Surveying the extent of involvement in online academic dishonesty (e-dishonesty) related practices among university students and the rationale students provide: One university's experience

  • Authors:
  • Serkan Şendağ;Mesut Duran;M. Robert Fraser

  • Affiliations:
  • Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Faculty of Education, Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technology, 15100 Burdur, Turkey;School of Education, University of Michigan-Dearborn, 19000 Hubbard Dr., Dearborn, MI 48126, United States;Mardigian Library, University of Michigan-Dearborn, 4901 Evergreen Road, Dearborn, MI 48128, United States

  • Venue:
  • Computers in Human Behavior
  • Year:
  • 2012

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Abstract

This study reports data from a Midwestern university, investigating the extent of involvement in online academic dishonesty practices (e-dishonesty) among students and the rationale they provided. Involvement in and rationale for e-dishonesty was studied across individual variables including academic level, primary field of study, taking the university's academic integrity tutorial, and taking online and hybrid courses. A total of 1153 students participated in the study by completing a 44 item questionnaire. The findings indicate that the extent of involvement in e-dishonesty practices was significantly greater among freshmen than graduate students in most of the subscales of the survey. In addition, the primary field of study demonstrated a significant relationship between involvement in e-dishonesty and the rationale for e-dishonesty. Students in education and the social sciences reported of the least involvement in e-dishonesty; engineering and physical sciences the most. Completing the university's academic integrity tutorial did not significantly affect e-dishonesty practices while taking online or hybrid courses had some significant effect on e-dishonesty. The results highlight the need for early intervention concerning academic integrity followed by an ongoing and consistent effort throughout students' undergraduate and graduate experience.