Encouraging academic integrity for graduate impact

Dr Erica MorrisSenior AdviserQuality enhancement, assessment and academic integrity

The Higher Education Academy

BMAF Subject Network Conference, Bournemouth, 10-11 May 2010

• Exploring the links• Academic integrity

matters• Graduates matter• Key strategies • Discussion questions

• Conclusion

Overview

2

Exploring the links

3

• Changing focus– Academic misconduct– Promoting academic integrity

• Teaching, learning and assessment

• Policy analysis: approach– Integrity, punitive, mixed– Implementation

• ‘Aligning’ policy and practice

Academic integrity in higher education

4Bretag et al(2011)

‘The academic enterprise is rooted in a culture of integrity, founded on honesty and mutual trust ... Academic integrity should be valued and promoted by the institution and it should underpin ... all aspects of its teaching and learning strategy’

Academic integrity matters

5

Park (2004, pp297-298)

• Module on academic honesty

• Staff development – Assessment design

• Staff-student dialogue– Teaching sessions

‘developing students to graduate as ethical self-regulating professionals’

Institutional strategy

6Clarkeburn and Freeman (2007, p22)

• Student employability profiles

• Comprehensive analysis– Competencies and skills– Priorities from employer

perspectives– Variation in terminology

and definitions– Skills gap

Graduates matter

7

Jackson (2010)

Competency Finding

Honesty and integrity Relates to ‘ethics and responsibility’Ranked as the most important employability skillsEmployers particularly impressed’1

Communication Writing skills as vital (71% of employers)Ranked 16th as skill most satisfied withMany employers were unsatisfied with oral communication skills 2

Team working Ranked 10th most important skills of 2885% recent graduates demonstrated skill 1

Modern graduates

8

1 IOD (2007), 2 CIHE (2008), cited in Jackson (2010)

‘To .. enhance employability and the immediacy of adding value to enterprises, not only must businesses articulate what they need and want from graduates, it is also important that graduates are aware of what they are learning and its use in the workplace’

Taking matters further

9

Jackson (2010, p55, my emphasis)

Strategies

10

Discussion questions

11

• Promoting good academic practice: what innovative strategies might be used?

• Can we instil ‘academic integrity’ for graduates – and does this enhance graduate impact?

• What approaches are needed to investigate employers’ priorities with regard to graduates attributes and skills – how might academic integrity be ‘translated’?

Summary

12

Policy works: recommendations for reviewing policy to manage unacceptable academic practice in higher education

Supporting academic integrity: approaches and resources for higher education

Guidance publications

13http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/academic-integrity

Bretag, T., Mahmud, S., East, J., Green. M., James, C., McGowan, U., Partridge, L., Wallace, M., and Walker, R. (2011) Academic Integrity Standards: A Preliminary Analysis of the Academic Integrity Policies at Australian Universities.

Council for Industry and Higher Education (2008) Graduate employability: What do employers think and want? Cited in Jackson (2010).

Clarkeburn, H. and Freeman, M. (2007) To plagiarise or not to plagiarise: an online approach to improving and motivating honest academic writing. International Journal of Management Education, 6(3), 21-33. Available from: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/IJME/vol6/vol6no3 [17 January 2011].

Graham, J. (n.d) Live Projects. Employability case study. Available from: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/hlst/resources/casestudies/employability [18 January 2011].

Hill, R. and Reddy, P. (2007) Undergraduate peer mentoring: an investigation into processes, activities and outcomes. Psychology Learning and Teaching, 6(2), 98-103. Available from: http://www.wwwords.co.uk/plat/content/pdfs/6/issue6_2.asp [18 January 2011].

Institute of Directors (2007) Institute of Directors skills briefing – December 2007: Graduates employability skills . Cited in Jackson (2010).

Jackson, D. (2010) An International profile of industry-relevant competencies and skill gaps in modern graduates. International Journal of Management Education, 8(3), 29-58. Available from: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/IJME/vol8/vol8no3 [17 January 2011].

Park, C. (2004) Rebels without a clause: towards an institutional framework for dealing with plagiarism by students. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 28, 3, 291-306.

Rees, C., Forbes, P. and Kubler, B. (2007) Student employability profiles: A guide for higher education practitioners. Graduate Prospects, The Council for Industry and Higher Education, The Higher Education Academy. Available from: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ourwork/teachingandlearning/employability/alldisplay?type=resources&newid=ourwork/employability/Employability_profiles_print_pdf&site=york [4 October 2010].

Ryan, G., Bonanno, H., Krass, I., Scouller, K. and Smith, L. (2009) Undergraduate and Postgraduate Pharmacy Students Perceptions of Plagiarism and Academic Honesty. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 73(6), 1-8.

Waycott, J., Gray, K., Clerehan, R., Hamilton, M., Richardson, J., Sheard, J. and Thompson, C. (2010) Implications for academic integrity of using web 2.0 for teaching, learning and assessment in higher education. International Journal for Educational Integrity, 6(2), 8-18.

References

14