Contract cheating is an umbrella term that describes all forms of outsourced academic work, whether text-based or non-text-based, and multiple providers (eg, Chegg, Course Hero, various essay mills) of outsourced academic work. Contract cheating: A survey of Australian university staff. PubMedGoogle Scholar. According to a quote provided on the website, a 2000-word essay for an Introduction to Business Law unit costs AU$154.08 or AU$138.67 with the COVID-19 discount, due to service charges. Assessment by examination remains an important part of university assessment practice, and as such, it too needs to adapt to an online environment in a way that ensures, or even increases, integrity. While universities and lecturers were adjusting to the new teaching styles and developing new assessment methods, opportunistic contract cheating providers have been offering $50 COVID-19 discounts and students securing the services of commercial online tutors to take their online exams or to take advantage of real-time assistance from pros while sitting examinations. Dawson, P., & Sutherland-Smith, W. (2018). www.unisa.edu.au/EAIP. Woodall, T., Hiller, A., & Resnick, S. (2014). Recent reports on how EduBirdie, for example, has essentially been promoted in social media platforms continue to heighten concerns about the extent of contract cheating. The results demonstrate nimble and adaptable response of illegal contract cheating websites to the global pandemic. Setting a base for developing a proactive integrity plan begins with two key questions: What is originality (in realms of content, design, and method)? Contract cheating not only threatens the academic integrity of the individual student's grades and their degree; it also raises suspicion about all the degrees awarded by an . Recent work has indicated that a low proportion of students engage in contract cheating: in a meta-analysis of findings from five studies, Curtis and Clare (2017) conclude that 3.5% of students report that they have engaged in this form of cheating, and in a large-scale survey, it was found that 2.2% of respondents reported that they had obtained a completed assignment to submit as their own (Bretag et al., 2018). Goedegebuure, L., & Marshman, I. The fundamental values of academic integrity (3rd ed.). By using this website, you agree to our Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Using a student authentication and authorship checking system as a catalyst for developing an academic integrity culture: A Bulgarian case study. Accessed 18 Oct 2018, HEA (2012) A Marked Improvement: Transforming assessment in Higher Education. Studies in Higher Education, 39(1), 4867. 44(5), 676-669. doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2018.1527892. Faculty perceptions about e-cheating during online testing. Contract cheating: A new challenge for academic honesty? To probe these issues more deeply, a literature review was conducted in which several key themes emerged. This raises the question of how in higher education we might respond. Consideration has been given to estimating the proportion of students engaging in contract cheating. Indeed, a government minister is cited on how such activity is clearly wrong because it is enabling and normalising cheating potentially on an industrial scale (Jeffreys & Main, 2018). Roberts, T. S. (2007). After surveying 17 US states that had legislated against contract cheating, the authors found that prohibition had no noticeable effect on cheating behaviours, leading them to conclude that the focus of preventative efforts should not be on the supply side of contract cheating, but rather on universities, academics and students (Amigud & Dawson, 2019). 3(2). Ghostwriters guaranteeing grades? I faced an ethical dilemma in terms of whether to include in this article the names of the websites I found, since it would compile them in one location that students might find, and might serve as advertising for unsavoury and, at times, illegal activity. The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Devore-McDonald, B., & Berger, E. D. (2020). The phenomena of contract cheating. Your US state privacy rights, Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Lesnik-Oberstein, K. (2015). Good policy should create a culture and systems of integrity that is clear, systematised, adequately resourced and just. Academics and universities are aware of the existence of commercial contract cheating services for domestic and international students (Lines, 2016; Zheng & Cheng, 2015). These services undermine the value of education and academic integrity standards and, more importantly, undermining the role of education in preparing professionals for a workplace. Reflections on academic integrity during COVID-19. Degrees of integrity: The threat of corruption in higher education. In the light of academic integrity concerns about the outsourcing of assessment, it is recommended that institutions ensure that students understand what is required in assignments, and that they receive sufficient feedback to learn from that work (Bretag et al., 2018, p. 14). Can markers detect contract cheating? Universities must also be productive contributors to the economy, but significant improvements must be made before this can occur in an effective and efficient manner (Goedegebuure & Marshman, 2017). Anglia Ruskin University (2018) Anglia Assessment Album. Your US state privacy rights, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8551.2006.00487.x. Scheme for cheating prevention in online exams during social distancing. My Assignment Services lists prominent Australian universities and includes information regarding assignment writing for particular universities. Especially if there is money involved, there can be no doubt that this was done on