Josh Seeland

Bio: Josh Seeland is an academic researcher from Assiniboine Community College. The author has contributed to research in topics: Cheating & Academic integrity. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 2 publications receiving 4 citations.

Preventing online shopping for completed assessments: Protecting students by blocking access to contract cheating websites on institutional networks

Abstract: Contract cheating or “the outsourcing of student work to third parties” (Lancaster & Clarke, 2016, p. 639) is a type of academic misconduct that is growing and changing due to advancements in technology and the emergence of a lucrative, multi-million dollar per year industry that targets students relentlessly (Lancaster & Clarke, 2016). In an effort to protect students from engaging in contract cheating, three postsecondary institutions in Manitoba (i.e., Assiniboine Community College, Red River College, and the University of Manitoba) launched initiatives to block access to websites that offer contract cheating services from their networks. This initiative facilitated a preliminary examination of student activity on institutional networks. In any given month, a relatively large number of students (i.e., up to 3,519 unique users) were attempting to access websites identified as providing contract cheating services. We recognize that a single initiative will not eliminate academic misconduct, however, by combining various educational, protective, and preventative strategies, the likelihood that students will make ethical decisions regarding their academic work can be increased.

Mathematics and academic integrity: institutional support at a Canadian college

Abstract: Academic integrity at our small Canadian college is informed by several key frameworks and centred around teaching, learning, and proactive education. Mathematics assessments were quickly moved thr...

Teaching in a Time of Crisis

Abstract: Against the broader backdrop of histories and debates sketched out in earlier chapters, Chapter 3 focuses in detail on the life and work of Mouloud Feraoun, touching on other important figures including Jean Amrouche and Albert Camus. Feraoun was a successful novelist who remained dedicated to his work as a teacher in a French primary school, even when his work placed his life at threat from both sides in the Algerian war of independence (during which the FLN at one point called a boycott of French schools). He finished his life working for the CSEs (Centres sociaux 裵‎catifs) established by the French authorities during the war. The chapter tries to shed light on this heroic/anti-heroic commitment to education, and how we can understand, and perhaps justify, his decision to remain part of the colonial education system in the context of a violent anti-colonial war, despite his commitment to Algerian independence. [150]

Contract Cheating in Canada: A Comprehensive Overview

Abstract: Abstract In this chapter I present an overview of contract cheating in Canada over half a century, from 1970 to the early 2020s. I offer details about a failed attempt at legislation to make ghostwritten essays and exams illegal in Ontario in 1972. Then, I highlight a 1989 criminal case, noted as being the first of its kind in Canada, and possibly the Commonwealth, in which an essay mill owner and his wife were charged with fraud and conspiracy. The case was dismissed by the judge, leaving the contract cheating industry to flourish, which it has done. I synthesize the scant empirical data available for Canada and offer an educated estimate of the prevalence of contract cheating. Finally, I conclude with a call to action for educators, advocates, and policy makers. I conclude with a call to action for Canadians to take a stronger stance against contract cheating.

Promoting Academic Integrity and Student Learning in Online Biology Courses

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an abrupt shift in biology courses, with many transitioning to online instruction. This has led to an increased concern about academic integrity and cheating in online courses. Here, I draw upon the peer-reviewed literature to provide evidence-based answers to four questions concerning cheating and online biology courses: (i) What types of cheating are prevalent with the shift to online instruction? (ii) Should instructors make assessments open book and open notes? (iii) How does cheating occur in biology lab courses? (iv) Finally, what strategies can biology instructors take to uphold academic integrity with online learning? I frame these answers not only around academic integrity but on the potential impacts on student learning and discuss some strategies that may not only deter cheating but also promote greater student learning.