As former English teachers, we know the power of the written word. So when we say that we are reimagining how to approach (and achieve!) academic integrity, it isn’t a statement we make lightly; however, the introduction of new, powerful generative AI tools has forced the entire education sector to re-examine our understanding of academic integrity, our approach to maintaining ethical standards, and how to support students in achieving it. In doing so, we have found that there are constants that haven’t (and likely won’t) change, but there are other elements that demand adaptation.
Before anyone sounds an alarm, it has to be said: our message isn’t changing all that much. Still promoting student and educator agency? Check. Still advocating for impactful, formative feedback and the writing process? Check! Still promoting the power of original thinking and protecting academic integrity? Check and check.
How is Turnitin adapting to new challenges in academic integrity?
In our quest to understand what actually is new, we turned to one of the most widely known and utilized resources Turnitin has ever created, the Plagiarism Spectrum. At first, we considered simply adding new, emerging threats, such as misuse of generative AI writing tools or paraphrasing tools (aka text spinners). As educators, though, that seemed like a missed opportunity. In that old spectrum, the focus was all on understanding and detecting misconduct in all its forms. So we wondered, “What if, rather than focusing on misconduct and punitive, reactionary thinking, we instead focused on instruction and leveraging this opportunity to address upholding academic integrity proactively?” THAT lit up our educator hearts!
From this thinking, Turnitin’s new interactive infographic Achieving Academic Integrity was born, and it takes our fellow educators through a logical sequence with resources that focus on teaching academic integrity. The not-so-new part is that we begin with the problem(s) and possible root cause(s), discuss approaches educators can take, and provide resources to increase educator agency, and, by extension, student agency. Focusing on a proactive approach to academic integrity rather than a reactive or punitive stance is far more impactful than merely pointing out what not to do.
What causes academic misconduct?
First, the reasons (and ways) academic misconduct occurs can be as many and varied as the number of students involved. Still, there are some trends that merit discussion. No matter the underlying cause, whenever a student’s academic integrity is in question, always begin by assuming best intentions. While reasons are potentially many, focusing on how to address the underlying issue(s) is more important because this understanding tends to lead to more substantive results.
When discussing academic integrity and the ways things can go off track, we often use the word “misconduct” and that is intentional; while some students may be quite aware of what they are doing, assuming best intent is a good practice, at least until the instructor has had time to meet with the student. This is distinct from academic dishonesty, another commonly used term, which tends to assume intentional action on the student’s part. While we can distill the possible reasons listed below even further, academic misconduct, regardless of intent, can often be traced to the following starting points.
Knowledge of ethical issues may be weak
The simple fact is that we cannot assume that students come to us each year with the foundational knowledge of or shared norms related to ethical issues that we might wish. At the very least, a review of the expected ethics required in creating original work is necessary to ensure a shared understanding.
Building habits based on ethics and ethical behavior is one of those “soft” skills with far reach. An online search can reveal many potential consequences of plagiarism–both in the classroom and beyond—including ruined student/academic/professional reputations, legal consequences, or even monetary repercussions. While a ruined reputation, a failing grade, or expulsion may be considered harsh, the consequences for adults in the workforce can be even more severe with a potential loss of career or legal ramifications.
Background in academic integrity may be incomplete or under-developed
Providing specific definitions and examples of what academic integrity is (and is not) is essential. This process is ongoing from the very first assignment to the last one. Defining and identifying concrete examples is helpful, but this is only the first step in helping students understand and apply the important concepts that inform academic integrity.
The logical starting point is the institution’s academic integrity policy and/or honor code. If this isn’t an option, work with students to build a course policy that will address specific issues. Success comes from consistent references and applications of the policy, which ideally is not static. A key step in continuing to build students’ knowledge of academic integrity is in reviewing the policy and updating it as necessary.
Motivating students is critical
We all know that compliance can be forced, but the real power is in making people WANT to do something, and that’s as true for academic integrity as it is for any other highly valued concept or skill. Creating a classroom environment that creates a culture of belonging is a key mechanism to encourage students to strengthen and develop motivation, effort, and achievement, all important factors for students to succeed. Creating assignments worth doing enhances student engagement even more. Engaged students tend to be more highly motivated to work without taking shortcuts that circumvent learning.
Foundational skills may require strengthening
Taking shortcuts or even making poor judgments about what is and is not acceptable when skills are lacking is common. Problems might range from a lack of citation skills to ineffective paraphrasing. Is time management a problem? What could be simpler than copying and pasting a friend’s work? It’s ok for notes, so why not for the essay that left too little time too close to submission time? In all of these skill deficit scenarios, instruction and support is what is required. Tutorials on citation or paraphrasing are more likely to correct the problem than a punitive approach when students simply don’t have mastery of the appropriate skill. Helping students to make realistic plans for completion of assignments, allowing for unexpected problems, and teaching additional time management strategies can help students avoid issues. More on this later!
