Culture of integrity – institutional response to integrity during COVID19

Abstract

COVID19 forced most education institutions to move their education provisions to digital platforms almost overnight to ensure continued learning for students. Variable factors relating to educational technologies, ease of use, accessibility and funding meant the process was more challenging for some than others. However even the most agile and well-prepared educational institutions faced a hurdle during remote learning when it came to integrity in assessing students online. This article tracks the efforts by one western university in a Middle Eastern country, tracing back the systemic changes, evolution of policies and procedures that culminated into a campus-wide response that helped redesign assessments, increased awareness among faculty towards recognising and reporting cases, and the implementation of integrity pledges. It is believed this article presents a well-rounded case study as a good practice guide for other tertiary institutions on the importance of building a culture of integrity prior to any crisis, that can help whether such situations need to arrive in the future.