PResentation given at IBAP Regional Conference in Singapore, March 21, 2014.

1. Academic Honesty
in the Digital Age
Mick Purcell
mickpurcell@gmail.com
slides: slideshare.net/Edubridge
backchannel: todaysmeet.com/IBSing

2. This paper investigates academic honesty in the digital age, and offers constructive advice, including tips,
skills and policy guidelines, for international educators. Schools must focus on the promotion academic
honesty rather than the punishment of academic dishonesty. Research shows that the single most
important factor in promoting a school culture of academic honesty is the attitude of the students. If
students value academic integrity, then their peers are less likely to cheat or plagiarize. Students must be
taught explicitly to value academic honesty and how to practice academic honesty in the digital age.
Practical tips are given about how to create a culture of academic honesty in the digital age. Students and
teachers should discuss and include academic honesty in their Essential Agreements from a young age.
Teachers must learn precisely how to cite, write bibliographies, use the internet effectively, give references
within presentations, or acknowledge a work of art. Strategies for integrating academic honesty into the
curriculum are presented with examples or vignettes of successful methods, including Academic Honesty
in the Primary Years. The best online tools are presented. Practical strategies are suggested for students,
teachers, parents, teacher-librarians, and administrators. There are tips about how to write a school’s
Academic Honesty policy by involving the school community to reflect the school’s mission.
There is a brief discussion of the importance of academic honesty as the bedrock of academic institutions
in free societies, and the links between academic honesty, Ways of Knowing, the Learner Profile, and
international-mindedness.

3. Primary Objectives:
● Learn about AH issues facing educators and schools
● Identify common mistakes made by students, teachers, and
schools
● Thoughtful conversation about the IB Position on Academic
Honesty

4. The most important learning:
● Support students, and focus on promoting academic
honesty instead of punishing academic dishonesty
● Move from academic honesty to educational integrity and
relate AH to LP, school values, being principled, etc.
● Begin young with student involvement
● Train teachers: skills and issues in the Digital Age

5. Structure of this talk
1. a survey of the academic discourse about educational
integrity, and some results from research in the field
2. how this discourse can and should be applied to international
schools, and IB schools in particular
3. some practical tips for IB educators about addressing
academic integrity at your school

6. The importance of including sources first
● Get students to think about how their ideas are influenced
by the ideas of others
● Referencing requires “thinking, writing, and signaling”:
○ inquirers, reflective, communicators, principled, etc.

7. "Acadmic Honesty." Online Curriculum Centre. International Baccalaureate Organization, 2012. Web. 31 Jan. 2014.
"APFEI | Asia Pacific Forum on Educational Integrity." APFEI, 2013. Web. 31 Jan. 2014.
Carroll, Jude. "Academic honesty in the IB." IB position papers. International Baccalaureate Organization, 21 Feb, 2013. Web. 31 Jan. 2014.
Crace, John. "Jude Carroll: Original Thinker." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 26 Apr. 2005. Web. 16 Mar. 2014.
Davis, Stephen F., Patrick F. Drinan, and Tricia Bertram Gallant. Cheating in School: What We Know and What We Can Do. Chichester, U.K.: Wiley-
Blackwell, 2009. Print.
Garza, Celina. Academic Honesty Workshop. Proc. of IBAP Regional Conference 2014, Singapore, International Baccalaureate Organization, 2014.
“ICAI | The International Center for Academic Integrity.” ICAI, 2014. Web. 15 Mar 2014.
Josephson, Michael. "CHARACTER COUNTS!" Josephson Institute of Ethics, 20 Nov. 2012. Web. 15 Mar. 2014.
Nicolson, Malcolm, Personal Interview, 28 Aug, 2013.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Dir. Rupert Wyatt. Perf. James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto. 20th Century Fox, 2011.
“SEE | The School for Ethical Education.” SEE, 2014. Wed 09 Mar 2014.
Skaar, Havard, and Hugo Hammer. "Why Students Plagiarise from the Internet."International Journal for Educational Integrity. APFEI, Dec. 2013.
Web. 31 Jan. 2014.
Stephens, Jason M and Nicholson, Heather, Cases of Incongruity: Exploring the Divide between Adolescents' Beliefs and Behavior Related to
Academic Dishonesty, Educational Studies, v34 n4 p361-376, Oct 2008.
Works Cited

