The Essay On Academic Integrity In Higher Education Is Crucial.

The Essay On Academic Integrity In Higher Education Is Crucial.

Academic Integrity and Its Fundamental Principles

This paper on advanced academic abilities aims to illustrate the significance of academic integrity, particularly in higher education, the ramifications of academic misconduct, and to offer results from many academic sources. This report's first portion will include an introduction and delineation of academic integrity, along by a discourse on its significance within higher education and the potential ramifications of academic misconduct. The second part of the report will present a reflection on the strategies employed and challenges faced during the game's production in the second assignment, as well as an evaluation of the skills acquired throughout the academic year, specifically regarding this production (Ramdani 2018).

An Introduction Featuring a Description of Academic Integrity

Academic integrity encompasses the expectations that professors, researchers, students, and other members of the academic community adhere to principles of honesty, fairness, trust, accountability, and respect. It is also known as the ethical policy or moral code of academia, a phrase created by the late Don McCabe, recognized as the 'Grandfather of Academic Integrity.' Academic integrity promotes the implementation of educational principles by discouraging cheating, plagiarism, and contract cheating, while upholding standards of rigor and honesty in academic publication and research. In the late eighteenth century, academic integrity was strongly linked to the honor code, which was mostly overseen by students and influenced by the prevailing cultural context (Bertram Gallant 2017).

The honor code primarily focused on elements like as pride, obligation, self-esteem, and power, with any component fostering the development of these attributes inside oneself being the objective. Consequently, the notion is intimately connected to the demeanor and reputation of the virtuous person, whereby any act of academic dishonesty was seen a required measure to maintain that esteemed reputation. In contemporary society, academic integrity is upheld by most educational institutions and is included into their policies, mission statements, processes, and honor codes. Furthermore, it is included in ethical courses and is even included into the curricula. Universities and other educational institutions have a dedicated section on their webpages addressing academic integrity, which often encompasses six fundamental values: fairness, trust, honesty, respect, bravery, and accountability (Bretag 2018).

An Examination of the Significance of Academic Integrity in Higher Education

Academic integrity in higher education is crucial for several reasons, as it fosters confidence and credibility in the accomplishments and work produced by individuals, particularly within the educational sector. This enables people to trust that the person will behave with complete integrity and fulfill their responsibilities within the specified timeframe and effectively. It is essential for others to see that a person is acting appropriately and that their conduct aligns with their ideas, hence fostering trust (Denisova-Schmidt 2017).

The Importance of Academic Integrity in Higher Education

Trust is a fundamental attribute of an authentic leader, particularly significant in the context of higher education. A real and effective leader cultivates a positive reputation via fairness, honesty, and trustworthiness; these traits will subsequently facilitate success in their respective disciplines, provided that the significance of academic integrity is acknowledged. In higher education, community relies on mutual trust, and cultivating proper ethical practices now will aid in the workplace and when confronting ethical dilemmas (Sefcik, Striepe, and Yorke 2019).

Moreover, upholding academic integrity is essential as it enhances the worth of any degree obtained by an individual. Employers seek candidates with elevated personal integrity, as they are more likely to invest in their development and positively influence organizational activities, while also being entrusted to fulfill the organization's mission. Ultimately, academic integrity offers students reassurance, self-satisfaction, and confidence in their work, while persistent adherence to their principles may alleviate personal stress and promote health and productivity (Tatum and Schwartz 2017).

Examine the Consequences of Academic Misconduct 

intellectual misconduct by a person has several repercussions, including sanctions from the institution against the guilty student, as well as significant ethical, moral, social, and intellectual ramifications. The ethical ramifications of academic misconduct include the habitual nature of cheating and its detrimental effect on the value of honesty, diligence, and equity. The habitual nature may extend to employment and other facets of individuals' life, and over time, this attitude may become detrimental as it impacts others around them via their behaviors (Robinson and Glanzer 2017).

Moreover, academic misconduct will lead to the forfeiture of intellectual property, since academic dishonesty, such as plagiarism, is tantamount to the theft of another individual's property. Replicating an individual's original work—such as writing, ideas, art, design, or music—constitutes theft, as it involves using their property without authorization, resulting in the author losing their intellectual property, potential income, and recognition (Amigud et al. 2017).

The consequence of academic misconduct is an erroneous evaluation; when a student engages in plagiarism or cheating, it becomes difficult for the evaluator to effectively gauge their performance or assess their mastery, application, and abilities in the relevant discipline. This may result in educational institutions awarding credentials to unqualified students, leading to significant repercussions in the workplace. This practical issue will affect both companies and alumni of the educational institution when they recruit possibly inadequate graduates (Gottardello and Karabag 2020).

