Researchers from the Universities of Manitoba and Calgary, and Humber and Durham Colleges collaborated to analyze the academic integrity and academic misconduct policies of publicly funded colleges in Ontario, casting a specific lens on contract cheating. The analysis revealed limitations of the policies, including the indirect use of language and lack of detail about underlying policy principles.  Based on these findings, increased policy research in this area and revisions to academic integrity policy in Canadian higher education institutions to more explicitly address the issue of contract cheating are recommended.

Stoesz, B.M., Eaton, S.E., Miron, J., Thacker, E. (2019). Academic integrity and contract cheating policy analysis of colleges in Ontario, Canada. International Journal of Educational Integrity, 15(4). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40979-019-0042-4

The purpose of this review was to examine the peer-reviewed research literature describing brief educational interventions (i.e., face-to-face workshops, e-learning tutorials, or blended approaches) for promoting academic integrity and discouraging academic misconduct, and the evidence for their effectiveness. Overall, participants (including instructors and students) across studies were satisfied with the intervention, and changes in students’ attitudes and knowledge of academic integrity were found. However, a limitation of this body of research is that few studies explored the impact of the educational interventions on student behaviour or outcomes outside the context of the intervention.

Stoesz, B. M., & Yudintseva, A. (2018). Effectiveness of tutorials for promoting educational integrity: A synthesis paper. International Journal for Educational Integrity, 14(6), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40979-018-0030-0

In two studies, students in middle school and high school were recruited to complete an e-learning tutorial that was developed at the University of Manitoba. In the first study, 88 students participated in an online version of the study, but only 15 of them completed the tutorial. Knowledge and perceived seriousness of academic integrity violations increased significantly in this small sample; these changes were not evident in the remaining participants. In the second study, 90 students participated in face-to-face classroom sessions that confirmed that e-learning tutorials can increase knowledge and change perceptions of the seriousness of engaging in academic misconduct. We also found that age, agreeableness, and the use of deep learning strategies were correlated with perception changes. Overall, the results suggest that academic integrity tutorials can work but are likely dependent on the specific characteristics of the individuals.

Stoesz, B. M., & Los, R. (2019). Evaluation of a tutorial designed to promote academic integrity. Canadian Perspectives on Academic Integrity, 2(1), 3-26. https://doi.org/10.11575/cpai.v2i1.61826

Approximately 50-70% of high school and undergraduate students admit to cheating in their academic work. Students at both levels may be familiar with what constitutes academic dishonesty, but they may be unaware of the seriousness of those behaviours or feel that their actions are justified. This project involved building partnerships with teachers for the purpose of developing resources to promote academic integrity.  Three presentations were made to high school teachers at teacher professional development days and discussions about academic integrity and the challenges of academic misconduct led to partnerships being established with teachers at two different high schools.  We worked together to develop an academic integrity student workbook that accompanied the University of Manitoba’s Academic Integrity Undergraduate Tutorial.

This project was completed by B. M. Stoesz, J. Cranston, B. Usick, and L. Gervais and was funded by the University of Manitoba Office of the Provost & Vice-President (Academic) Major Outreach Award 2016-2017.

The goal of this study was to systematically identify barriers-to-learning among students with disabilities and/or mental health issues in one institution and explore effective pedagogical strategies to reduce those barriers. Results highlight the importance of teacher sensitivity/support and flexibility regarding student assessments as evidence-based strategies to increase student success, reduce stress, and care for student mental health. This study has important implications for teacher-directed education to recognize pedagogical approaches that promote success in post-secondary education.

This project was completed by A. De Jaeger and C. Cristie and was funded by the University of Manitoba Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund (2015).

DeJaeger, A., & Christie, C., (2016). Mental Health – The Biggest Barrier to Learning. Presentation, Hawaii International Conference on Education, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Post-secondary institutions across Canada have promoted academic and professional preparation programs to recruit and retain Indigenous peoples, yet the evaluation of many of these initiatives is limited (Kapsalis, 2006). Although there is some awareness of Indigenous peoples’ participation in post-secondary education (PSE), the primary focus has been success as measured by completion rates. Examining the outcomes is only part of the process; the unique learning experiences of Indigenous students and the best-suited delivery methods for successful completion of PSE are equally important. This study identified and synthesized the existing peer-reviewed and grey literature pertaining into the PSE learning experiences of Indigenous students across Canada. Levac, Colquhoun, and O’Brien’s (2010) advancement of Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) methodological framework for scoping reviews was implemented through six iterative stages resulting in a framework to capture the social, cultural, familial, educational, and personal factors affecting Canadian Indigenous peoples’ successful participation in PSE.

This project was completed by A. De Jaeger, F. Deer, and L. Wilkinson and was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Knowledge Synthesis Grant (2015).

DeJaeger, A. (2017). Pushing the Boundaries: Scoping Review as a Method of Determining Best-Practices for Indigenous Education – Applications for SoTL. Presented at the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Annual Meeting, Calgary Alberta.

DeJaeger, A., Deer, F., & Wilkinson, L (2016). Indigenous Student Experiences – Exploring the Extant Literature. Presentation, Hawaii International Conference on Education, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Feelings of isolation and social loneliness among undergraduate students have been reported at rates as high as 32% – globally (Bauer-Wolf, 2017; Paddick, 2017). SoTL research indicates that a sense of belonging and social connectedness (rates at which people come together and interact) in the classroom can create a memorable experience and enhance student learning (Biggs & Tang, 2011). The goal of this project was to determine if modifications to a traditional TBL framework could foster social connectedness between students in an undergraduate psychology course. Results from this pilot project included themes related to positive social connectivity, friendships sustained beyond the classroom, and empathy for weaker team members.

DeJaeger, A. (2018). Using Team-Based Learning to Buffer Social Loneliness for Undergraduate Students. Presented at the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Annual Meeting, Bergen, Norway.