Using the IEPAR framework - a workshop to build a culture of integrity in higher education [Conference item - Other]

Academic misconduct in higher education has risen globally during remote teaching and assessing since the beginning of the COVID19 pandemic, particularly due to use of online assessments (Erguvan, 2021; Janke et al., 2021; Clark, et al., 2020; Kapardis and Spanoudis, 2022). However, it is not a unidimensional issue; it is important that all stakeholders understand the underlying concerns that are pivotal to the incidents among students as they manifest. Lancaster and Cotarlan (2021) posited a 200% increase in student use and access to assignment sites such as Chegg. Moreover, Curtis et al. (2021) have shown that perhaps as high as 95% of students are never caught. However, many scholars have also pointed to faculty inexperience in setting assessments, unpreparedness of using technology and teaching remotely as some of the possible proponents of such misconduct (Khan et al., 2021; Dendir and Maxwell, 2020; Reedy et al., 2021).

Proactively addressing these scenarios is critical for universities as such behaviours have a negative impact on the institutions, their reputations, devalue their degrees and can have a ripple effect on careers of graduates and society (Weale, 2021; Hobbs, 2021). As the pandemic hit, teachers realised they no longer had the privilege of eye contact, reading body language and connecting with their students at a level that goes beyond textbooks and classrooms, a connection that is central to helping ensure values of integrity are upheld in teaching, learning and assessing (Khan et al., 2021).

The values of fairness, courage, honesty, respect, trustworthiness, and responsibility are vital to ensuring the quality of education (ICAI, 2021). While studies have shown significant rise in student cheating behaviours during the pandemic, the numbers are reflective of a larger question - how do we build a culture of integrity in our classrooms that helps instill the values of academic integrity in students irrespective of when, where and how learning occurs?

Through this proposed workshop we aim to address these concerns by presenting a holistic approach based on IEPAR framework (inspiration, education, pedagogical considerations, assessment design, response and restorative practice) that was first introduced by Hill and Khan (2021), wherein participants will have an opportunity to reflect, discuss and debate on pillars of the framework and come up with their own IEPAR model customized to their own institutions. The 60-minute workshop will begin with a short presentation on challenges and barriers faced by institutions with relation to academic integrity and misconduct, with particular focus on the COVID19 and emergency distance learning. The participants will then be split into small groups to engage in interactive discussions and exercises on each of the pillars of the model through practice immersion. Each group will then summarize their discussion points and present these to everyone for further feedback and reflection.

Key take-aways of the workshop for practitioners, academics, staff and policymakers are as follows:

● Developing an understanding of the depth and breadth of issues related to academic integrity, and instilling its values
● Recognizing key stakeholders of a student’s learning journey and their roles in combating academic misconducts
● Developing an understanding of the holistic framework - IEPAR model and its pillars
● Incorporating the IEPAR model to attendees’ own institutions to help build a culture of integrity