From plagiarism to progress: Assessing remote delivery of a post-discipline academic integrity intervention

Abstract

This paper explores the impact of the University of Manitoba’s Post-Discipline Educational (PDE) program: an institution-wide skills-based academic integrity intervention for supporting students following a finding of academic misconduct. This collaborative and holistic program launched in 2018, and provides tailored educational support from librarians, writing instructors, tutors, and academic integrity staff. While anecdotal evidence supports this educational programming, prior to this study no formal evaluation at our institution had examined its impact. This evaluation took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, creating an opportunity to gain insight on the impact of transitioning to an online learning environment in cases of academic misconduct. Results indicated that the PDE program positively affected students’ intention to seek supports related to their academic and non-academic needs, and increased students’ confidence in their academic skills and ability to avoid future academic misconduct. Findings also suggest that the pandemic may have been an influencing factor in students’ misconduct allegations and their ability to get back on track.