What can educators do to promote academic integrity?
While there is a lot of noise that might tempt students to act unethically, creating a supportive learning environment with a culture of academic integrity is possible–and necessary! Time and practice are needed for students to be able to flex their academic integrity muscles, and this is where educators have the power. When ChatGPT arrived, many educators described feeling unprepared and powerless, but in this reimagined paradigm, we can take back our power by guiding students in understanding not only what to do, but also why it matters.
Build relationships/create community
Creating a learning community where the educator and student can communicate honestly and openly about what academic integrity is and what it looks like within the confines of a particular assignment is essential. It is through this honest and open communication that trust–an essential component of community–is built. When that shared foundation is held across all students and educators, those collective values strengthen the community where academic integrity and learning can thrive.
Use this community to build and maintain a learning policy
Trust and community can help educators and students work collaboratively and honestly regarding choices that impact academic integrity. If students perceive that academic integrity is approached in ways that don't seem fair or rooted in original thinking, learning, and academic integrity as the goal, then chances are that they will approach it similarly. Working together to understand what an ethical approach looks like will help build a policy that works for the community. As with many things, this requires practice, revisiting, and revision as the needs, growth, and new technology present new challenges to the learning community.
Make the academic integrity policy an integral part of every assignment
Academic integrity is not just a “one and done” lesson at the beginning of the school year, with quick reminders before that one big essay or project. To build that culture takes consistent nurturing of students in the formative space with each assignment. Educators should introduce it, model what it looks like in their own work that is shared with students, include it in smaller assignments, talk about the tools that are out there and how/why they do not replace original thinking, review policies as to what is working and what is not and revise as needed–and there are likely a dozen other ways educators can highlight how and why academic integrity underpins all the work the learning community produces.
Teach explicit skills that students need to maintain academic integrity
Academic integrity itself is a skill, implemented through a series of sub-skills, such as how to evaluate a source’s credibility, cite work correctly, paraphrase skillfully, manage time well, and many others. Achieving academic integrity is, in fact, similar to other crucial elements of education: it must be consistently prioritized; it can take a lot of time; and perhaps most importantly, it should be approached formatively for students to truly learn how/why it matters. Each of these processes completed in the formative space is essential to student growth and learning.
How does Turnitin support educators?
Although educators bring pedagogical knowledge and insight into students and their writing skills, even the most empathetic and knowledgeable educator sometimes has “that feeling” without a clear understanding of why. Sometimes we just know that something is off, even if it’s just a significant change in a student’s writing. This sort of scenario is common–and frustrating–and not just because it is subjective. The stakes around a case of academic misconduct can be high so careful consideration is required before making a judgment call. No educator wants to make a potentially damaging accusation without a high degree of confidence.
Here is where Turnitin really helps educators: by using tools like the Similarity Report and AI writing detection, clear data points are available to prepare for potentially uncomfortable conversations with students. One caveat: there is no one-size-fits-all answer as to when Turnitin’s data points are “too high” or “too low” or when to be concerned. Many factors influence these scores, including the original assignment parameters, length of the assignment, genre, effective and correct usage of quotation marks, incorrect or missing citations, or not-so-skillful paraphrasing, to name only a few. Still, talking to a student with the power of specific text or a percentage that points to potentially AI-generated work is helpful in determining how that conversation might go.
Beyond the sheer numbers, educators often look to the question of intentionality to understand what happened and how to respond. Assuming intentionality in misconduct, though, is risky. Trust between educators and individual students can quickly deteriorate when students perceive that the educator has already judged them and determined them “guilty” before even speaking to them. To reiterate: the educator should err on the side of caution and assume best intentions from the student. Our new infographic provides some insights as to how to blend educator knowledge of the students and their writing with sound pedagogy. Combining the knowledge of educators with the insights of tools such as those provided by Turnitin’s Similarity and the AI Writing reports gives a more informed view that will assist with student learning goals without an accusatory tone.
In short: Academic integrity is within educators’ grasp
Each new academic year brings new hope–and new challenges, with AI having added to that stress in a way that others haven’t. We know that educators across the globe have already been stretched more and more each year; feeling overwhelmed and helpless in the face of that weight is perfectly reasonable. In the face of that, many educators experience absolute inertia, making academic integrity feel like “one more thing.” Yet, when we focus on the many powerful choices educators can make to cultivate academic integrity and understand the positive impact to learning, it becomes clear why it needs to be prioritized. Because we see the potential outcome of this prioritization, Turnitin will continue to partner with educators in every corner of the world by providing tools and resources to help educators do this vital work. Count on that.