purpose. The Higher Education Academy, York https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/system/files/policy_works_0.pdf. Boud and Associates, 2010; Ferrell, 2013; HEA 2012; Jessop & Tomas, 2017). These included a range of responses from not knowing (28%), a warning or counselling (42%), a reduced mark (28%), resubmission (27%) and zero awarded for the assignment (37%), with only a minority of staff indicating that the penalty of suspension or exclusion/expulsion were applied (4% and 2% respectively). Journal of Educators Online, 6(1), n1. One response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been for universities to employ commercial third-party online assessment services to invigilate, or proctor, examinations. It often includes perhaps unintentional incorrect paraphrasing in more benign occurrences with intentional fraud in more malicious cases (Hexham, 2005). This is an area of illegal activity that must be watched closely by the academic community. Stud High Educ. Cookies policy. To investigate the role of such factors, this recent work compared survey findings in relation to a group of respondents who had engaged in one or more of the cheating behaviours with those respondents that were categorised as a non-cheating group (Bretag et al., 2018). In answer to the frequently asked question of whether professors will discover students use of the service, the website claims: as long as you stick to our fair use policy, you should not worry about anything. Perhaps universities and academics should be less naive about integrity and academic standards in COVID-19-era teaching and beyond? Guest authorship and ghostwriting in publications related to rofecoxib: A case study of industry documents from rofecoxib litigation. Throughout higher education, it is crucial that academic integrity is promoted and re-asserted through international and national initiatives, and institutional policy and practice. Plagiarism: Alchemy and remedy in higher education: SUNY Press. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Recommendations for the assessment of online exams with University students in the USA in times of pandemic. Search queries were conducted for two generic terms assignment help and exam help. As such, with or without the assistance of software, contract cheating remains a threat that must be considered by academics worldwide. This robust, comprehensive plagiarism checker fits seamlessly into existing workflows. Rogers, C. F. (2006). What is Contract Cheating - Academic Integrity All Australian citizens and permanent residents were prohibited from travelling outside Australia unless granted an exemption. Newton, P. M. (2018). Contract cheating in New Zealand is illegal, too. Get inspired by educators who are transforming assessment into meaningful learning while maintaining integrity at its core. Conversely, Dawson and Sutherland-Smith (2018) found that, when alerted to the potential presence of ghost-written assignments, markers detected contract cheating 62% of the time and real student papers 96% of the time. The website offers payment plans and 24/7h services. What is Contract Cheating? - Academic Integrity & Avoiding Plagiarism They are truly the saviours, kudos to the experts and so far I have found allassignmenthelp.com are very professional. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6678.2004.tb00325.x. However, currently, there is no fully reliable tool with which to detect all cases of plagiarism and contract cheating, and some researchers have developed systems to defeat plagiarism detection (Devore-McDonald & Berger, 2020). This problem is not limited to a particular university or country; it is international, and as such, it poses considerable jurisdictional issues in enforcing laws. MyMaster essay cheating scandal: More than 70 university students face suspension. Australian Learning and Teaching Council, Sydney, Bretag T, Harper R (2017) Addressing contract cheating: local and global responses. Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative. This paper focuses on how universities and colleges can respond to this emergent concern, and proposes that institutions extend and establish strategies to embed the values, principles and practices aligned to academic integrity. Part of It is vital, however, that universities and colleges extend and establish strategies to embed the values, principles and practices aligned to academic integrity. What pathways might we follow in implementing integrity practices and selecting appropriate technology tools (trust, verification, and observation)? Academic file-sharing and contract cheating are forms of academic misconduct that carry extra risks for students who engage with them. Prenshaw, P. J., Straughan, R. D., & Albers-Miller, N. D. (2001). The Guardian. This is primarily because evidence is usually derived from self-report, with the recognition that individuals may not accurately report on their own tendencies and behaviours, as well as the difficulty of capturing the range of possibilities with regard to engaging third parties (Curtis & Clare, 2017; Newton & Lang, 2016). While online invigilation services provide institutions a certain level of security against exam misconduct, many institutions have not had the means nor the time to implement them appropriately at the scale required by the urgent demands of the COVID-19 pandemic (Hillier, 2020), and as such, they use inappropriate technology and practices to assure academic integrity. Legal remedies to the problem might be further complicated when one considers that each of these actors could be in different countries (Draper & Newton, 2017). This commentary paper examines the issue of contract cheating in higher education, drawing on research and current debate in the field of academic integrity. They may also contain florid language without much in the way of deep content or analysis. Not only does it undermine learning, contract cheating erodes learning environments, damages student-teacher relationships, jeopardizes the academic reputations of students, faculty, and institutions, and indicates future workplace dishonesty (ICAI, 2021 ). PubMedGoogle Scholar. Contract cheating: a new phenomenon in cyber-plagiarism. