrity…and to consider the changing nature of education in a globalised environment, and the impact that conceptions of educational integrity have on issues of pedagogy, academic standards, intercultural understanding and equity”

cross disciplinary focus

• upcoming special issue on digital media & academic integrity (full papers due in July)

Articles in IJEI include a range of topics /disciplines:accounting applied linguisticsbusiness computer sciencecultural studies economicseducation and education research engineeringhealth sciences learning developmentlibrary studies literary theorymathematics medicinephilosophy physiology

conferences

APFEI overseas bi-annual conferences held in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009.

• conference themes shifted from plagiarism as the central focus, to changing contexts of education with the impact of new media & internationalisation, sharing best teaching & learning strategies

• next conference (5APCEI) to be held at the University of Western Australian in 2011

student competition

APFEI encourages student engagement with academic and educational integrity.

The YouTube video competition is• open to all students currently enrolled in educational

institutions in the Asia Pacific region.• max 4 minutes

The 2009 theme was ‘academic integrity’The upcoming 2010 theme is ‘the ethical student’ (due by the

30th September)

a new literacy?Dale Spender, The Politics of Plagiarism (forthcoming)

“Plagiarism can be defined as the new literacy of the digital age. Downloading, mixing, mashing and making something new is how kids do digital. This is how they have done music and video – and now it is how they do text! … The digital dexterity of today’s net generation has nothing in common with the splenetic protests of Alexander Pope who cried plagiarism when he thought that elements of his printed work were being copied by his few rivals. The current notion of online plagiarism as promulgated in universities is such a distortion of the digital norms of using/creating, and exchanging/sharing – and copying”

winning entries

• now embedded in a range of teaching and learning resources

• winning 2009 entries found at: http://ro.uow.edu.au/apcei/09/students/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgTG6PYSTUY

grant

APFEI is interested in fostering and sustaining a community of scholars interested in issues of educational integrity

• 2 small project funds of AUD$500 each in 2010 • can be for small project development, workshops, guest

speaker, research, conference travel, student engagement activities etc

Due dates: • round 1: the 15th August 2010 • round 2: the 15th December 2010.

consulting activitiesAPFEI links a network of specialised experts who are

interested in the impact that academic integrity has on issues of pedagogy, academic standards, equity and intercultural understanding. They can offer:

• external reviews of policies and procedures• presentations promoting academic integrity• workshops on class activities and assessment task design • development of discipline or subject-specific teaching and

learning resources that embed academic integrity into curricula

research projects

Current large APFEI project development: • the alignment of academic integrity policy and practice in

Australian universities

Other research clusters:• plagiarism (education & policy/governance)• online integrity• research ethics• transnational approaches

contacts and linksDr Ruth Walker• rwalker@uow.edu.au

International Journal of Academic Integrity (IJEI)• http://www.ojs.unisa.edu.au/index.php/IJEI/issue/current

Asia Pacific Forum for Educational Integrity• www.apfei.com • http://apfei.avolvedesigns.net/(currently in transition from a wiki to a CMS!)