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Refereed/Peer-reviewed The highest estimates of the prevalence of commercial contract cheating in Australia come from self-report surveys, which suggest that around 2% of students engage in commercial contract cheating during their higher education studies. However, self-report surveys are limited in that participants under-report socially-undesirable behaviours. In this study, we used an incentivised truth-telling method and surveyed 4098 students from six universities and six independent higher education providers in Australia. We found that 2.46 times more students admitted to commercial contract cheating, via submitting ghost-written assessments, when truth-telling was incentivised (via a Bayesian Truth Serum methodology) rather than when normal self-report survey instructions were used. Using prevalence estimation formulae that are combined with the incentivised truth-telling method, we estimate that 7.9% of students buy and submit assignments from commercial contract cheating services. Additionally, 11.4% outsource assessments via obtaining pre-written work from commercial file-sharing sites. These are substantially higher percentages of commercial contract cheating than self-reports suggest. Furthermore, having a first language other than English was the strongest demographic predictor of Australian students’ engagement in commercial contract cheating. We conclude that commercial contract cheating is a more common problem than suggested by self-report surveys. We argue that academic integrity researchers should consider methods beyond standard self-reports to estimate the prevalence of academic misconduct and that efforts to curb commercial contract cheating must be increased.

In 2019, the Australian higher education regulator, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), commissioned a team of academic integrity experts to design and facilitate a series of national workshops, with the aim of increasing academic integrity knowledge and building a culture of integrity across the higher education sector. As a team, we investigated whether these three-hour workshops would make a measurable difference to workshop participants’ awareness of academic integrity issues and their confidence in their own institutions’ practices. Three hundred and forty-two (342) workshop participants (representing 75.7% of attendees) completed pre-workshop and post-workshop surveys regarding their awareness of academic integrity issues and their confidence in their institutions’ academic integrity practices. Results from the post-workshop surveys showed that the participants expressed significantly increased awareness about the Model Statement of Commitment to Academic Integrity 1 , Australian and international academic integrity research, and ways to promote academic integrity. In addition, the participants expressed increased confidence in their institutions’ risk-mitigation strategies and staff members’ ability to detect contract cheating. However, these results were moderated by institution size and institution type (university vs. independent higher education provider). The evaluation data indicates that even a short staff development workshop can make a difference to participants’ understanding and knowledge of academic integrity. We conclude that this type of focused and evidence-based professional development can make an important contribution to the development of a culture of academic integrity across the higher education sector, and can provide participants with avenues for subsequent professional development and institutional policy improvement. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Purpose – Many universities are in the process of changing their learning management systems to Moodle yet there is limited empirical research available on the impact of this change. The purpose of this paper is to explore the results of an initial pilot, which was conducted as the first stage of implementing Moodle at an Australian university. Design/methodology/approach – The pilot study involved an online survey and a focus group with unit convenors teaching Open University Australia (OUA) units in Moodle. Findings – The aim was to essentially test Moodle and eliminate any technological issues prior to the university-wide roll-out the following year. It was envisaged that this pilot would contribute to building capability and knowledge amongst staff members; however, it was unanticipated that this would be jeopardised by a wider and ongoing issue in higher education; namely, the casualisation of the academic workforce. The paper maps the accumulated knowledge of these unit convenors and how this knowledge is “walking out the door”. Originality/value – The paper argues that an environment of insecure employment is a barrier to change management.

This paper explores an innovative approach to evaluating the effectiveness of a writing group in an Australian research-intensive university. Traditional qualitative and quantitative methods typically applied in higher-education research may be effective in analysing the output of writing groups; however, they do not always address the affective domain of writing and giving and receiving feedback in a small-group context. The group had previously evaluated its practice with a speed-dating activity, itself an innovative approach designed for efficiency and to take advantage of the size and diversity of the group. The changing membership of the group, from eight to four participants, warranted a methodology appropriate to the intimacy of the group. In this paper, three theoretical frameworks are used to conceptualise the practice of the smaller group: communities of practice, peer mentoring and affect theory. The methodologies of critically reflective practice and memory work described here emerged from the...