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. Lines, L. (2016). The website claims to have been operating since 2010. (Proctoru, , n.d.); however, such measures have attracted negative media attention relating to both potential privacy breaches and the potential commodification of student information (Sky News Australia, 2020; Zhou, 2020). Zheng, S., & Cheng, J. paying for an academic assignment or other academic material that will be or has been written by third-party services such as Chegg, Course Hero, and scores of other for-profit tutoring services that allow students to upload and download course materials. Essentially, this approach can help students to understand what is expected and required of them through active participation, opportunities to prepare for assessments (e.g. PDF Academic integrity matters: five considerations for addressing contract Logos of major universities are displayed on the first page to add credibility, and plagiarism report is offered for additional fee. Or it can involve trade-in-kind, like when a student swaps papers with another student. doi.org/https://doi.org/10.11575/cpai.v3i2.71637. https://doi.org/10.1080/17449642.2017.1412178. Education must be considered holistically in appreciating the contemporary context, which is often characterised by affordances of the digital environment; moreover, to ensure good governance and sustainability, the wider economic, social and technological dimensions surrounding academic integrity and misconduct must be taken into account (Goedegebuure & Davis, 2017). Higher Education Research & Development, 27(3), 215230. These methods have been previously applied to research issues relating to ethics in management (Bell & Bryman, 2007) and academic dishonesty policy (Prenshaw et al., 2001); in this case, they were adapted to examine academic integrity and the ethics of student practices. Further, the possibility of committing crime in this regard has been exacerbated by the transfer to online teaching across the whole education sector as a result of COVID-19. The challenges of academic integrity in higher education: Current trends and prospects. Examples of such signals include very high or very low scores on text matching software, checking document properties, content not appropriate to discipline area, quality alters from expectations, language use and ability, unreadable language such as jargon or misused words, reference list but no in-text citations, irrelevant sources, falsified references, work that does not meet the set criteria, reflections are done badly, check IP addresses of submissions and check student analytics for little or no engagement other than submission (Curtis, et al.,n.d.). This paper identifies five considerations for universities and colleges that are particularly relevant to this endeavour, including how the issue of contract cheating can be addressed: determining academic integrity strategy; reviewing institutional policy; understanding students; re-visiting assessment practices; and implications for staff prof. Communications of the IBIMA, 10(12), 9397. A few weeks later, the Australian government introduced measures to limit its citizens exposure to the virus. CrossCheck: An effective tool for detecting plagiarism. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. As a result, Australia passed legislation to make contract cheating illegal in 2019. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Assignmentgeek is similar to the above services and has the slogan of the fastest way to better grades. Of course, with more benign forms of plagiarism, there is room for argument that students should be educated about the skills of paraphrasing and referencing, rather than penalised (Blum, 2009). Using contract cheating sites to get answers to exams, quizzes or homework assignments is a breach of the Camosun Academic Integrity policy in a variety of ways including: Transforming Assessment. Over the last decade, a consensus has emerged that a holistic or multi-pronged strategy is required for higher education institutions to promote and support academic integrity, and effectively address its shadow student academic misconduct, particularly plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating (Bertram Gallant, 2008; Sutherland-Smith, 2008; Bretag et al., 2013; Higher Education Academy [HEA], 2010; HEA, 2011; Morris, 2016). The act of contract cheating, and its associated behaviors: undermines learning; erodes learning environments; damages learning relationships; places the student, the faculty/teacher, the educational organization, and society at risk from students who will graduate with knowledge gaps; undeserved academic awards; and a propensity to engage in di. Journal of Applied Teaching and Learning (JALT), 3(1). Well-informed perspectives are valuable to mitigate assumptions that many students are readily seeking a third party to complete their assessments for them. Academic Integrity: Contract Cheating What is Contract Cheating? 