Academic misconduct incurs legal ramifications; instances of cheating, data fabrication, and plagiarism in any projects may lead to severe and official repercussions for both the student and the institution, perhaps resulting in lawsuits, penalties, and the forfeiture of future projects. Additional ramifications of academic misconduct or dishonesty include the degradation of the educational atmosphere and the passion of educators, along with a drop in morale and the quality of instruction. Ultimately, academic misconduct or dishonesty severely undermines a student's self-esteem, as they perpetually experience guilt and diminished self-worth, particularly due to the erosion of self-respect within their community, family, and other significant aspects of their life (McHaney, Cronan, and Douglas 2016).

Consequences of Academic Misconduct

Contemplate the measures you have used and the challenges faced in developing the game for Assignment 2.

The activity for my second assignment in this course included the instructor distributing ten cards to the students, from which some were selected. Each card had inquiries pertaining to the student and academic honesty. The game has progressed such that providing a correct answer to the questions on the cards earns me and other students a potential mark for our next assignment, while an incorrect answer may result in a deduction of the same mark from the upcoming assignment. I realized that the game offered me an opportunity to explore and comprehend the notion of academic integrity in an engaging and simplified way (Cronan et al. 2017).

During this informative session with my instructor, my peers and I discussed academic integrity comprehensively. I realized that to comprehend the notion, I must interact with and grasp the norms and regulations pertaining to academic dishonesty and misconduct. During my prior examination of the game, I saw that the majority of the information was derived from policy pages and presented in a monotonous and uninspiring manner.

While studying for this game and providing responses to the given questions, the primary challenges I encountered were comprehending several facets related to this idea, such as double standards, fear, personal connection, formal procedures, and power corruption. I have realized that throughout the study of this topic, these features are often not addressed in depth, making them a taboo issue. Moreover, pupils are under heightened pressure to excel, leading to information overload (Chankova 2020). 

Contemplate the talents acquired over this academic year and those highlighted in the development of your game.

The skills I have acquired throughout this academic year contribute to my success at the University, necessitating the cultivation of a growth mindset and the development of essential academic competencies. This academic year, I learnt to uphold my job with the highest integrity, including honesty, fairness, trust, respect, bravery, and responsibility, marking significant progress in the correct path. I discovered that success is contingent upon hard effort and dedication, which led me to cultivate a growth mindset. Additionally, I acquired practical skills in effective reading, research, writing, help-seeking, and studying. By integrating these talents, I developed a proactive strategy to address the many challenges posed by university life (Holden, Kuhlmeier and Norris 2020).

In focusing on game creation, I realized that I subconsciously acquired some talents that have aided me throughout my school year. Through an enhanced understanding of academic integrity, I gained a profound awareness of the essential principles of teaching, learning, and research at the University, establishing a foundation for producing high-quality work and materials. I also acquired knowledge on the continuous development of intricate strategic networks and associated responsibilities within educational communities (Sheard et al. 2017).

Ethical Implications of Academic Misconduct

I acknowledged that my University is dedicated to implementing educational strategies that promote academic integrity by comprehending and addressing the needs of students in displaying and developing academic talents. Games focused on academic integrity exemplify how an alternative way might facilitate comprehension of stringent notions primarily composed of laws and regulations. Acquiring these abilities gave me the liberty to cultivate new information, concepts, and creative endeavors while recognizing and valuing the contributions of others (Nelson et al. 2017).

This exercise highlighted the significance of personal morals and values, which represent one's character and believability. Maintaining academic integrity is crucial in any educational setting, particularly when obtaining a degree that would represent one's academic achievements. I acknowledged that honesty allows for the attainment of an educational degree by honest and equitable means, supplemented by additional hours dedicated to completing assignments and studying. As I progressed in the game, I comprehended the ramifications that academic misbehavior may entail (Ellis et al. 2020).

Final Assessment

This research highlights the significance of academic integrity in higher education and the consequences of academic misconduct for students who attempt to cheat or plagiarize. The second part of the report discusses the steps to be taken and the challenges encountered while developing the game for the second assignment. It also reflects on the skills acquired throughout the academic year and emphasizes the presentation of the game to the teacher and fellow students.                

References

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Bretag, T., 2018. Academic integrity. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Business and Management.

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Ramdani, Z., 2018. Construction of academic integrity scale. International Journal of Research Studies in Psychology, 7(1), pp.87-97.

Robinson, J.A. and Glanzer, P.L., 2017. Building a culture of academic integrity: What students perceive and need. College Student Journal, 51(2), pp.209-221.

Sefcik, L., Striepe, M. and Yorke, J., 2019. Mapping the landscape of academic integrity education programs: what approaches are effective?. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education.

Sheard, J., Butler, M., Falkner, K., Morgan, M. and Weerasinghe, A., 2017, June. Strategies for maintaining academic integrity in first-year computing courses. In Proceedings of the 2017 ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education (pp. 244-249).

Tatum, H. and Schwartz, B.M., 2017. Honor codes: Evidence based strategies for improving academic integrity. Theory Into Practice, 56(2), pp.129-135.