Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Advanced Research in Education
Year: 2024
DOI:
[PDF]
Enhancing Academic Integrity through UDL Designed Authentic Assessment
Susan Gottlöber
ABSTRACT:
This paper presents the findings of a study that investigated the potential of using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles in designing authentic assessment as counter measure for academic misconduct with on focus Arts and Humanities students. This paper will: 1) present the basic results; 2) present key insights drawn from these, and 3) suggest next steps. Findings indicated students perceived UDL-designed authentic assessments as effective deterrents to academic misconduct, particularly in addressing stress, the primary motivator for misconduct. Increased flexibility and accommodation of diverse learning styles were seen to contribute to the meaningfulness of assignments, which in turn influences students’ decisions to abstain from misconduct. Most importantly three primary factors were identified to influence students’ decisions against engaging in academic misconduct: self-efficacy, moral standards, and confidence, points that so far have received insufficient attention in literature. Additionally, the themes of flexibility, meaningfulness, and coping with pressure emerge as crucial considerations in promoting ethical behaviour among students. The study underscored the need for a nuanced approach to addressing academic misconduct, highlighting the limitations of current discourse and motivations surrounding misconduct beyond assignments. It also provided insights as to why writing assignments for other students out of a desire to help them was seen as the problematic form of academic misconduct. Drawing on literature emphasizing the importance of self-efficacy in preventing cheating, the paper proposes actionable steps for assessment design aimed at reducing incentives for academic misconduct.
keywords: academic misconduct, confidence, meaningfulness, self-efficacy, trust