8. Asia Pacific Forum for
Educational Integrity

9. Cheating in School: What We
Know and What We Can Do
by Davis, Drinan, and Bertrand Gallant

10. The School for
Ethical Education

11. The International Center
for Academic Integrity

12. blogs.ibo.org
Jude Carroll

13. occ.ibo.org
Academic Honesty Policy

14. In the past 15 or 20 years, we see an
emerging academic discipline:
Educational Psychologists and others are
studying academic integrity, cheating or
dishonesty, educational ethics, etc.
Some questions they ask:

15. Is plagiarism or cheating a significant problem?

16. The IBO’s position paper states (without evidence):
“Almost all learners behave honestly but a few do not.”
(Carroll, 2012, p.1).

18. Josephson Institute (2012) interviews more than 20,000 High
School students every two years:
○ 32% of students self - report copying and pasting from
the internet for a school assignment;
○ 51% of students self-report cheating on a test.

19. Håvard Skaar and Hugo Hammer from Oslo and Akershus
University College, Norway (2013)
● investigate secondary school students' plagiarism of internet
sources in essay writing:
○ 75% of students reported plagiarising from online
sources;
○ plagiarism accounted for 25% of the total amount of text.

20. There are many similar studies. There is an
overwhelming consensus that:
● cheating or academic misconduct is a significant
problem;
● the issues involving cheating or dishonesty
(including the methods) are more complex
because of the internet;
● there is currently a disconnect in the attitudes
between educators and students.

21. Håvard Skaar and Hugo Hammer from Oslo and Akershus
University College, Norway (2013)
● ask: what factors correlate to incidence of plagiarism?
○ grades (better grades, less plagiarism)
○ explicit education about plagiarism and methods of
citation (more education, less plagiarism)
○ bibliography (papers with a proper bibliography are
significantly less likely to contain plagiarism)
● no significant correlation for gender

22. As educators, two of these three factors
are within our control:
Explicitly teaching students about
academic honesty, methods of citation,
and ESPECIALLY about how to write a
proper bibliography (in timetabled
lessons) is likely to reduce the frequency
of plagiarism.

23. What causes students to cheat?

24. Jason M. Stephens (2008), Associate Professor of
Educational Psychology at UConn, has classified
the reasons into four categories:
● under-interested
● under pressure
● unable
● unrepentant

26. How deeply rooted is the problem?

28. the problem is deep-rooted:
From
ACADEMIC
HONESTY to
EDUCATIONAL
INTEGRITY

29. Naughties (00s):
Academic Honesty
A few students plagiarized
Plagiarism was deliberate
Using plagiarism-detection systems
Focus on text
Blame on students
Reactive punishments
Addressed to the individual
Honesty is assumed as the norm
Tens (2010s)
Educational Integrity
Many students are plagiarizing
Plagiarism is often unintentional
The systems must be scrutinized
Art, images, collusion, etc.
Blame on teachers and schools
Proactive lessons
Addressed to the School Community
Honesty is consciously developed
The past ten years:
From Academic Honesty to
Educational Integrity

30. Educational Integrity
Does a school honor its contracts and commitments?
Do kids cheat or bully on the playground?
Are teachers hired with honest promises?
Does the school have policies to reduce conflict of interests?
Are promotions and interviews conducted ethically?
Is the school’s budget transparent?
Do teachers cut and paste images from the web into their PPTs?

31. Gary Pavela (ICAI, 2014) has identified 4
stages of Institutional Development
Stage One: "Primitive"
no policy or procedures (or minimalist)
Stage Two: "Radar Screen"
early efforts: public debate and
concerns
Stage Three: "Mature"
policies and procedures known and
supported
Stage Four: "Honor Code"
heuristic: awareness as an institution

33. “We investigate hundreds of cases of academic
dishonesty each year, and in the majority of cases
the problem is that the student was not intending to
cheat, but that they were never taught properly in
terms of ATL skills. For example, the student was
poorly taught how to cite, how to write a
bibliography, how to reference a work of art, etc.”
Malcolm Nicolson (2013),
Head of Development for the IBDP

