The Role of Opportunity in Cheating: A Case Study of Academic Dishonesty at a Private Institution of Higher Education
Location
Chan Shun Hall Room 208
Start Date
15-6-2022 4:15 PM
End Date
15-6-2022 5:17 PM
Description
Covid-19 pandemic forced most institutions of Higher education to do online Remote Teaching. Most universities/colleges in South Africa completely stopped having in-person classes in March 2020. This necessitated a shift from the use of hard-copy, invigilated examinations to online exams written remotely without an invigilator. This shift seemed to create an "opportunity" for some students to cheat, thereby compromising academic integrity. Three conditions generally need to be present for cheating or fraud to take place. These conditions are: (1) there should be an incentive to commit cheating (fraud); (2) there should be an opportunity to cheat; and (3) the person cheating should be able to justify why they are cheating. Indication that some students cheated in their online exams is evidenced by previously struggling students suddenly having a rise in marks and also by other objective evidence, for example, close similarity to online documents, or to other students' work or rehashing a concept when the question asks for application in a very specific situation. In discussing some of the reasons students and lecturers gave for online academic dishonesty during online tests and examinations includes an over-exposure to opportunity which was not awarded by in-person invigilated tests and examinations. This paper attempts to discuss the role of opportunity in academic dishonesty during covid-19 lockdown in one Faculty at a small Christian Tertiary Institution. The paper will also discuss how lecturers attempted to curtail the increased opportunity to cheat as proactive measures as well as in response to the actual cheating events in tests and examinations. Noting the role of opportunity to the commission of dishonesty acts, the paper will discuss the need to curtail opportunities for fraud in the workplace even within Christian organizations. Reference will be given to relevant Biblical evidence that addresses eliminating opportunities to cheat.
The Role of Opportunity in Cheating: A Case Study of Academic Dishonesty at a Private Institution of Higher Education
Chan Shun Hall Room 208
Covid-19 pandemic forced most institutions of Higher education to do online Remote Teaching. Most universities/colleges in South Africa completely stopped having in-person classes in March 2020. This necessitated a shift from the use of hard-copy, invigilated examinations to online exams written remotely without an invigilator. This shift seemed to create an "opportunity" for some students to cheat, thereby compromising academic integrity. Three conditions generally need to be present for cheating or fraud to take place. These conditions are: (1) there should be an incentive to commit cheating (fraud); (2) there should be an opportunity to cheat; and (3) the person cheating should be able to justify why they are cheating. Indication that some students cheated in their online exams is evidenced by previously struggling students suddenly having a rise in marks and also by other objective evidence, for example, close similarity to online documents, or to other students' work or rehashing a concept when the question asks for application in a very specific situation. In discussing some of the reasons students and lecturers gave for online academic dishonesty during online tests and examinations includes an over-exposure to opportunity which was not awarded by in-person invigilated tests and examinations. This paper attempts to discuss the role of opportunity in academic dishonesty during covid-19 lockdown in one Faculty at a small Christian Tertiary Institution. The paper will also discuss how lecturers attempted to curtail the increased opportunity to cheat as proactive measures as well as in response to the actual cheating events in tests and examinations. Noting the role of opportunity to the commission of dishonesty acts, the paper will discuss the need to curtail opportunities for fraud in the workplace even within Christian organizations. Reference will be given to relevant Biblical evidence that addresses eliminating opportunities to cheat.