Academic Integrity Movement

Fuad Facruddin

ON October 18th was the International Day of Action for Academic Integrity (ICAI). ICAI is an international institution that continuously carries out studies and movements to promote academic integrity as a culture in society.

For this year's commemoration, ICAI took the theme Championing academic integrity in the age of AI. This theme aims to encourage educators and students to actively play a leading role in maintaining academic integrity in their educational institutions and in society in general, especially in the digital era which is significantly influenced by the presence of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education (ICAI, 2023 ).

Maintaining the integrity of scientific work and overcoming the consequences of academic behavior that is not in line with the basic principles of academic integrity should be our focus in the global era (Gallant, Rettinger, 2022:7; Luck, Chugh, Turnbull, Pember, 2022:152).

The urgency of the integrity movement

Academic Academic integrity plays an important role in education, reflects individual character, and is highly regarded by society as a parameter for evaluating educational institutions (Bjelobaba, Glendinning, Krásnican, Dlabolová, 2022: 4). Violations of integrity in higher education receive a strong response from society (Twomey, White, Sagendorf, 2008: 1).

Academic dishonesty, including at the global higher education level, poses a serious threat to the efficiency, public trust and integrity of educational institutions, as well as a global challenge for universities (Eckstein, 2003: 17).

The practice of dishonesty is increasingly widespread, both on an individual and systematic scale, with increasing efforts to restrict it from society and the world of education (Eckstein, 2003: 18).

The internet facilitates acts of dishonesty, such as sabotage, publication without permission, fabrication of information, and claims without permission (Mata, Lazar, Ghiatau, 2020: 92).

Dishonesty during school can have an impact on behavior in the world of work, with a strong relationship detected between academic dishonesty and unethical behavior in the work environment (Ridwan, Diantimala, 2021: 3).

Academic integrity

Integrity, derived from the Latin integer which means whole, reflects ideal human behavior, in line with personal qualities such as honesty and trustworthiness. Individuals with integrity are willing to reveal the truth regardless of risks and admit mistakes if past policies are proven wrong (Macfarlane: 2009).

The development of the field of academic integrity stems from 20th century research on cheating, dishonesty, and moral growth. Initial research by Kohlberg in 1981 and follow-up research by Rest et al in 1999 became the basis for current academic integrity research and practice (Gallant, Rettinger, 2022:1).

Since 1992, ICAI has been actively developing this field, with recent publications reflecting the results of research over the last 30 years (Gallant, Rettinger, 2022:4).

Academic integrity involves values such as honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility in the context of learning, teaching, and research. It is important for students, teachers, researchers and professionals to act honestly, responsibly and demonstrate fairness. Academic integrity plays a key role in the reputation of individuals and educational institutions.

As a commitment to basic values such as honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage, academic integrity is the basis for quality education. This includes adherence to principles, ethical standards, and professional practices. These values guide ethical decision making and actions in various educational, research and scholarship contexts (Bjelobaba, Glendinning, Krásnican, Dlabolová, 2022: 4).

Academic integrity is a commitment to six basic values; honest, trustworthy, fair, respectful, responsible and brave, which is reflected in daily actions. By upholding these values, the entire academic community builds an effective environment with high standards of integrity. These fundamental values form the basis of learning, teaching and assessment practice, forming the ability to make ethical decisions and behave ethically (ICAI, 2013; Bjelobaba, Glendinning, Krásnican, Dlabolová, 2022: 4).

Building a culture of academic integrity

Building a culture of academic integrity and eliminating academic corrupt practices is a complex task. Two key aspects need to be considered; First, all parties must be committed to the view that education is a journey of learning, seeking, acquiring and building knowledge. Achieving high academic grades should be seen as a positive result of the learning process. Education must be interpreted as a journey of 'becoming', where the goal is to become a knowledgeable and ethical individual (Lathrop, Foss, 2005: xvi).

Second, from a psychological perspective, research shows that individuals with a high academic self-concept rarely engage in academic dishonesty (Rinn, Boazman, 2017: 89).

Academic self-concept, namely a person's perception of their academic abilities, influences learning success, especially for students with high abilities. Students who have high abilities and better self-control are less likely to be involved in academic dishonesty (Rinn, Boazman, 2017: 92).

Third, understanding religion contributes to reducing the desire to commit academic dishonesty. Research findings show that someone who has good religious beliefs and understanding of religion tends to have very little interest in committing academic dishonesty.

The content of the material taught in religious education helps in developing moral aspects and positive attitudes in students. Moral values and positive attitudes that are instilled through religious guidance can reduce the desire to behave unethically and dishonestly. Because students gain a good understanding and responsibility for their actions, both good and bad (Ridwan, Diantimala, 2021: 26).

Fourth, the use of AI in education aims to increase learning efficiency and the overall quality of education. For example, with the help of AI, we can create customized learning methods and learning resources specifically for each learner. By utilizing assessment data and analyzing the relationships between various knowledge using computers, we can provide a more accurate diagnosis regarding the difficulties faced by students (Yu & Yu, 2021: 14).

The concept of friendly AI is in line with the goals of using AI in this field. Friendly in this context means having motivation, encouragement and values that are in accordance with humanity. The software developed is not designed to harm humanity, but rather to strengthen the learning experience that is always present and sustainable (Todorov, 2023: 6).

Fuad Fachruddin, Supervisory Board of the Sukma Foundation, Lecturer at the FITK UIN Jakarta Postgraduate Program. This article was published on Kompas.com on Monday 04 December 2023, 05:15 IWST with the title "Academic Integrity Generation", Source: https://mediaindonesia.com/opini/634543/mobilan-integrita-akademik