Blogpost 7 - C. Marcellus Griffin
Recently, the question “How can educators ensure academic honesty in an online setting was posed to me and to fellow administrators?” The question was broached in light of the knowledge that the thrust of k-12 educational systems is moving toward a 100% online educational delivery model. Therefore, the question of how can educators ensure the academic honesty of students in an online setting versus that of students in a face to face setting is very thought-provoking and timely.
As the integration of technology into curriculum becomes the norm, educators will be faced with increasing academic rigor, while simultaneously ensuring that students remain honest in the submission of authentic work.
In face to face academic settings, the teacher is present to curtail cheating and to monitor academic progress, but in an online or a distance learning setting the challenge is multiplied. This task is made more difficult when one considers that students today are more adept at utilizing technology than their teachers are. So the question becomes, what will be done to ensure that students do not plagiarize their work?
As an administrator who sometimes struggles with technology in many of its forms, I recognize the inherent challenges posed by the academic honesty question, and I plan to bring this question to my peers when we next convene for an administrative counsel meeting. The question is timely for administrators in school districts that have recently invested in laptops for their students, in an effort to meet CCSS. Usually these laptops will have electronic textbooks loaded onto them, which students are expected to use to complete both their classwork and homework.
Thus, students it is imperative that such schools anticipate online cheating and provide both safeguards against it, as well as punishments for it, when it occurs. This is a very relevant topic for k-12 administrators to discuss, as it is the thrust of contemporary educational systems.
C. Marcellus Griffin
Recently, the question “How can educators ensure academic honesty in an online setting was posed to me and to fellow administrators?” The question was broached in light of the knowledge that the thrust of k-12 educational systems is moving toward a 100% online educational delivery model. Therefore, the question of how can educators ensure the academic honesty of students in an online setting versus that of students in a face to face setting is very thought-provoking and timely.
As the integration of technology into curriculum becomes the norm, educators will be faced with increasing academic rigor, while simultaneously ensuring that students remain honest in the submission of authentic work.
In face to face academic settings, the teacher is present to curtail cheating and to monitor academic progress, but in an online or a distance learning setting the challenge is multiplied. This task is made more difficult when one considers that students today are more adept at utilizing technology than their teachers are. So the question becomes, what will be done to ensure that students do not plagiarize their work?
As an administrator who sometimes struggles with technology in many of its forms, I recognize the inherent challenges posed by the academic honesty question, and I plan to bring this question to my peers when we next convene for an administrative counsel meeting. The question is timely for administrators in school districts that have recently invested in laptops for their students, in an effort to meet CCSS. Usually these laptops will have electronic textbooks loaded onto them, which students are expected to use to complete both their classwork and homework.
Thus, students it is imperative that such schools anticipate online cheating and provide both safeguards against it, as well as punishments for it, when it occurs. This is a very relevant topic for k-12 administrators to discuss, as it is the thrust of contemporary educational systems.
C. Marcellus Griffin
In regard to your comment, "it is imperative that such schools anticipate online cheating and provide both safeguards against it, as well as punishment for it" my question is, how much control is too much control? I realize that academic honesty must certainly be addressed but sometimes excessive safeguards can derail technological exploration and inquiry. What are your thoughts?
ReplyDeleteI would argue that teachers would need to consider different ways for assessing student knowledge. For example, an online exam can be open book, but the exam would be timed. Students, who know the material, will complete the exam within the time limit. However, other students, who are less prepared, may not make it through the entire exam.
ReplyDelete@Jazmine, I agree that assessment can encourage exploration. If the students are looking up answers using the Internet, they may learn more than they intended by running across engaging material. To me, this is authentic and active learning.