Revisiting academic integrity from a student perspective: Check out our latest Quality Compass

Students are key stakeholders along with employers who rightly expect that the value of an award and the achievement and academic standards that it represents are secured. Those legitimate expectations are challenged by the rise in academic misconduct from the use of an increasing number of essay mills and commercial suppliers of bespoke assessment answers.

The latest publication in QAA’s Quality Compass series explores academic integrity and misconduct with a focus on the student perspective and touches on a range of ways providers can address misconduct.

It emphasises that, while academic misconduct focuses on action against students who plagiarise, cheat, collude or purchase academic work online, the concept of academic integrity is based on the honesty and originality of academic submissions. Placing the emphasis on positive behaviour and approaches is key to supporting students in their academic studies.

It also recognises the physical and psychological isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, which restricted the ability of students and staff to exchange views and share expected positive behaviours. As we move on from pandemic-related restrictions, it is key that teaching - in person or online - should offer an opportunity to expose students to methods of forming and challenging perspectives through academic discourse. The authors argue this may help to develop a drive for originality and innovation.

The publication also explores how higher education institutions can more clearly communicate the seriousness of academic misconduct resulting from using essay mills. This Quality Compass edition was authored by colleagues at Swansea University - Professor Michael Draper, Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor Education (Academies) and student interns from the Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law: Zoë Birch, Megan Croombs and Elenor Marano.

This edition of Quality Compass is available on QAA’s website.

You can find out more about QAA’s work in this area by visiting our academic integrity webpage. We have a wealth of resources and materials to support staff and students engage in positive academic practice including our recently updated guidance Contracting to Cheat in Higher Education, an Academic Integrity Charter and two Collaborative Enhancement Projects on academic integrity.

We also convene the UK Academic Integrity Advisory Group which informs and shapes our work, and a wider Academic Integrity Network to engage with and inform our key stakeholders.