Academic Integrity: A Teaching and Learning Approach

Abstract

In this chapter, the key aspects of a teaching and learning approach for academic integrity in higher educational settings are considered. With such an approach, the focus is on enhancing pedagogy and educational support within a university or college, as well as developing academic integrity policy for staff and students that align with this educational emphasis. The development of a teaching and learning approach has implications for institutional initiatives that will entail promoting academic integrity education, supporting students’ academic writing development, and employing assessment practices that are integral to student learning. This chapter draws on educational and research studies to explore good practice and example interventions in these three areas. It is highlighted how educational resources for academic integrity should be engaging to students and designed so that they can be effectively embedded in curriculum. Approaches to support academic writing development should involve formative opportunities for students to practice, with feedback and guidance from tutors, advisers, and peers. Educational strategies, which can be used by faculty in devising assessments that may minimize opportunities for student academic misconduct, are also considered; these are aligned with assessment for learning principles, in which the use of authentic assessments is significant in developing students’ attributes that will be of value to them beyond formal education. Conclusions point to further work that would advance the field of academic integrity, including investigating students’ study practices (particularly with regard to digital technologies) and evaluating the impact of changing assessment strategies on students’ understanding of good academic practice.