34. a story

35. Summary of IB Position Paper
(Jude Carroll, 2012)
● Support learners
○ most important lesson: students need help in this area
● Policies and procedures need to be especially clear
○ to teachers, too, if plagiarism or collusion is suspected
● Learners need to develop specific skills
○ technology and timetabled lessons
● Schools should provide detailed guidance to learners
○ MLA, useful sites, etc.
● Create a local academic honesty policy
○ involve teachers and parents

36. In the PYP
● Essential Agreements
○ most important lesson: students need help in this area
● Relate to Learner Profile
● Involve Parents
● Age Appropriate Measures
○ promote understanding, not fear
● Teacher training and Modeling

37. In the MYP
● Relate to ATLs:
○ Research Skills, Bibliography, Citations, etc.
○ Thinking Skills: is this really your idea?
○ Communication Skills
○ Social Skills
● Early Awareness and Understanding of Consequences, with
increasing stakes
● Specific tasks and lessons, including task-specific clarifications that
include referencing in the rubric
● Paraphrasing and active discussions of spiraling complexity
● More teacher training and Technology Tools

38. Twelve Skills for Teachers
and Students
1. Writing a Bibliography using the school’s suggested format
2. Writing Citations onto Images
3. Explaining Sources in a Presentation
4. Using Headings in a Word Processor
5. Using the Research Tool in Google Docs or the References
Tab in Microsoft Word
6. Paraphrasing and Summarizing
7. Using the Creative Commons Search Engine
8. Using “Reverse Image Search” in Google
9. Distinguishing between Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary
sources
10. Publishing a document with an Open Source License, such as
cc-by-sa 3.0
11. Parenthetical Citations, including Page number
12. Mastering unusual citations, such as films, interviews, lectures,
class discussions, etc.

39. In the IBDP
● Very clear assignments
● Focus on process
● Very clear procedures and definitions, including technical terms:
collusion, malpractice, etc.
● Guarded use of plagiarism detection services
○ teach students to submit
● ToK discussions, e.g.: What is Art?
● Signed pledge
● Clear processes, including specific roles of teachers, librarian, EE
Coordinator, IB Coordinator

41. Focus on Process
Recommendation for Research Papers

42. IB Category 3 Workshop:
Academic Honesty
● Recommended for someone from your school
● Lots of information about:
○ how the IB investigates Academic Misconduct
○ what is considered plagiarism
○ the “Naughty List”
○ the legal team in Geneva and paper mills
● Celina Garza, Academic Honesty Manager, Cardiff
● increasing transparency from the IB
● how to write your Acadmic Honesty Policy

43. IB Cases of Academic
Misconduct, source: IB
Workshop on Academic
Honesty

44. Tips for AH Policy
Part I
● community involvement, including teachers
● the IB definitions of plagiarism, collusion and the duplication of work
● appropriate reference to the IB learner profile
● guidance on the distinction between legitimate collaboration and
unacceptable collusion
● information on what action will be taken by the IB if a candidate is
suspected of malpractice and subsequently found guilty
● an extract from the provisions of the Regulations relating to
malpractice.
● a link should lead the reader to the IBO AH policy

45. Tips for AH Policy
Part II
● clearly defined processes: step-by-step: what will happen if academic
misconduct is suspected?
● teachers must know what to do if they suspect plagiarism
● up to the school, but be clear: missed deadlines? rewrites? etc.
● clearly defined roles and responsibilities
● e.g. who will check the turnitin report? what to do if there is a
problem?
● rights of the student: due process and an appeals process
● which referencing style

46. Common Mistakes by Students
● copy and paste
● overdependence on the internet
● not citing unusual sources, such as lecture notes
● not understanding “collusion”
● thinking about “not getting caught”
● doing Bibliography last minute
● saying mentally “I will cite that later”
● not using the Bibliography Database and other Word Processor
tools
● thinking a URL is a reference
● inflating their Bibliographies, or not proofreading them

47. Common Mistakes by Teachers and Librarians
● focus on punishing dishonesty instead of promoting
honesty
● assuming children understand right and wrong
● oversimplifying the complexity of citing in the digital age
● the same mistakes students make, especially thinking
about “not getting caught”
● not using the tools properly
● not enough professional development in this area
● overdependence on turnitin
● misreading turnitin

48. ● Absolutely! the IB’s vigilance, and discussions like these,
create best pre-Univ preparation on this issue.
● Of 142,00 candidates, we still have only 1200 cases -- that
includes cases that were dismissed or “not guilty”.
● Compared to other problems and programmes, the IBO is
commendable in this area.
Is there any good news?

