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1 – 10 of over 15000Prince Agwu, Aloysius Odii, Tochukwu Orjiakor, Pallavi Roy, Chidi Nzeadibe, Chinyere Onalu, Uzoma Odera Okoye and Obinna Onwujekwe
The purpose of this study is to describe the nature and operations of schools commonly regarded as “Miracle Examination Centres (MECs)” in Nigeria, through the lens of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to describe the nature and operations of schools commonly regarded as “Miracle Examination Centres (MECs)” in Nigeria, through the lens of stakeholders in education. This study also assessed stakeholders’ perspectives on the possible solutions to the problem of MECs.
Design/methodology/approach
The study design was a stakeholders’ approach involving 39 key actors within the examination system from northern and southern Nigeria. The stakeholders comprised people from the Ministries of Education (MoE), Examination Councils (EC), school owners and teachers, security agencies and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) who were invited to interact, interrogate and debate the subject of MECs in Nigeria. Using thematic analysis, recurrent themes were identified from the data and used for a narrative synthesis of the findings.
Findings
MECs may attempt to circumvent quality assurance and regulatory requirements and may find support from prominent leaders and members of the communities through a wider informal economy. Interventions against MECs might only yield incremental results and must involve various groups like CSOs, anti-corruption agencies, EC and faith- and community-based groups. These interventions will be even more effective if the MoE will strengthen its integrity and improve its monitoring and regulatory functions without political interference.
Originality/value
This paper revealed that improving examination integrity and building a solid and reliable secondary educational level in Nigeria will be achieved through the combination of horizontal and vertical approaches that involve local actors and those in authority.
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Yigong Liu, Qudus Hamid, Jessica Snyder, Chengyang Wang and Wei Sun
This paper aims to present a solid freeform fabrication-based in situ three-dimensional (3D) printing method. This method enables simultaneous cross-linking alginate at ambient…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present a solid freeform fabrication-based in situ three-dimensional (3D) printing method. This method enables simultaneous cross-linking alginate at ambient environmental conditions (temperature and pressure) for 3D-laden construct fabrication. The fabrication feasibility and potentials in biomedical applications were evaluated.
Design/methodology/approach
Fabrication feasibility was evaluated as the investigation of fabrication parameters on strut formability (the capability to fabricate a cylindrical strut in the same diameter as dispensing tip) and structural stability (the capability to hold the fabricated 3D-laden construct against mechanical disturbance). Potentials in biomedical application was evaluated as the investigation on structural integrity (the capability to preserve the fabricated 3D-laden construct in cell culture condition).
Findings
Strut formability can be achieved when the flow rate of alginate suspension and nozzle travel speed are set according to the dispensing tip size, and extruded alginate was cross-linked sufficiently. A range of cross-linking-related fabrication parameters was determined for sufficient cross-link. The structural stability and structural integrity were found to be controlled by alginate composition. An optimized setting of the alginate composition and the fabrication parameters was determined for the fabrication of a desired stable scaffold with structural integrity for 14 days.
Originality/value
This paper reports that in situ 3D printing is an efficient method for 3D-laden construct fabrication and its potentials in biomedical application.
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Shengnan Han, Shahrokh Nikou and Workneh Yilma Ayele
To improve the academic integrity of online examinations, digital proctoring systems have recently been implemented in higher education institutions (HEIs). The paper aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
To improve the academic integrity of online examinations, digital proctoring systems have recently been implemented in higher education institutions (HEIs). The paper aims to understand how digital proctoring has been practised in higher education (HE) and proposes future research directions for studying digital proctoring in HE.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review was conducted. The PRISMA procedure was adapted for the literature search. The topics were identified by topic modelling techniques from 154 relevant publications in seven databases.
Findings
Seven widely discussed topics in literature were identified, including solutions for detecting cheating and student authentication, challenges/issues of uptakes and students' performance in different proctoring environments.
Research limitations/implications
This paper provides insights for academics, policymakers, practitioners and students to understand the implementation of digital proctoring in academia, its adoption by HEIs, impacts on students' and educators' performance and the rapid increase in its use for digital exams in HEIs, with particular emphasis on the impacts of the systems on digitalising examinations in HE.
Originality/value
This review paper has systematically and critically described the state-of-the-art literature on digital proctoring in HE and provides useful insights and implications for future research on digital proctoring, and how academic integrity in online examinations can be enhanced, along with digitalising HE.
