QUT records huge increase in academic misconduct during online exams
One of Queensland’s top universities has defended its decision to hold exams on campus after a huge increase in ‘academic misconduct’ after tests were held online last semester because of COVID-19.
Education
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A QUEENSLAND university has doubled down on holding in-person exams after collusion and plagiarism increased fourfold during exams held online because of COVID-19.
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Queensland University of Technology health students are petitioning the University to hold Semester 2 final exams online amid COVID-19 safety concerns.
However, in responding to the students’ concerns, the University said there had been a fourfold increase in cases of academic misconduct during online exams in the previous semester.
In a letter defending the decision to return to on-campus exams, QUT Health faculty Academic Misconduct Committee Chair professor Fiona Naumann said the reported misconduct included “collusion (sharing answers during examinations) and plagiarism (copy and pasting information from the internet)”.
“Hopefully, a return to campus to sit the end of semester examinations will reduce the incidence of academic misconduct during the examination period,” she wrote in the letter.
QUT students however are protesting against sitting in-person exams over fears of community transmission both in transit to and from the University and on-campus, with 3,000 signatures on an online petition.
In the correspondence Professor Nauman said she commended the Health cohort for being keenly aware of the importance of health and safety, and the impact on students with sick or immunocompromised household members.
But she said on-campus exams were one of multiple activities that QUT is able to recommence in accordance with the COVIDSafe practices.
The students argue that despite the university saying in-person exams ensure “invigilation and academic integrity”, some students will be granted special exemptions to sit online exams, while others are not, creating fairness and equity concerns.
“In the case of those granted special consideration to sit the exam at home, how will the university maintain the same levels of scrutiny?” the petition said.
Students also raised concerns over the discrepancy between being restricted to learning content online but being required to complete exams in person, and the mental wellbeing of students.
“If regular capacity, in-person lectures and tutorials thus far have been deemed as too risky, it stands to reason that an exam environment should also be considered high risk,” the petition said.
“The current decision to hold an on-campus examination relies on Queensland continuing to have a low number of cases, and may be changed at the last minute to obey government guidelines.
“By announcing an in-person exam that may be switched to online at any stage only increases the mental demand on students.”
However, Professor Naumann wrote in the letter to Health students that students who are unable to attend campus to sit their end of semester examination can apply for an alternative exam assessment which would be better-suited online.
“The lectures that were delivered online were delivered in this format to provide greater
flexibility to students, not because the on campus delivery was deemed a health risk,” she wrote in the letter.
And Professor Naumann wrote that students were able to access free and confidential counselling, advice on equity matters and financial assistance.