49. More about the MYP
Garza (2014) asserts that:
● the MYP next chapter will include some
vigilance from Cardiff about AH
● the e-asessment represents another new
challenge

50. Final words
● Please support students and be compassionate towards
young learners
● Academic Honesty addresses issues of how we construct
knowledge
● Understanding referencing, construction of knowledge,
intellectual property, copyright law, etc. is complicated

51. Thank you!
any questions?
you can find the presentation at:
slideshare.net/Edubridge

52. The Sydney Opera House does not
allow photographers to use its image.
This photo is from a Picasa site which
seems to belong to someone named
Zakia Karmal. I assume she is the girl
in the photograph, but maybe not --
maybe she is the photographer, or the
person who owns the camera, or the
person who owns the boat, or the
person who hired the boat and the
photographer. Copyright law is
complicated. As long as she is not
using the photograph for “commercial
purposes,” SOH won’t sue her , but if
her photograph gets a million hits, and
she becomes famous . . . .

53. Writer Sheila Skillman and her Family
scskillman.com

56. Thank you!
any questions?
you can find the presentation at:
slideshare.net/Edubridge

57. Basic Principles
● Honesty
● Consistency
● Using the right tools
The purpose of referencing is
two-fold: Firstly, you should
acknowledge your sources
because it is the right thing to
do – that’s academic honesty.
Secondly, you should let your
reader know where to go for
more information.

58. HONESTY
By far the most important
principle in referencing is
HONESTY. Do NOT:
● Plagiarize
● Cut and paste from the
internet
● Steal other people’s ideas
● Try to deceive the
examiner
● An example: bloated
bibliographies
CREDIT: Chris Pirillo
http://blaugh.lockergnome.
com/cartoons/061013_internet_citing1.gif
retrieved August 26, 2013

59. Activity 1:
In your groups of six:
Take the handout, a “term paper” by a student
named Orlov.
For each of the 15 arrows, determine whether the
student is correct, or incorrect, and give a reason.
Enter your decision and your reason into the
Google Doc:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1c-
TYw9DMv0mBj9Vj0v7GpyjDCIlA_9o4JoX08084Sx8/
viewform

60. Secondary Objectives:
● Tips about specific skills to promote Academic Honesty for
teachers and students
● Distinguish between citations, references, Bibliography,
Works Cited, etc.
● Conversation about Wikipedia
● Gain skills in common applications, such as Microsoft Word
or Google Docs

61. Scott Adams: Dilbert
www.dilbert.com

62. Activities
1. Learn how to use Headings, Contents, the Bibliography Database and
referencing tools in Microsoft Word
2. Learn how to write a citation directly onto a jpeg using a web-based
photo-editor
3. Learn how to correct common errors when using MLA to write in-text
citations
4. Learn how to use the CC search engine and similar tools to find
resources in the public domain
5. Learn how to embed an image directly into your presentation without
downloading or fussing with image files
We may also discuss:
1. Setting up a Google Accounts for Education account for your school
2. Setting up a diigo or Pocket account for your school

63. Adams, Scott. Dilbert and the Way of the Weasel. New York: Harper,
2002. Print.

64. Referencing, and all that
● Citations
● References
● Footnotes
● Bibliography
● Works cited

65. This comes from the IB
Extended Essay Guide
● Reference: the detailed and
exact information about
your source, found in the
Bibliography
● Citation: a shorthand
pointer to the reference,
usually in-text, or
“parenthetical”
● Footnote: extra information
about a point that will be
interesting to some readers

67. Bibliography or Works Cited?
Works Cited, unless

68. Wikipedia

69. Footnotes or Endnotes?
a matter of style

70. There are others: CSE, AMA, Turabian, etc.
CONSISTENCY
At Edubridge, we use MLA through Grade 10

71. FAQ from students
● How do I reference a book I read online, such
as something from Google Books?
● How do I cite a letter from inside a book?
● Why did you mark me wrong when I wrote
“Internet” as my source, or, “American, c.f.”?
● Should my in-text citation be at the end of the
sentence or in the middle?
● How do I cite you?

72. Recommended Online Resources
Hacker and Fister
Purdue OWL
CREDIT: http://www.peanuts.com