Academic Integrity and Staff Perceptions: Perspectives on Students’ Understanding of Academic Integrity, and Staff Needs in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
摘要
This chapter reports the key findings from a staff survey undertaken at a Russell Group university in the UK in the academic years 2021–22 and 2022–23. The survey was developed as part of a Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence (LITE) Fellowship – “Academic Integrity Strategies: positive, preventative, and punitive” – which sought to develop a positive, preventative approach to this complex area. The survey focused on obtaining staff perceptions of students’ understanding of academic integrity in a taught student context; understanding current practice as regards providing guidance to students on academic integrity; ascertaining staff concerns about identifying academic malpractice in assessment; and identifying staff needs in order to inform training needs and resources. The survey also invited respondents’ suggestions on how to encourage an institutional culture of academic integrity. As the availability of artificial intelligence (AI) had recently come to the fore, the 2022–23 version of the survey included some questions on this topic to elicit staff perspectives on the use of AI tools in their teaching and their views on students’ use. The responses provided key insights which have informed three main recommendations: a staff training programme, resources to better support staff, and an institutional approach. The rapid development of GenAI underlines the institutional need to provide regular staff updates regarding emerging trends, to design relevant staff training, and to provide an agile response in updating policy. This should develop a shared understanding and foster greater sharing of practice across the Higher Education sector as we seek to prepare our students for their future.