2. It is essential that in-depth consideration is given by institutions as to how they can integrate and augment their institutional strategy or approach with regard to all forms of student academic misconduct, including the outsourcing of assessment to third parties. Nearing, E. (2020), Supporting the pivot online: Academic integrity initiatives at University of Waterloo, Canadian Perspectives on Academic Integrity. Plagiarism, the Internet, and student learning: Improving academic integrity: Routledge. But it could be valuable to take a different angle: lines of enquiry or investigations could consider those students who undertake good academic practice in completing their assessment tasks What are the key factors that influence their behaviour? Through such analysis, these researchers have identified that, in relation to this latter group, students in the cheating group had lower levels of agreement in responding to aspects about the teaching and learning environment, such as understanding assessment requirements, receiving sufficient feedback and opportunities to approach educators. In: The Boston College Center for International Higher Education (CIHE). Ross, J. S., Hill, K. P., Egilman, D. S., & Krumholz, H. M. (2008). Expand Cheating & Academic Integrity menu, Conduct Live Online Class Sessions and Meetings, 6 Principles to Guide Use of Plagiarism Detection Software and Tools, I wasn't prepared and I need the high grade, None of this matters for my job in the real world, Everyone cheats, so I have to do it to compete, Academic Honesty Pledges & Honor Codes as an Active Learning Strategy, Advice from Students to Instructors on Protecting Academic Integrity, Test Banks and Academic Honesty Considerations, Contract Cheating: Reasons Behind It and Ways To Stop It. In reporting on this, a secondary or consequent aim of the study is to alert lecturers and universities to the diversification and prominence of this dangerous practice. McKie, 2018), but it could be argued that news stories simplify the issue, which is clearly complex, or could be seen as alarmist in approach. Assessment Standards Knowledge exchange (ASKe). Uphold academic integrity, streamline grading and feedback, and protect your reputation with these tools. Young Scholars In Writing, 12, 124133. Online invigilation may well offset many concerns surrounding identification verification through using multi-factor identity checks, keystroke analysis and artificial intelligence to track suspicious facial movement, lighting changes, etc. If such action is taken, it must be supported by the university, government and international community. Google, How Search algorithms work, https://www.google.com/search/howsearchworks/algorithms/. Sutherland-Smith, W. (2008). It is possible that the websites use misleading advertising to create the impression that the services are used frequently, despite low actual use rates. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-098-8. Amigud, A., & Dawson, P. (2019). https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2014.927854. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40979-017-0014-5, Edubirdie website. Multi-level solutions including academics, universities and the global community are essential. A reflection on change and academic integrity during COVID-19. In 2008, ghost-writing by researchers was litigated against (Ross et al., 2008). Institutional guidance may also need to be revised to address a potential concern for students: what are they to do if they suspect or have evidence of a peer or group of peers engaging in contract cheating? This paper identifies five considerations for universities and colleges that are particularly relevant to this endeavour, including how the issue of contract cheating can be addressed: determining academic integrity A $20 instant cashback offer was made, and a quote for services depended on the word count and deadline. There is a certain spectrum of plagiaristic activity, with the darker side of contract cheating involving criminal activities of assuming and allowing the assumption of another persons identity for the purposes of committing fraud. Under this tariff a submission purchased from [an] essay mill or ghost-writing service can lead to one of a set of five penalties (which penalties to be applied is also dependent on factors, such as the students level of study) two of which refer to expulsion from the institution (with credits retained or withdrawn). https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/supporting-academic-integrity-approaches-and-resources-higher-education. Universities that choose to investigate and prosecute the breaches might have lower enrolments and be seen as too tough while universities that choose not to investigate might face the problem of lowering academic standards. Implementing remotely invigilated online exams at scale [Webinar]. If yes, then use [our services]. The services are offered for the following countries: the US, Australia, the UK, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore and Ireland. Due to the scale of the problem, multi-level solutions are required including academics, universities and global community. Walker, M., & Townley, C. (2012). Coined by Robert Clarke and Thomas Lancaster in their 2007 study "Assessing Contract Cheating Through Auction Sites A Computing Perspective contract cheating includes the following actions: For further insights regarding contract cheating, review the article of the article of Contract Cheating: Reasons Behind It and Ways To Stop It and a parallel slide deck Contract Cheating: What is it and What can we do about it? The authors showcase the multiplesites selling contract cheating services, and offer strategies for combating or countering their impacts on teaching and learning. statement and Academy JISC Academic Integrity Service, The Higher Education Academy, York, UK. Internationalisation also contributes to undesired consequences. