An active introduction to academic misconduct and the measured demographics of misconduct

Abstract

An activity designed to actively introduce first year students to issues related to academic misconduct is described. The activity involves computing students writing a short essay on a topic related to the history of computing. The essays are subsequently automatically checked for non‐originality and the outcomes made available to the students. The results of approximately 350 students from two different sessions are analysed for any demographic influences. The only significant findings were that non‐originality was a predictor of non‐completion of first year studies and of a lower percentage outcome.

Note on contributor

Fintan Culwin is a Professor of Software Engineering Education at London South Bank University, which he joined fifteen years ago after a career as a secondary school computing teacher. He has authored six programming text books, holds his Ph.D. in software engineering education and has current interests in forensic document analysis, academic misconduct, automated assessment and learning objects for initial software development education.