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12/11/2024

British Columbia Academic Integrity Day 2024: Collaboration in Action!

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I am writing this blog as academic integrity student ambassador at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) in British Columbia (BC), Canada. On October 28, 2024, KPU hosted BC Academic Integrity Day, a day filled with meaningful discussions on restorative justice, generative AI, and academic integrity. KPU hosted attendees, including students, staff, and faculty, from various BC post-secondary institutions, including Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU), University Canada West (UCW), University of the Fraser Valley (UFV), University of British Columbia (UBC), and Simon Fraser University (SFU). Attendees were treated to networking opportunities, interactive brainstorming, collaboration activities, and a student panel.
The event featured keynote speaker Dr. Alana Abramson, a KPU Criminology Instructor who has taught at KPU for 15 years, and who has 25 years of experience as a researcher, trainer, and practitioner of restorative justice. Restorative justice and its fundamentals were a distinct centerpiece of the event, and the entire day offered thoughtful insight into how we can rethink the objectives of education, shifting from punitive to more educative and relational measures. Throughout the event, I observed faculty and students express their desires to transform learning environments into collaborative communities that foster growth. As a current student, I feel optimistic and encouraged when I picture institutions working towards these goals.
The event kicked off with attendees networking through an icebreaker bingo activity. Attendees channeled their competitive nature and mingled among themselves before moving into the opening remarks from Dr. David Burns, KPU’s Associate Vice-President, Academic, and Susan Xia, KPU’s Interim Manager of Academic Integrity.

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Alana Abramson on Restorative Justice in Academic Integrity and Beyond
Dr. Abramson’s approach to restorative justice presented a transformative way to handle academic integrity breaches, one that moves beyond punishment and towards building strong relationships and personal accountability. She emphasized the development of “accountable, willing to repair, (...) empathic folks, people who can self-reflect, and also, (...) be in and attend to relationships.” At the heart of this approach are the “5R’s” of restorative justice: Relationship, Respect, Responsibility, Repair, and Reintegration. Dr. Abramson highlighted that this framework encourages students to understand the consequences of their actions and offers a chance for growth, allowing them to make amends and removing feelings of isolation and stigma.
Dr. Abramson stressed the critical role that faculty-student relationships play, as students who feel connected to their professors are less likely to engage in academic integrity breaches. Restorative justice respects individual circumstances, focusing on education versus punishment. By prioritizing empathy, accountability, and relational development, Dr. Abramson envisions an inclusive and encouraging community among students and faculty. Ultimately, her vision for restorative justice transcends education by shaping students into future citizens who value integrity, compassion, and meaningful connections with others.

Gen AI and Academic Integrity Wall of Ideas
Daniel Benzimra and Samuel Kirk, both KPU Teaching and Learning Strategists, facilitated a wall of ideas activity, and engaged attendees in conversation about the challenges of generative AI and potential ways of addressing them. The primary challenge highlighted was the difficulty in accurately detecting generative AI usage, and the possibility of high false positive rates among non-native language speakers. Benzimra and Kirk proposed several strategies to address challenges, including fostering conversations around academic integrity, examining student pressures, designing assessments rooted in real-world applications, and encouraging active student engagement in learning.

 

Attendees generated a wall of ideas, and emphasized the need for adaptability, recognizing the importance of keeping up with the rapid pace of the constantly evolving educational landscape. To keep up with these changes, there were numerous suggestions to detail the appropriate use of generative AI in course outlines and assignment guidelines, providing clarity on expectations and the reasoning behind them. Some proposed ways for students to responsibly leverage generative AI included using it to cross-check assignments against grading rubrics or creating study guides from their notes.

Panel - Student Perspectives on Academic Integrity
Moderated by Dr. Mitra Gorjipour, KPU’s Associate Dean of the Faculty of Academic and Career Preparation, the panel included Muskandeep Kaur (KPU), Kai Barcellos Luna (KPU), Maggie Meyers (UFV), Michael Obakhavbaye (SFU), and Drédyn Fontana (UBC).
Student voices are an integral part of understanding the learning climate, and the panelists provided thoughtful insights on their definitions of academic integrity, how faculty can facilitate an encouraging learning environment, and how generative AI is shifting the academic landscape. An important reflection was the importance of transitioning students into prioritizing learning outcomes over high grades. One panelist utilized the phrase, “Cs get degrees,” emphasizing that long-term knowledge retention is more valuable than receiving top grades. Panelists agreed that relationships between students and faculty play an integral role in motivating students to practice academic integrity. They underscored that instructors’ enthusiasm and passion in the classroom, regardless of class size, is what motivates students to succeed and create their own original work.

 

The panelists also responded to questions from faculty, focusing on the trending topic of generative AI, and how students are looking to institutions to embrace these tools in the classroom.
Something that stood out to me was when Fontana (UBC) compared tools like ChatGPT to the previous technological advancement of the calculator, which was also initially met with fear and resistance. Fontana speculated that AI tools will evolve faster than detection software, concluding that it is in the best interests of students and faculty to conceptualize equitable methods of using them. He added that these tools can also help close gaps in terms of learning deficits and disabilities. I surmise generative AI tools are something we must accept as a permanent fixture in education and society, and there are intriguing possibilities for how institutions and students can use the various tools to complement the learning process.

Promoting Academic Integrity through Collaborative Campaign Design
Facilitated by Alejandra Silvera, KPU’s Academic Integrity Strategist, and Maryan Salari, UCW’s Learning Strategist, attendees were grouped and given the opportunity to brainstorm a campaign to promote academic integrity. Faculty and students collaborated to strategize how they think universities can best communicate the fundamentals of academic integrity and why students and faculty should care.

 

A main theme in most campaigns echoed the student panelist’s suggestion that we should focus on learning new skills that can be carried forward, and less on producing the highest grade. I found inspiration from the way one group phrased this as creating low stakes opportunities to learn skills. Groups also touched on the human aspect of being a student, and how it is important to view each student as an individual, and work on building meaningful relationships and community. One group raised the notion that time at university is a special opportunity to learn together and grow. Faculty and students also acknowledged the cultural and discipline-specific differences in defining academic integrity.
It was inspiring and compelling to witness faculty, staff, and students come together to conceptualize their campaigns. And it was even more encouraging to see their ideas align with the compassionate and educative restorative justice approach.

Closing Remarks
The 5th Annual BC Academic Integrity Day was filled with collaboration, idea generation, and education. A special thanks to all attendees and everyone responsible for bringing the event together. The event highlighted the importance of building a culture of integrity, empathy, and accountability within academia, where students, staff, and faculty can collectively learn and grow. As we navigate the evolving challenges in education, embracing these values can help create a more supportive and resilient academic community.
See you all at the 2025 BC Academic Integrity Day!

 

 

Note: This blog post was authored by a student. ICAI takes pride in highlighting student voices as students are a key stakeholder in higher education and the promotion of academic integrity. ICAI does not endorse or advocate for any position or statement made.The author’s views are their own.

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