Ursula McGowan
The University of Adelaide, School of Education, Faculty of Arts, Graduate Student
Research Interests:
Analysis of publicly available online academic integrity policies at 39 Australian universities identified five core elements of exemplary academic integrity policy: Access, Approach, Responsibility, Detail and Support. An exemplary... more
Analysis of publicly available online academic integrity policies at 39 Australian universities identified five core elements of exemplary academic integrity policy: Access, Approach, Responsibility, Detail and Support. An exemplary policy is easy to locate, read, is concise and easy to understand (Access). It has a clear consistent message indicating a systematic and sustained commitment to the values and practices of academic integrity (Approach) and the responsibilities of all stakeholders are detailed (Responsible). An exemplary policy has a balanced provision of information and description in relation to academic misconduct, the processes to deal with allegations and the outcomes of investigations (Detail) and demonstrates that there are proactive and embedded systems to enable implementation of the policy (Support). It is argued that universities which have these core exemplary elements may be in a better position to align policy and practice in relation to academic integrity standards.
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In the changing context of higher education, which has seen the growth of online technologies and use of the vast resources of the internet, three challenges to academic teaching and assessment practices are identified: information... more
In the changing context of higher education, which has seen the growth of online technologies and use of the vast resources of the internet, three challenges to academic teaching and assessment practices are identified: information overload, student diversity and student plagiarism. The current literature in higher education tends to address these issues in isolation from each other. A common thread towards embracing the challenges holistically is highlighted by reviewing the concept of academic integrity and specifically its role within the process of research, in order to focus on the underlying purpose of undergraduate education. By drawing on the Boyer Commission’s 1998 manifesto and examples of evidence-based learning and teaching practices derived from the literature, undergraduate education is redefined in its entirety in terms of an apprenticeship into the culture and practice of research.
Abstract University plagiarism policies aimed at the assurance of academic integrity provide for increased vigilance and disciplinary procedures to deal with transgressions. Many also issue directives to teaching staff to ensure that... more
Abstract University plagiarism policies aimed at the assurance of academic integrity provide for increased vigilance and disciplinary procedures to deal with transgressions. Many also issue directives to teaching staff to ensure that students are adequately informed about the meaning of plagiarism and its consequences, and methods of citing within the particular referencing system in use. However, the experience of academic advising has indicated that receiving such information is insufficient for numbers of students who, for a variety of reasons, inadvertently lapse into plagiarism. A simple and not excessively time-consuming strategy is proposed for academics to ensure that students have the opportunity to learn not only what they are required to do, but also how to do it. The strategy involves the induction of students, within the core curriculum, into the language of their discipline. It is suggested that the investment of a small amount of time on this task at the outset has th...
Practitioners of research in a particular field have extensive knowledge of how to operate successfully in that field and communicate effectively with others, within the boundaries of their own language and culture. However, when it comes... more
Practitioners of research in a particular field have extensive knowledge of how to operate successfully in that field and communicate effectively with others, within the boundaries of their own language and culture. However, when it comes to inducting novice researchers into these skills, difficulties are often encountered, and more so when the novice comes from a different language and cultural background. At the same time, specialists in English teaching or cross-cultural communication aiming to prepare novices to enter such a research environment often lack access to the details of how things are really done there. At The University of Adelaide, South Australia, this situation is being addressed through a new program for international postgraduate students in their first semester of enrolment. This Integrated Bridging Program (IBP) relies on collaboration between the discipline specialist researcher and language and learning specialists and is informed by the perspectives of syst...
