Ensuring Academic Integrity Online

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Last revised: 10/17/2024 by cah

Overview

Faculty can use the strategies, tools, techniques and technologies available to them to help ensure academic integrity in online courses.

Strategies to promote academic integrity include both prevention and compliance methods.

Prevention:

  • Use multiple assessment techniques versus high stakes exams. Consider using multiple, smaller, unproctored assessments as formative assessments with reduced weighting.
  • Increase reliance on staggered written assignments (students submit various parts of written assignments in stages such as outline, draft, peer review, and final draft) and threaded discussions.
  • Conduct a Search Engine Test. Type your questions into a search engine to see if the answer can easily be found. If so, consider revising your questions. Refer to Writing Effective Multiple Choice Questions for help drafting questions.
  • Use test banks and timed test delivery. Refer to Test Options for more information.
  • Raise awareness among students about what constitutes inappropriate behavior in an online course. Consider adding an agree/disagree certification question to the beginning of assessments where students agree to abide by the student code and academic integrity. For example, “I understand my responsibilities as a member of the UConn community to refrain from participating in dishonest or unethical academic behavior that includes, but is not limited to, misrepresenting mastery in an academic area. To do otherwise would be a violation of academic integrity and the Student Code.”
  • Address use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by students:
    • Design AI Resistant Assessments.
      • Draft assessments AI has difficulty answering.
        • Reference course specific information that cannot be easily searched online such as part of a specific lecture, course discussion or activity.
        • Ask to relate content to personal experiences or specific local context.
        • Incorporate visual material into your questions.
      • Incorporate learning reflections, such as explaining why an approach or source was considered but NOT used, personal connections made to the content, or how the new knowledge or skills would apply to their professional practice.
      • Emphasize the process, not just the final product.
        • Require submission of an assignment in stages (also helps students with time management), such as explanation of approach, outline , draft, sources considered, data discussion, etc.
        • Meet with student’s to discuss their progress or approach.
    • Design AI inclusive assignments, providing clear limits and expectations. Types of AI inclusive assignments include:
      • Idea generation to help expand thought, identify additional resources, devise strategies, etc.
      • Analysis of AI-generated output for biases and incorrect information.
    • Promote and model appropriate attribution for use of AI (citing AI).
    • Post an AI policy in the course syllabus and inside course assessments.
      • Clearly state your course AI Policy on your syllabus (review sample syllabi policies).
      • Embed additional AI reminders and guidance inside the instructions for each assessment.
      • Review AI policy for clarity.  It should include answers to questions like:
        • Which tools are approved for use?
        • How students will be held accountable for AI use?
        • What is the rationale for the chosen AI course policy?

Compliance:

  • Use plagiarism detection software and browser lockdowns.
  • Proctor exams.
  • Authenticate students.

Ensuring students are authenticated in online courses is the responsibility of faculty. Refer to Authentication of Students in Online Courses for more information.

Tools available to faculty for use with HuskyCT/Blackboard to promote academic integrity include:

  • SafeAssign – Can be used when submitting written assignments to check for plagiarism. The text in a student’s submitted paper is compared against sources on the internet and in various databases. The instructor receives a report indicating the percentage of matching text with sources identified.
  • LockDown Browser – Can be used during exams administered through HuskyCT. When employed, students are unable to copy, print, access other applications, or visit other websites during an exam.
  • Respondus Monitor – Can be used in conjunction with LockDown Browser. Students are not monitored by a live proctor, but the student’s webcam will record the entire exam period for review, as needed. Students can be required to show their desk area and identification.
  • ProctorU – Can be used during exams administered through HuskyCT. This solution offers live remote proctoring and student identity verification. (PLEASE NOTE: ProctorU is the online exam proctoring service that eCampus makes available only to UConn students enrolled in courses formally listed as ONLINE in StudentAdmin.)
  • Test Options – Setting various test options can help reduce incidences of cheating. For example, time limits, randomized order, question pools, and restricted access to results.

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