Originality breeds confidence

Covid-19 pandemic has significantly changed the face of education, necessitating a rapid shift from physical classroom to online learning.

Also, access to higher education improved exponentially after previous restrictions of limiting online degree studies to just 20% were lifted. As per the Online Higher Education & Lifelong Learning Study, the virtual mode of pursuing higher education will possibly become a $5 billion market by the financial year 2025.

This educational transformation and market potential may be turning heads. However, issues of academic honesty and integrity still remain a great challenge for higher education in India.

Academic misconduct

Online or remote learning has emboldened some students to take the easy way out. In recent months, instances of academic misconduct and dishonesty such as students enlisting the help of external parties, sneaking a peek at the internet on separate devices and discussing exam papers on chat groups, have been widely reported in the country. Plagiarism remains the most common form of misconduct that continues to plague higher education and poses a challenge to universities in legitimate and fair grading of students’ works.

With institutional reputation too at stake, the urgency to implement stricter control measures such as the use of technology to tighten assessment security has become paramount in protecting academic integrity and producing high-quality student outcomes.

Need for reforms

The University Grants Commission (UGC) issued a circular in November 2020 with guidelines for re-opening universities/colleges post lockdown and with some students opting not to attend offline classes, the UGC recognised and encouraged online or distance learning as the preferred teaching mode.

These guidelines have been built on the foundation of UGC’s 2018 regulation for universities and affiliated colleges, to promote academic integrity and curb plagiarism in the higher education system.

Also, the National Education Policy 2020 clearly states, among other objectives, its aim to undertake major reforms that bring the highest quality, equity, and integrity into the system, from early childhood care/education to higher education.

In February 2021, UGC released its draft regulation to pave the way for collaboration with foreign institutions that opens doors for dual degrees and joint degree programmes. But to perform well at a global level, higher education institutions in India need to provide more importance to academic integrity, safeguard their reputation and showcase high quality of education.

Holistic approach

Originality breeds confidence, which in turn, builds strength of character. So, both educators and students must appreciate the importance of integrity and develop a culture of ethical practices. An integrated awareness policy must be created and accordingly, steps must be taken to nip problems such as plagiarism in the bud with the help of text similarity and formative learning tools. Also, students must be educated on proper citation of sources to avoid unintentional instances of plagiarism.

The ability to produce honest and original work will not only cement critical thinking abilities of students but also reflect favourably on the institutions that have gone to great lengths to reinforce their overall learning and infrastructure, and protect reputation.