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ABSTRACT This paper presents the application of genre pedagogy as an approach to teaching academic reading and writing skills development to a class of undergraduate engineering students. This approach was designed so that it may be... more
ABSTRACT This paper presents the application of genre pedagogy as an approach to teaching academic reading and writing skills development to a class of undergraduate engineering students. This approach was designed so that it may be applied by core subject teachers in courses with students who typically do not engage well with these aspects of their studies. Our focus was specifically on the ‘bigger picture’ of writing skills development by encouraging students to learn how to analyse for themselves a particular genre from their own discipline, and how to use this knowledge to develop an appropriately academic style in writing their own essay. Our approach involved combining the expertise of subject teacher and linguist in running four workshops in class time during the first half of a semesterised course. These workshops had associated homework tasks, designed incrementally to contribute to students’ understanding and application of the skills they need for academic writing. These were followed by the submission of a written report on the topics covered during the first six weeks of the semester, and was of direct relevance to their degree major. Assessment criteria focused on both technical content and academic literacy. With this integrated approach to literacy and content development it was intended to engage traditionally resistant students with the development of their academic language skills, and also to model a possible approach for the engagement of STEM academics in fostering this academic literacy development. Student participants in this programme agreed that this strategy improved both their writing skills and their understanding of course content.
In the face of increasing evidence of plagiarism in higher education the maintenance of educational integrity relies on the capacity of universities to strengthen their systems for consistent detection of and penalties for deliberate... more
In the face of increasing evidence of plagiarism in higher education the maintenance of educational integrity relies on the capacity of universities to strengthen their systems for consistent detection of and penalties for deliberate plagiarism, cheating and other fraudulent practices. However, there is a danger that the resolve to do so may be weakened if these systems become overloaded by
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This paper is a response to recent calls in the literature for holistic institutional approaches to address the complexity of the problem of student plagiarism in higher education. I suggest that one reason for this complexity is that the... more
This paper is a response to recent calls in the literature for holistic institutional approaches to address the complexity of the problem of student plagiarism in higher education. I suggest that one reason for this complexity is that the issue has two conflicting dimensions. It is seen both as a social offence, and as an area for academic learning. In the literature, the dimension of academic learning is addressed in terms of providing students with clear information and skills practice, as well as improving curriculum design and assessment practices. The perspective of plagiarism as a social offence is addressed through systematising the use of detection mechanisms, and the application of fair and consistent penalties. Proposals of holistic approaches that combine both perspectives hold promise of improvements in the effectiveness of deterring and dealing with plagiarism. However, the concern of this paper is to identify a remaining 'hole' in such proposals when these ha...
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The widespread perception that plagiarism is a growing problem in tertiary institutions is supported by some large-scale research studies and, indeed, by the attention the topic is attracting in the literature, the media and in the... more
The widespread perception that plagiarism is a growing problem in tertiary institutions is supported by some large-scale research studies and, indeed, by the attention the topic is attracting in the literature, the media and in the renewals of plagiarism policies to be found on websites across the tertiary sector. While guidelines that accompany some plagiarism policies "encourage" educational strategies, the focus is still firmly fixed on dealing with "offenders". There is little detail available on educational means that have the capacity to address the incidence of inadvertent or unintentional plagiarism. In this paper an approach is suggested that attempts to redress the balance between disciplinary and educational measures. The approach is twofold. While supporting the application of penalties for plagiarism that is deliberate cheating, it advocates that students be given an explicit period of apprenticeship into the academic culture, its conventions and its...
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Abstract: The increasing ease of detecting internet plagiarism has intensified debate in Australia, as well as the UK and the USA, on effective deterrents in the face of increasing evidence of plagiarism. Many universities are re-vamping... more
Abstract: The increasing ease of detecting internet plagiarism has intensified debate in Australia, as well as the UK and the USA, on effective deterrents in the face of increasing evidence of plagiarism. Many universities are re-vamping their plagiarism policies and ...
As academic integrity is fundamental to assessment practices, it is critical that it is dealt with consistently by staff and taught to students. How a university defines academic integrity in its policy will affect the way it is taught... more
As academic integrity is fundamental to assessment practices, it is critical that it is dealt with consistently by staff and taught to students. How a university defines academic integrity in its policy will affect the way it is taught and embedded in the curriculum. While ...