Academic Integrity and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Supporting Students, Strengthening the Academy

Abstract

The sudden shift from face-to-face to emergency remote learning required higher education institutions (HEIs) to implement or reinforce measures to strengthen academic integrity systems. Using a content analysis approach, this study investigated strategies used by twenty HEIs globally to support students in developing and practising academic integrity in the online environment. It then used these findings to make recommendations as to how HEIs in the English-speaking Caribbean can accomplish this goal. Purposive sampling was utilised to select institutional websites that had extensive information on academic integrity. The findings revealed that support and assistance strategies included references to resource persons and agencies such as the academic library. Information was provided mainly through academic policies and included procedures for managing allegations of misconduct. In addition, HEIs provided opportunities for faculty and student involvement in implementing academic integrity strategies. In keeping with the literature, all institutions provided education on academic integrity, but the educational experiences varied greatly. Recommendations are made as to how elements of these could be adapted and used in Caribbean HEIs.