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075070902912994. Computers & Education, 81, 202210. The issues addressed in this research concern ethics, academic integrity and illegal commercial activity. It is a deeply concerning that academic writing services are widely available and that a small minority of students are turning to a third party to produce their assignments. In addition to the more professional contract cheating services that link numerous clients with numerous ghost-writers, individual ghost-writers and their clients also use freelance marketplace platforms such as Fiverr.com to engage in one-to-one contract cheating transactions. Criminal regulation of scientific misconduct. Contract cheating is real and occurring throughout the world and in many classrooms of many institutions; to that end, countries are enacting legislation to ban essay mills and make contract cheating illegal. Accessed 19 January 2021. Journal of Academic Ethics, 120. Correspondence to Another US study found that university staff suspected online cheating, but the majority did not proactively implement relevant prevention measures (Rogers, 2006). There is the possibility that features of these websites are persuasive. With regard to the issue of contract cheating, two key implications for staff professional development are clear: the need for good practice guidelines to assist staff in identifying the possibility of contract cheating, and guidance on how to facilitate effective discussions with students about academic integrity issues. Additionally, making the writing process more transparent mitigates third-party interferenceor makes it more obvious. Routledge, New York and London, Tennant P, Duggan F (2008) AMBeR project. Full article: Fighting contract cheating and ghostwriting in Higher Canadian Perspectives on Academic Integrity. Online exam cheating: a natural experiment. The quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education www.qaa.ac.uk. The law and the outlaw: Is legal prohibition a viable solution to the contract cheating problem?. You have had someone else do all of it. The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) in the UK have encouraged institutions to maintain detailed records on academic misconduct, differentiating between contract cheating and other forms to enable institutions to evaluate whether responses to address contract cheating are effective (QAA, 2017). Journal of advanced nursing, 62(1), 107115. The student-as-consumer approach in higher education and its effects on academic performance. Gibbs & Simpson, 2004) assessment strategies assumed to address academic integrity issues have, in the main, not be the subject of studies evaluating their effect or impact on student attitudes or behaviour (or the possible reduction in incidences of student plagiarism). In international scholarship (Draper et al., 2017; Newton & Lang, 2016) and at sector and national levels (Bretag & Harper, 2017), there are calls to introduce legislation, so that it is illegal to advertise or offer contract cheating services (QAA, 2016). https://takemyclassesonline.com/take-my-exam-help.php. The problem has become so significant that the term contract cheating has superseded ghost-writing in the global university sector where the problem is increasingly recognised as a formidable challenge to the preservation of academic integrity (Lancaster, 2019; Walker et al. What about detection when prevention tactics fail? They were approachable, user-friendly, included discounts and testimonials and were eager to disburse any doubts regarding the legitimacy and quality of their services. Notably, online invigilation is subject to the resource availability of an individual university. Online examinations provide another avenue for contract cheating, and the literature suggests that students will cheat during online examinations if given the opportunity (King et al., 2009; Mata, 2020). Improving Service Sector Productivity: the Economic Imperative, 65. Rogerson (2017) offers a practical process linked to the assessment cycle of preparing, marking and evaluating tasks, which involves identifying, recording and investigating irregularities that may be due to a student outsourcing their work. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0b013e31823aadc7. Studies in Higher Education, 42(11), 19581978. Lessons from the Chinese civil service exam. Academic plagiarism defined. In honor of the International Day of Action Against Contract Cheating, Turnitin defines contract cheating, its At Turnitin, were hearing the following academic integrity concerns when it comes to remote learning in recent As schools and universities around the world prepare to pivot towards remote learning, its important to take note Turnitin blog posts, delivered straight to yourinbox. Ethics of ghostwritten speeches. Teaching in Higher Education, 21(8), 889914. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2011.648373. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. 9(2). Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. Based on reports, only 24 out of 47 Australian institutions used proctoring (Sankey, 2020). Further, we used to think it would be difficult for students to use these services. Since 1992, the International Center for Academic Integrity (ICAI) has worked with academic communities around the globe to promote a culture of academic integrity and discourage academic misconduct. Proctoru (n.d.). A survey on plagiarism detection systems. Essay mills market themselves to students on social media and other venues via bots by offering help at the eleventh hour. There must be continued international work to emphasise that academic integrity matters: over the last ten years, there is much that higher education institutions have focused on to develop policy for student academic misconduct and improve teaching, learning and assessment practices.
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