Improving Student Outcomes by Shifting Our Approach to Academic Integrity (abstract), presented by Jen Simonds (University of Maryland) and Mark Ricksen (Turnitin) was of particular interest to me as my institution has been making use of Turnitin for about two and a half years. I was curious to see if their approach would be similar to ours and I was also looking forward to learning some new strategies.
Simonds set the context for the conversation with a history lesson. Simonds stated that their institution, like many others, had a traditional punishment mindset. Policy suffered from negative language that was somewhat vague. There was also targeted use of Turnitin on a few students where plagiarism was detected. Fast forward to current day with a new policy and procedures guide that focusses on what to do, is equity minded and gives the faculty the discretion to use an instance of misconduct as a teachable moment. The best part of this new policy, students were consulted! Simonds also noted a shift in culture has occurred; that faculty are guided by ensuring knowledge and the skill development of students, recognizing that a foundation of knowledge can lead to future student success. The University of Maryland has adopted a new tutorial that includes examples of integrity from the workplace. The content has a CC licence and is openly accessible.
I was also delighted to hear Simonds mention that their main strategy was faculty training and support. Support is offered through resource pages, training, along with consultations. They use Turnitin as a teaching and learning tool for students, enabling them to view reports and make corrections. Faculty are encouraged to use an academic focus, avoid using misconduct terms and stay in a teaching role. This means that if there is an issue that goes beyond teaching and learning, than it is forwarded to administration who handle the case.
Ricksen then turned the focus on the presentation to Turnitin stating that the company has evolved from plagiarism prevention to empowering students. Ricksen discussed contract cheating and the tools that Turnitin are developing to aid instructors in early detection. Turnitin offers an authorship tool and a draft coach that is available as an add-on for use by students in Google Docs.
The most compelling part of their presentation came from a question from the audience. "Should institutions get rid of letter grades?" Ricksen and Simonds left us wondering if grades are a sign of learning and noted that any measure should be meaningful. That statement will definitely have me pondering the topic for the days to come.
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