個案資料

In late 2020, an instructor at a Canadian university received an email from a concerned student about contract cheating (i.e., a student submitting someone else’s work for credit) in her class. As the instructor read the email, many questions without obvious answers came to mind. She wondered what her professional and personal responsibilities were in dealing with the issues raised in the student’s email. In particular, she was trying to come to grips with her responsibilities to her students, her colleagues, the program she taught in, and the university and society in general. She also wondered what she could do to make this type of cheating less prevalent and how she could better detect and discourage it. How could she and her colleagues support students to prevent them from seeking help from these types of companies, which promoted cheating under the premise of tutoring? Upon further considering the issues, the instructor wondered about potential risks to herself, her students, and the university that might result from various possible courses of action. She decided that, at the very least, she would talk to her students about contract cheating at the start of her next class, but she was not sure what she would say.

This case is designed as a vehicle to discuss and build awareness about academic integrity. It can be used to discuss academic integrity at the start of an undergraduate- or graduate-level course. It is especially well suited for use in an orientation or onboarding session for new students. However, the issues presented are substantial enough for the case to be used as the basis for the entire session of an applied ethics course. The case is also suitable for the purpose of faculty or staff development. This case offers an opportunity for small and large group conversations through which instructors and students can explore their assumptions, attitudes, and concerns regarding contract cheating. In particular, students can discuss the reasons, various forms, affected parties, and risks and consequences associated with contract cheating. After working through the case and assignment questions, students will be able to<ul><li>understand the joint responsibility that educators and students have with regard to academic integrity;</li><li>raise awareness of the various forms of contract cheating;</li><li>identify how various stakeholders are affected by academic misconduct; and</li><li>consider strategies to prevent and respond to academic misconduct.</li></ul>

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