Integrity Matters by Turnitin

In this video we chat with Dr Sheridan Gentili from University of South Australia (UniSA), who in her role leading the Teaching Innovation Unit, sheds light on how the institution is approaching AI technology in their current teaching and learning practices and what’s influencing the development of their long-term strategy for AI use. Lamenting how ‘fear of the unknown’, amplified by the media, has undermined a more measured response to AI and specifically, ChatGPT, Sheridan confirms UniSA’s position of not issuing any blanket ban on AI tools. Rather, incorporating the technology as part of their responsibility to help students understand how they can use it responsibly and ethically, during their academic journey and in a professional capacity. Reflecting on UniSA’s approach to meeting student learning outcomes and safeguarding academic integrity, Sheridan discusses the relevance of their Authentic Assessment project to help educators re-conceptualise assessment amidst ongoing disruption from online modalities and AI, and carve out a space for technology within the assessment process. Anchoring their response to AI around the core principles of what good assessment is, Sheridan unpacks the challenge ahead including ethical factors such as student equity when AI tools are inevitably monetised, plus the potential she sees for more meaningful markers along the learning pathway to remedy overreliance on high-stakes, summative evaluations. Finally, Sheridan considers the partnership between edtech providers, and the importance of value alignment and transparency to meet the needs of learning institutions. How can higher education begin to embrace AI tools, without becoming untethered from the values and principles essential to the premise of teaching and learning? Watch the video to learn more. #turnitin #integritymatters #academicintegrity #AI #learning #teaching #highered #assessment

In this video, we chat with Dr Richard Blythe from Curtin University about how the institution is evolving their assessment and learning practices in response to AI. Responsible for overseeing learning and teaching strategy along with integrity policies across the humanities, Richard shares his perspectives on AI and explores Curtin’s ‘Learning Futures’ initiative to inspire digital innovation and readiness for the future of human learning. Canvassing the different reactions to AI by faculty and the largely positive sentiment, Richard explains Curtin’s four futures-oriented lenses across the humanities subjects that are serving to help define AI’s role in the learning environment. Intrinsic to this, is reimagining assessment to be a more reliable indicator of student performance. Based on the concept of aligning assessment output - and specifically writing - with its history and to its future, Richard explains how assessment can become an authentic marker or milestone in a student's learning journey that is not undermined by AI assistance. Richard also discusses the role of edtech partnership in the institution's digital future, affirming the value of AI detection tools to help educators distinguish human versus machine-generated text in a students’ portfolio of work, with the caveat that such technology serves a formative rather than punitive purpose and helps set students on the right path in their learning goals. How might Curtin University’s approach to learning and assessment in the age of AI inspire your own progress in safeguarding fair, authentic learning? Watch the video to learn more.

Professor Anthony Whitty | Director, Centre for Education & Innovation, Australian Catholic University In this video, we chat with Professor Anthony Whitty from Australian Catholic University (ACU) about how the institution is innovating and adapting to AI developments; drawing on his role in overseeing learning and teaching efforts, academic integrity policies and procedures, and decisions regarding technology. Anthony recounts the university’s journey with AI disruption thus far, and the diversity of experience and educator sentiment which he describes as a ‘continuum’ of AI readiness. He also discusses their sequential approach for short, medium and long-term plans that fold AI use into their strategic direction. Sharing the university’s philosophy and overall strategy on assessment, Anthony examines the intentional use of summative and formative assessment to build trust in the student-educator relationship and serve as an early warning system, and its relevance to issues of integrity and generative AI. Responding to advice from TEQSA on resisting the temptation to return to paper-based exams to counter the perceived threat of AI authorship, Anthony explains his rationale for embracing the technology in a measured way. He also points to the need for more scaffolding around the teaching and learning component, and advocates for peer learning across the sector. What are some key considerations raised by the ACU case study on AI that could help inform your own approach? Watch the video to find out. https://www.integritymatters.tv

Kane Murdoch | Manager - Complaints, Appeals and Misconduct, Macquarie University, Australia In this video, we chat with Kane Murdoch from Macquarie University about his role in academic misconduct management, the strength of the ‘partnership model’ in detecting, reporting and investigating student misconduct cases, plus strategies and tools to meaningfully reduce contract cheating. Kane outlines the academic integrity model in place at Macquarie University, comprising a partnership that removes silos between academics and professional services staff by pairing academics’ unparalleled knowledge on pedagogy and their students’ needs with the investigative and regulatory skills held by professional services staff. Kane also shares his view of technology as instrumental to the misconduct investigation process and how it complements the unique skill set of professional services staff in collecting evidence of student wrongdoing that can be substantiated. How can institutions adopt the principles of a partnership model and mobilise resources to better tackle contract cheating? Watch the video to hear Kane’s advice. https://www.integritymatters.tv

