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Дистанционный формат обучения и нарушение этических норм академической добросовестности среди студентов
Introduction. Compliance with the principles of academic integrity has been at the centre of attention across disciplines since the middle of the last century, but the spread of ICT-enabled learning has led to a new stage of research.
Materials and Methods. This article aims to answer two related questions: 1) Is cheating an inevitable "side effect" of distance learning? 2) What motivates students to violate academic integrity norms in online learning? To answer these questions, a questionnaire was administered to second-year advertising and law students at the National Research University Higher School of Economics. Eight multiple choice projective questions were formulated after a literature review on the topic of academic fraud and posted on an Internet resource which did not require registration, thus preserving the anonymity of the respondents.
Results. The obtained results were analysed, the data presented in the form of diagrams confirmed only a part of our assumptions: the online format encourages students to engage in academic fraud, with the material benefit of a tuition discount perceived by respondents as a sufficiently strong circumstance to violate academic morals. Most students fully or partially agreed that cheating is an integral part of learning. Contrary to our assumptions, according to the students, the online exam is not a situation where they are more likely to use the opportunity to cheat, with an approximately equal distribution of answers. The threat of punishment is not an incentive for most respondents to refrain from cheating. Unlike material benefits in the form of tuition discounts or scholarships, the prospect of an honours degree does not appear to be a strong incentive for respondents to break the norms of academic integrity. The responses did not support the assumption that relationships within the academic group influence the frequency of cheating, where "helping" classmates is perceived as a gesture of mutual assistance.
Discussion and Conclusion. The results only partially confirmed the hypothesis that the online learning format encourages cheating. The obvious opportunities to violate academic integrity norms are more often used when there is a material benefit in the form of a tuition discount rather than the prospect of an honours degree or "helping" classmates. It is likely that after a more profound analysis of this motivation, there will be recommendations to transform the rating and discount system to reduce the level of students' involvement in academic dishonesty. Another potential tool could be to educate students about academic ethics, since the survey showed that the attitude towards cheating as a tradition and the insufficiently regulated punishment system create an environment conducive to unethical behaviour.
Introduction. Compliance with the principles of academic integrity has been at the centre of attention across disciplines since the middle of the last century, but the spread of ICT-enabled learning has led to a new stage of research.
Materials and Methods. This article aims to answer two related questions: 1) Is cheating an inevitable "side effect" of distance learning? 2) What motivates students to violate academic integrity norms in online learning? To answer these questions, a questionnaire was administered to second-year advertising and law students at the National Research University Higher School of Economics. Eight multiple choice projective questions were formulated after a literature review on the topic of academic fraud and posted on an Internet resource which did not require registration, thus preserving the anonymity of the respondents.
Results. The obtained results were analysed, the data presented in the form of diagrams confirmed only a part of our assumptions: the online format encourages students to engage in academic fraud, with the material benefit of a tuition discount perceived by respondents as a sufficiently strong circumstance to violate academic morals. Most students fully or partially agreed that cheating is an integral part of learning. Contrary to our assumptions, according to the students, the online exam is not a situation where they are more likely to use the opportunity to cheat, with an approximately equal distribution of answers. The threat of punishment is not an incentive for most respondents to refrain from cheating. Unlike material benefits in the form of tuition discounts or scholarships, the prospect of an honours degree does not appear to be a strong incentive for respondents to break the norms of academic integrity. The responses did not support the assumption that relationships within the academic group influence the frequency of cheating, where "helping" classmates is perceived as a gesture of mutual assistance.
Discussion and Conclusion. The results only partially confirmed the hypothesis that the online learning format encourages cheating. The obvious opportunities to violate academic integrity norms are more often used when there is a material benefit in the form of a tuition discount rather than the prospect of an honours degree or "helping" classmates. It is likely that after a more profound analysis of this motivation, there will be recommendations to transform the rating and discount system to reduce the level of students' involvement in academic dishonesty. Another potential tool could be to educate students about academic ethics, since the survey showed that the attitude towards cheating as a tradition and the insufficiently regulated punishment system create an environment conducive to unethical behaviour.