Academic integrity in online assessment: towards the development of a proposal for guidelines and education resources

In recent years, the use of digital platforms, applications and tools for assessing learning as increased significantly, in part due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The availability of digital resources allows for the creation of assessment tests that can be administered remotely as well as face-to-face. Furthermore, monitoring tools such as e-proctoring systems, which are particularly well-suited for summative assessments, can be employed in both scenarios. However, merely relying on different technology solutions cannot ensure the establishment of a “safe” assessment setting that is suitable for maintaining academic integrity and ensuring assessment quality. In the context of online assessment, faculty members’ main needs include the need to prevent student plagiarism and the possibility of developing an authentic culture of academic integrity. Against this complex background, an analysis was conducted on selected guidelines and frameworks promoting an authentic culture of academic integrity in domestic and international academic contexts. The selected guidelines and frameworks were proposed by organizations such as the Teaching and Learning Centres and/or the Centres for Academic Integrity. The research was conducted in two phases. The first phase involved an analysis and mapping of guidelines, frameworks, and digital resources designed within the university context to promote academic integrity. The second phase involved the development of an initial proposal for guidelines based on the resources found and analyzed in the previous phase. These guidelines were to be applied in blended or distance learning degree programs and will be defined after an analysis is conducted on student and teacher perceptions and needs regarding online assessment and academic integrity. A summary of the results of the first phase is presented in this paper.