Felicity Prentice | PhD Candidate, Edith Cowan University In this video, we chat with Felicity Prentice, PhD candidate at Edith Cowan University, who unpacks the factors influencing an academic’s decision to report - or not report - suspicions of contract cheating by students, grounding the discussion in her work and research for her PhD on this same topic. Felicity sheds light on the lesser-known challenges that problematise detection of contract cheating. Specifically, how educators and markers who develop a gut-feel of cheating amongst students are presented with the burden of proof to collect and write up evidence which is a labour-intensive exercise. Further still, the need to send it upstream where the chain of accountability can provide inconsistent outcomes. What steps can institutions take to cultivate an environment in which educators feel supported in reporting suspected contract cheating for further investigation? Watch the video to hear Felicity’s perspective. https://www.integritymatters.tv

Dr Jasmine Thomas, Associate Director (Academic Integrity) | University of Southern Queensland Renee Desmarchelier, Director (Microcredential Unit) | University of Southern Queensland In this video, we chat with Dr Jasmine Thomas and Renee Desmarchelier about their respective roles at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), in building and sustaining an ecosystem to tackle academic misconduct and supporting the staff carrying out this vital work. Jasmine and Renee shed light on USQ’s Academic Integrity Unit as a centrally-led unit to provide holistic strategic direction, and explore the multifaceted stakeholder dynamics at play. Specialising in contract cheating detection and investigation, Jasmine and Renee explain the Academic Integrity Unit’s dual responsibility for capacity-building at the institution; especially as a high-stakes area of education that involves much emotional labour. How can institutions establish an ecosystem that fully engages academic and professional staff in combating academic misconduct while preserving staff and student wellbeing? Watch the video to get Jasmine and Renee’s advice. https://www.integritymatters.tv

Dave Tomar | Author & Managing Editor, Influence Networks In this video, we chat with Dave Tomar about better understanding the root causes of contract cheating and its potential solutions, drawing from his experience as a former ghostwriter who worked in the commercial cheating industry for over 10 years. Grounding the discussion on his previous clientele of students for whom he wrote assignments, Dave presents a compelling account of the student mindset and what motivates desperate students in their efforts to cheat. Suggesting that the academic writing of incoming undergraduate students is rarely at the level required, Dave advocates for earlier, formative writing intervention that can identify at-risk students, and the importance of knowing a ‘student’s voice’ to detect contract cheating in their writing and benchmark their journey and performance. How can we address academic deficiencies in hybrid learning and crush student demand for contract cheating services in the first place? Watch the video and read Dave’s latest book https://academicinfluence.com/inflection/college-life/complete-guide-to-contract-cheating-higher-education https://www.integritymatters.tv

Professor Cath Ellis | Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, University of New South Wales In this video, we chat with Professor Cath Ellis from The University of New South Wales (UNSW) about tackling the problem of contract cheating and how UNSW is rising to the challenge with their Courageous Conversations program. Recognising that ‘cheating is as old as learning’, Cath takes a pragmatic view of how today’s cheating is the continuation of an age-old problem that learning institutions and particularly universities need to better address. She unpacks the Courageous Conversations approach to potential contract cheating that is yielding success for UNSW, based on the premise that purposeful cheating by students must be called out for the serious mistake that it is, with universities and educators in the business of helping students learn from those mistakes. How can institutions empty the value of cheating from their courses to measure genuine learning, while strengthening cheating detection? Watch the video to get Cath’s perspective. https://www.integritymatters.tv

Michelle Charlton | Principal, Specialised VET Services In this video, we chat with Michelle Charlton, Principal, Specialised VET Services about assessment delivery in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector, and how learning providers can secure fairness, flexibility and validity within their assessment practices. Michelle outlines the legislation and rules of evidence governing a student’s claim for competency which underpins how VET assessment is conducted. Explaining that assessments are not necessarily designed in a way to collect the relevant evidence, she advocates for more active learning to produce work-ready graduates. She also identifies the need for better delineation of RTO roles so that assessors are capable of evaluating assessment tools as fit for purpose, and to avoid a ‘tick and flick’ approach that undermines outcomes. What can RTOs do to overcome structural challenges in how assessments are designed and delivered in VET? Watch the video for Michelle’s perspective. https://www.integritymatters.tv

Annie Chechitelli | Chief Product Officer, Turnitin In this video, we chat with Annie Chechitelli, Turnitin’s Chief Product Officer, who looks at engaging technology to support effective feedback for learners, and how it can enhance teaching and learning practices. Compelled to understand the evolving problems faced by customers in order to truly address their needs in products, Annie notes a care factor unique to education which makes design and implementation of education-based technology so challenging, yet rewarding when done right. Annie explains the rationale behind Turnitin products that seek to strengthen the relationship between educator and student, and the potential for institutions in harnessing technology to reveal new paths of innovation and best practice. How can institutions and edtech providers work together to balance comfort and innovation in the pursuit of better learning outcomes? Watch the video to hear Annie’s thoughts. https://www.integritymatters.tv