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Maria Krambia Kapardis and George Spanoudis
The researchers aim to investigate how students can be deterred from cheating, whether legal or ethical policies and procedures are effective and whether there are gender…
Abstract
Purpose
The researchers aim to investigate how students can be deterred from cheating, whether legal or ethical policies and procedures are effective and whether there are gender differences.
Design/methodology/approach
Using data on students undertaking midterm and final e-examinations, as well as a control group of students who were caught cheating in an online mid-semester examination, the authors attempt to answer the research questions.
Findings
No differences were found in cheating in terms of students’ gender or whether they were repeating a course or not. However, the study revealed that if there are more internal controls imposed and if before the examination students are made to reinforce their academic integrity, e-examination cheating is reduced.
Originality/value
No other published study was carried out with students who were involved in cheating.
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– To summarize the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) 2015 Regulatory and Examinations Priorities Letter.
Abstract
Purpose
To summarize the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) 2015 Regulatory and Examinations Priorities Letter.
Design/methodology/approach
Provides a brief summary of the general compliance and supervisory challenges described by FINRA. Highlights key sales practice concerns raised by FINRA. Briefly summarizes FINRA’s 2015 key financial and operational priorities. Summarizes FINRA market integrity focuses for 2015. Encourages firms to consider the FINRA 2015 regulatory and examination priorities alongside the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) examination priorities for 2015 as they review their policies, procedures and business activities.
Findings
FINRA’s 2015 Regulatory and Examinations Priorities Letter focuses on: key areas FINRA has observed contributing to member firm compliance and supervisory deficiencies, its observation of an increase in firms failing to file timely responses to information requests in connection with examinations and investigations, key sales practice issues, financial and operational issues, and market integrity matters.
Practical implications
Firms should review these priorities alongside the SEC’s examination priorities for 2015. Where firms observe deficiencies in their own practices, adjustments should be made before they find themselves the subject of a FINRA or SEC investigation, examination or enforcement action.
Originality/value
Practical explanation by experienced financial services lawyer.
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The purpose of this paper is to explore the tensions between external accountability obligations, educator's professional values, and student needs. Strategic, cognitive, and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the tensions between external accountability obligations, educator's professional values, and student needs. Strategic, cognitive, and moral dimensions of this tension are captured with the central category of integrity.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a mixed methods study that compares five exceptionally high performing middle schools with four exceptionally low performing middle schools in the state of California (USA), controlling for demographics, school context factors, and below average performance range.
Findings
It is found that schools under similar circumstances differ on the degree of integrity. Schools with high integrity have a good balance between values and reality, are more cohesive and more open to dissent. In each case, integrity was associated with an expansion of agency that combined moral earnestness with prudent strategizing and actively constructing interpretive frames that maintained a school's sense of self‐worth. Integrity develops or survives with a good dose of educational leaders’ personal strength, but also depends on leaders’ insistence to fully exhaust the moral horizon of an institution which obligates educators to balance equity, system efficiency, child‐centeredness and professionalism with prudence.
Research limitations/implications
This is a case study of nine schools in one state. Explanatory relationships can be explored, but not generalized.
Practical implications
The research has implications for leadership. It demonstrates the power of integrity as a key virtue of leadership under accountability pressures. It shows the different ways integrity can be forged in schools and the different ways it can be missed with consequences for school life.
Social implications
The paper stresses the point that it is quite conceivable that ideological zeal, Machiavellian strategizing, or eager system conformism may produce more forceful agency than integrity. But as everyday responses they are not as realistic, ethical or productive as the striving for integrity.
Originality/value
The practitioner literature often points to integrity as a desirable quality when dealing with tensions of the sort addressed in this paper, but little systematic theoretical thinking and empirical exploration of this concept exists. The paper makes an advance in both areas.
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Ann Boyd Davis, Richard Rand and Robert Seay
As more students take online courses as part of their college curricula, the integrity of testing in an online environment becomes increasingly important. The potential for…
Abstract
Purpose
As more students take online courses as part of their college curricula, the integrity of testing in an online environment becomes increasingly important. The potential for cheating on exams is generally considered to be higher in an online environment. One approach to compensate for the absence of a physical proctor is to use a remote proctoring service that electronically monitors the student during the examination period.
Methodology/approach
We examined the exam grades for 261 students taking two different upper division accounting courses to determine if a computer-based remote proctoring service reduced the likelihood of cheating, measured through lower exam scores, as compared to classroom proctoring and no proctoring. We examined both online and on-campus courses.
