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Contract Cheating is Riskier than Students Think
“Contract cheating occurs when a student procures a third party (who knows about and benefits from the transaction) to produce academic work (that is usually, but not always assessable work) that the student then submits to an educational institution as if it were their own” (Ellis, Zucker & Randall (2018) p. 1). Academic misconduct of any kind is a risk for students. Use of third–party sites for copying or outsourcing their work will likely be understood as academic misconduct for the most part by students. Interactions can start out as access to learning resources or tutoring help and become group-sourcing of answers and become outright collusion. Some sites even reward students for…
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Instructor Strategies to Mitigate Contract Cheating
“Contract cheating occurs when a student procures a third party (who knows about and benefits from the transaction) to produce academic work (that is usually, but not always assessable work) that the student then submits to an educational institution as if it were their own” (Ellis, Zucker & Randall (2018) p. 1). There is no silver bullet solution for the problem of contract cheating. It is multi-faceted, and calls for multiple mitigation strategies. Assessment design No assessment is “cheat-proof” but assessment design is widely regarded as an important strategy. What makes sense or is possible in one course, may not fit for another course. Instructors considering assessment options can: Find…
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What is contract cheating?
“Contract cheating occurs when a student procures a third party (who knows about and benefits from the transaction) to produce academic work (that is usually, but not always assessable work) that the student then submits to an educational institution as if it were their own” (Ellis, Zucker & Randall (2018) p. 1). Contract cheating is an increasing concern. Research indicates contract cheating incidence is on the rise and is an international issue (Newton, 2018) . This form of cheating has been getting more attention in the last decade, and more recently, during remote teaching and learning under COVID 19 restrictions. Fairness of assessment systems and evidence of student learning are…
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Ready to Talk to Students About Suspected Academic Misconduct?
When you suspect academic misconduct in your course, it’s common to feel frustrated. Some educators feel insulted or angry. Some blame themselves. Some people have a mix of all of this. Regardless, if you suspect a student has engaged in academic misconduct it is important to talk to them about it. The points below are offered to help you think through your approach, so that you can feel confident and clear about how you will facilitate that conversation. Key things to think about First, get grounded. Return to your own commitment to what ethical teaching and learning looks like in your course, in your subject/disciplinary area. Ask yourself: What am…