Assessment of higher order learning outcomes such as critical thinking, problem solving and creativity has remained a challenge for universities. While newer technologies such as social networking tools have the potential to support these intended outcomes, academics’ assessment practice is slow to change. University mission statements and unit outlines may purport the value of higher order skills; however, questions remain about how well academics are equipped to design their curriculum and particularly their assessment strategies accordingly. This paper reports on an investigation of academic practice in assessing higher order learning in their units. Despite their intentions towards higher order learning outcomes for their students, the results suggest academics may make decisions when planning their assessment tasks that inadvertently lead students on the path towards lower order outcomes. Among the themes to emerge from the study is the importance of academics’ confidence and their attitudes towards the role of assessment in learning and how these perspectives, along with the types of learning outcomes they intend for their students, can influence their task design.Keywords: assessment; higher order learning; educational technologies; curriculum alignment; confidence(Published: 24 September 2012)Citation: Research in Learning Technology 2012, 20: 17595 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v20i0.17595

Planning has traditionally taught 3D visualisation as one of a number of technical tools that help equip students for the workplace. The aim of this paper is to explore how the learning possibilities of 3D visualisation can be extended through virtual worlds. In particular we detail the background and results of a study that examines how a unit on Sustainable Urban Regions used Second Life to teach students about urban accessibility through the framework of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design in 2009. Second Life was found to be useful to teach an aspect of planning that would normally not be accessible in a classroom. We propose that Second Life can be useful to help students question their assumptions about planning. The results also highlight some of the pitfalls that educators can avoid when teaching planning using virtual worlds and technology more generally.

PurposeAs educational technologies are more widely adopted in higher education teaching and learning, publishers often include online resources to accompany their textbook offerings. The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a study forming part of a larger ongoing evaluation of the third party software product WileyPLUS.Design/methodology/approachThe paper describes the integration of the publisher's tools into a specific curriculum context and takes a critical look at the pedagogical effectiveness of the software in this context. A mixed‐methods approach is taken in the study, using a small postgraduate accounting unit as a case study.FindingsWhile many students reported positive experiences with the third party resources, technical issues were a barrier to their effectiveness and many students did not engage with the optional resources. The unit convenor's experience was largely positive.Practical implicationsAlthough it may be tempting for unit convenors to adopt these tools and resources as readily available and easy to use, it is important that they are integrated into the curriculum and that students are supported in their use.Originality/valueOutcomes include a list of critical success factors and an evaluation framework that could be of use to other academics seeking to embed third party resources into their teaching.

PurposeIn their 2007 article, “Miranda in the brave new world: learning in a Web 2.0 millennium”, Barnes and Tynan tell the story of an imaginary British student who uses technology seamlessly to stay connected almost 24×7 with friends, peers and teachers in a global learning environment. Whether she is representative of the majority of university students is a topic of debate in the literature. This paper aims to explore how students use technologies in their everyday lives, whether on‐ or off‐campus, to support their learning.Design/methodology/approachThere were two phases of the study; a photo ethnography to enable a detailed exploration of ten students' technology uses and then a university‐wide survey in which 1,104 student responses were gathered.FindingsThe findings of both phases of the study suggest that students' use of technologies for their learning and in other facets of their lives is largely conservative, with a predominance of familiar and easy‐to‐use tools such as e‐mail, text and mobile phone. For their learning, their preference is for tools to provide access, efficiency and connectedness.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the development of a better understanding of student issues in the context of their overall IT experience at the university, suggesting a more holistic approach to designing technology infrastructure. There are also insights into the power of mixed methodologies in research, with significant parallels between the qualitative and quantitative results.

E-portfolios are among a suite of technologies heralded as having the potential to enhance student learning. In these web-based spaces students can capture and display their development of expertise in a wide range of skills and knowledge, whether specific to their discipline or more broadly applicable graduate capabilities. It is yet to be demonstrated, however, how readily these tools can be integrated within the university curriculum. This chapter reports on the results of a pilot of an e-portfolio tool in an Australian university, involving different curriculum contexts across two semesters. Using a mixed methods approach, feedback was gathered from students and staff in the participating units on their perspectives about the usability of the e-portfolio tool, the support provided, and its effectiveness for their learning. The results reinforce the need for e-portfolios, like any new technology, to be embedded into appropriately designed tasks, which are seen to be engaging, relevant, and part of a fully integrated curriculum experience.

Game-based learning can provide immersive experiences simulating authentic environments to enable students to develop and demonstrate the mastery of foundational knowledge through to complex concepts and higher order metacognitive and creative skills. While research provides evidence of the benefits of game-based learning, assessing the effectiveness of the learning that takes place is not without its challenges; realizing assessment in game-based learning cannot be achieved in isolation of the broader curriculum. From a whole of curriculum perspective, the alignment of targeted outcomes with gaming activities and assessment strategies for both summative and formative purposes is pivotal to the creation of effective learning experiences. Matching the intellectual maturity of learners with the demands of the gaming environment is also essential in order to facilitate engagement. Both require a strong understanding of the learner and process of learning, particularly the cognitive processes that underpin the development and assessment of different types of knowledge and skills. This chapter introduces a new approach to curriculum design which addresses both these elements within a single framework. The MAPLET framework combines the fundamental principles of curriculum alignment with a model for intellectual skill development based on the development of expertise. Use of the framework to guide decisions about which gaming applications to use, when and for whom, and how they can be assessed is discussed.

