Module 7: Ethics and Academic Honesty in the Online Classroom

A concern for many online learning sites is the topic of ethical use of online resources
and academic honesty in assignments and individual work. The dilemma of educators in the
online forum is to create an atmosphere of learning that will provide expectations which will
prohibit the possibility of cheating, and the promotion of exploration in online resources. This
seems to be an easy task for the instructor in a typical brick and mortar school as the student is
easily monitored, but how can an online instructor observe behavior of a student while
performing tests and assignments? This perception is rooted in the simple fact that there is less
(physical) contact with the professor and supervision of learning; therefore, there is more
opportunity to cheat.
While there is a perception that violations of academic dishonesty occurs more frequently
in online courses, a review of literature has shown this to be a fallacy. (Tollman, 2017) Many
would dispute this, as the online learning environment is largely anonymous and can lend itself
to academic dishonesty, whereas the typical learning environment is obviously open to
observations. Yet, in fact, there is evidence that supports the rate of lower dishonesty
occurrences in online courses than in face-to-face. (Tolman, 2017) In order to understand this
better, one must investigate the different factors that could attribute to academic dishonesty.
First, demographics of the population of students can be one of the larger factors. Many students
that are enrolled in online classes are self-motivating and are invested in learning. Students that
take classes online in the high school today are usually taking upper level classes or collegiate
level classes to graduate with honors or to accumulate credits toward college entry. These
students’ perceptions are that they are “learning a lot”, and thus cheating was not considered in
assessments. (2017)
Another concept that was seen in the studies was that interaction with the professor
online contributed to academic honesty. The forging of a relationship was integral to
establishing an environment that promoted ethical behavior of the online learning experience.
Classroom expectations from the instructor was closely adhered to, based on the respect
displayed from the student population. By an instructor demonstrating clear guidelines and
expectations for the class, students were motivated to conduct their learning in an ethical and
honest fashion. These expectations alter how “students navigate educational experiences, how
educators deliver and assess content, and how educators must view student expectations.” (McHaney,
2016)
Online learning can remove unethical behavior by the type of LMS system that they use. In studies,
instructors can use single or, better yet, a combination of features, such as test pools, to create
individualized exams, restricting the numbers of attempts, randomizing questions and answers,
adjusting presentation of the exam, restricting feedback and results visibility. (Cifuentes, 2016)
In the GAVS platform, many tools are utilized to promote honesty in the classroom. Mr. Everett,
in Latin IB uses randomized test answers to monitor student quizzes and also requires students to
turn in dictation of questions in Latin which promotes individualization. Another concept that is
used in many LMS platforms, and in the GAVS system, is the LMS report generating
capabilities. Most systems provide detailed reports of students’ participation on tests that may
include access time, time spent on the test in general, and possibly, time spent on each question.
This helps eliminate what is considered “panic cheating”. Panic cheating is not believed to take
place in the online medium, as the online curriculum supports a more flexible schedule and does
not typically have grading structures that include testing methods like pop quizzes, causing a
sense of urgency in the student. (Tolman, 2017). Many LMS systems also employ tools such as
Grammarly, which is is a free online automated proofreader and plagiarism checker, Turnitin,
which does comes at some expense, but is well known for providing a service that checks
students’ work for possible unoriginal content, and a Blackboard LMS original tool called
SafeAssign.
In summary, students that spent more time engaged in the online learning activities
demonstrated less need for academic dishonesty. This further explained that structure of the
online learning environment would inhibit opportunities for academic dishonesty. Many online
learning systems utilize text recycling, blogging as a way to see individualized contributions to
the class, and flexible schedules for assignment and testing protocols. As a student myself, I
find that I am more concerned with the demonstration of my knowledge in a unique and original
manner; rather than relying on the acquisition of information through an ambiguous or fraudulent
manner. I have invested time and money in my educational pursuits, and I am proud of what I
have achieved. I feel no need to “cheat”, as this investment is in my future and in my concept of
integrity.

Tolman, S. (2017). ACADEMIC DISHONESTY IN ONLINE COURSES: CONSIDERATIONS FOR GRADUATE

PREPARATORY PROGRAMS IN HIGHER EDUCATION. College Student Journal, (4), 579.

Cifuentes, L., & Janney, A. (2016). Protecting Students’ Integrity and Reducing Academic Dishonesty in
Online Learning. Distance Learning, 13(4), 9-15.

McHaney, R., Cronan, T. P., & Douglas, D. E. (2016). Academic Integrity: Information Systems Education
Perspective. Journal Of Information Systems Education, 27(3), 153-158.