Findings
In qualitative and quantitative accounting courses, evidence shows that grades were significantly lower for students who were proctored using a remote proctoring service compared to students who were not proctored. In the quantitative course, remote proctoring resulted in significantly lower final exam scores than either classroom or no proctoring. However, in the qualitative course, both remote proctoring online and live proctoring in a classroom resulted in significantly lower final exam scores than no proctoring, and they are not statistically different from each other.
Originality/value
Academics and administrators should find these results helpful. The results suggest that the use of proctoring services in online courses has the potential to enhance the integrity of online courses by reducing the opportunities for academic dishonesty during exams.
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This study aims to determine how integrity influences money laundering combatting.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to determine how integrity influences money laundering combatting.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative approach using methodological triangulation was used to answer the question to describe and understand the phenomena from the participants’ perspective. Data was gathered with a semi-structured questionnaire, observation and field notes.
Findings
Analysis revealed that 93% of law enforcement investigators believe integrity is required to combat money laundering. They also observed that integrity is needed for the political environment, institutions and their personnel or officers.
Practical implications
There is a need for integrity in the economy’s public and private sectors to combat money laundering effectively. Integrity must be present in the political environment, institutions and personnel. Hence, a recommendation is to appoint chief integrity officers in all stakeholder organisations.
Originality/value
This study is among the few research that covers the area of integrity and its influence on combatting money laundering from law enforcement investigators’ perspective.
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Margarida Rodrigues, Rui Silva, Ana Pinto Borges, Mário Franco and Cidália Oliveira
This study aims to address a systematic literature review (SLR) using bibliometrics on the relationship between academic integrity and artificial intelligence (AI), to bridge the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to address a systematic literature review (SLR) using bibliometrics on the relationship between academic integrity and artificial intelligence (AI), to bridge the scattering of literature on this topic, given the challenge and opportunity for the educational and academic community.
Design/methodology/approach
This review highlights the enormous social influence of COVID-19 by mapping the extensive yet distinct and fragmented literature in AI and academic integrity fields. Based on 163 publications from the Web of Science, this paper offers a framework summarising the balance between AI and academic integrity.
Findings
With the rapid advancement of technology, AI tools have exponentially developed that threaten to destroy students' academic integrity in higher education. Despite this significant interest, there is a dearth of academic literature on how AI can help in academic integrity. Therefore, this paper distinguishes two significant thematical patterns: academic integrity and negative predictors of academic integrity.
Practical implications
This study also presents several contributions by showing that tools associated with AI can act as detectors of students who plagiarise. That is, they can be useful in identifying students with fraudulent behaviour. Therefore, it will require a combined effort of public, private academic and educational institutions and the society with affordable policies.
Originality/value
This study proposes a new, innovative framework summarising the balance between AI and academic integrity.
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Matthew J. Hickman, Alex R. Piquero, Zachary A. Powell and Jack Greene
Klockars et al. use scenario methodology to measure perceived seriousness, level of discipline warranted, and willingness to report fellow officers engaged in various negative…
Abstract
Purpose
Klockars et al. use scenario methodology to measure perceived seriousness, level of discipline warranted, and willingness to report fellow officers engaged in various negative behaviors. These data are used to characterize the occupational culture of integrity in a given agency, relative to other agencies. What remains unclear is whether these agency-level findings mask important meso- and micro-level variation in the data (i.e. at the precinct/district and officer levels) that may contribute to a more complete understanding of an agency’s culture of integrity. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
This study replicates and extends Klockars et al.’s work using data from a survey administered to 499 Philadelphia police officers, with the goal of both validating their methodological approach and exploring the need for multi-level theory in the study of police integrity. In addition to comparing the results from Philadelphia to those obtained by Klockars et al., the authors test for differences across officer demographics, and explore variance in the willingness to report various behaviors at both the officer- and district-levels.
Findings
Results indicate that bivariate relationships between officer-level demographics and willingness to report fellow officers are negated when controlling for theoretically relevant attitudinal variables such as cynicism and, consistent with Klockars et al., perceived seriousness of the underlying behavior. In addition, there is significant district-level variation in the average willingness to report fellow officers, and this variation can be explained by both organizational and environmental variables. On balance, the findings provide support for a multi-level approach to the study of police integrity.
Originality/value
While the Klockars et al. approach addresses macro-level variation in police integrity, this study contributes important findings at the meso- and micro-levels.
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