Alignment between the intended learning outcomes, the teaching and learning activities and the assessment tasks is one of the keys to student engagement, to involve students in a ‘web of consistency’ (Biggs, Teaching for quality learning at university.p 26 2007). While higher order learning such as evaluation, problem solving and creative thinking; espoused as fundamentals of university learning, appear in many graduate attribute statements, previous studies suggest that designing the curriculum to elicit and assess these higher order learning outcomes poses a challenge for academics (McNeill, Gosper and Hedberg, 2010. Emerging Web 2.0 technologies have been heralded as having potential to support this type of assessment, yet in order to take advantage of these affordances, academics need the skills to integrate them into the curriculum to support learning and assessment. This paper reports the results of a survey conducted in an Australian University to explore the types of learning outcomes academics target in their curricula and how technologies are used to assess these outcomes. The results suggest that while many academics intend higher order outcomes, they are less likely to design their teaching activities or assessment tasks accordingly. Amongst the implications of the study is the need to support unit convenors in designing their curriculum to take advantage of the potential for emerging tools to support assessment of higher order outcomes.

The uptake of web-based lecture technologies for recording and delivering live lectures has increased markedly in recent years. Students have responded positively, and for many their use has transformed learning – freeing them up from rigid timetables by providing choice in lecture attendance and supporting learning by extending the lecture experience and enabling them to revisit key concepts and ideas in their own time. Less transformational has been the impact on teaching. Although changing attendance patterns and disquiet about the quality of learning are of concern to many, lecturers have largely responded by simply modifying lectures. For most, the challenges of catering for the learning needs of a cohort with variable lecture attendance have not been addressed at a whole of the curriculum level. The technologies have been added on, rather than integrated into the curriculum. This paper will review the changes taking place in learning and teaching, explore the reluctance to embrace more wholesale change to the curriculum, and discuss the implications for institutions in the face of ongoing change.Keywords: web-based lecture technologies; Lectopia; learning technologies; higher education; lectures; changeDOI: 10.1080/09687769.2010.529111

Capstone or final year units in a program of study ideally provide an opportunity for students to integrate the knowledge and learning experiences from their whole degree program. These units have the potential to scaffold students to synthesise their discipline knowledge with intellectual skills to equip them for dealing with complex situations in the next phases of their careers, whether their transition is to the workplace or further study. While these intentions may be clear, the task of designing the learning and assessment activities can be challenging for academics; firstly in managing an already crowded curriculum and secondly in devising assessment strategies that adequately reflect students’ achievements in complex domains. This chapter examines two case studies from an Australian research-intensive university which use a range of technologies to support and assess complex learning in different domains. Characteristics of capstone units are first explored. The case studies are then explained, in terms of the learning outcomes addressed, scaffolding during the unit and the assessment strategies used. A framework for describing the affordances of a range of technologies in supporting and assessing complex learning in capstones or other units is presented.

There is now widespread recognition of the changing nature of students in higher education: they are demographically diverse, have extensive external time demands, and expect greater flexibility and support during their programs. As a consequence of this and other changes to the higher education sector, many universities worldwide have introduced a range of information and communication technologies to provide students with flexible options for study. Included in these options are web-based lecture technologies (WBLT), designed to digitally record lectures for delivery over the web. This paper reports on recent Australian research into the impact of WBLT on learning and teaching which indicates that, while many academics recognise the changing nature and needs of their students and have introduced WBLT as a consequence, many have not reconceptualised their curriculum and its delivery to meet these changing circumstances. The central premise in this paper is that the introduction of WBLT has been disruptive in nature and has provided a lens with which to view several emerging issues: the blurring of study patterns between internal and external enrolment modes; the role of lectures in technology rich environments; and the changing nature of teaching when technologies are introduced into the curriculum.

Web-based lecture technologies (WBLT) have gained popularity amongst universities in Australia as a tool for delivering lecture recordings to students in close to real time. This paper reports on a selection of results from a larger research project investigating the impact of WBLT on teaching and learning. Results show that while staff see the advantages for external students, they question the extent to which these advantages apply to internal students. In contrast both cohorts of students were positive about the benefits of the technologies for their learning and they adopted similar strategies for their use. With the help of other technologies, some external students and staff even found WBLT useful for fostering communication between internal and external students. As such, while the traditional boundary between internal and external students seems to remain for some staff, students seem to find the boundary much less clear.Keywords: web-based lecture technologies; staff perception; student perception; distance education; external students; internal students; LectopiaDOI: 10.1080/09687760802315895