Kane Murdoch, an integrity officer at Macquarie University and a contract cheating expert, dives deep into the alarming rise of academic dishonesty. He discusses how technology, especially AI, complicates the integrity landscape. The conversation explores covert marketing tactics that lure students into contract cheating and critiques the biases in current plagiarism detection tools. Kane argues for transformative change in educational practices to better support students and uphold academic standards in the face of evolving challenges.
The rise of digital humans like AI and chatbots complicates academic integrity, raising ethical concerns regarding the authenticity of student work.
Contract cheating is increasingly common due to technological advances, as students seek third-party help to navigate academic pressures and expectations.
Educational institutions must reassess their focus on grades and foster a genuine appreciation for learning to combat rising cheating practices.
Deep dives
The Rise of Digital Humans and Ethical Concerns
The conversation delves into the emergence of digital humans, including chatbots and AI-generated content, highlighting their ethical implications in education. These technologies create concerns over authenticity, as they blur the lines between human and machine-generated work. As educational institutions adapt to advanced digital tools, there is a pressing need to consider the integrity of academic submissions, especially when AI can produce content that students may submit as their own. This shifting landscape necessitates a reassessment of how universities ensure the authenticity of student work.
Contract Cheating: Scale and Impact
The issue of contract cheating is exacerbated by the rise of technology, with many students turning to third-party services to complete their assignments. Estimates suggest that a significant percentage of students may engage in contract cheating, driven by various pressures such as time constraints and high expectations from educational institutions. Cases cited include instances where entire groups of students collaborated to pay for submitted work, illustrating the industrial scale of this phenomenon. This presents a challenge for universities, as they must grapple with the implications for academic integrity and quality of education.
Data-Driven Approaches to Cheating Detection
Innovative data-driven strategies are being employed to detect suspicious academic behaviors within universities. By analyzing learning management system logs, institutions can identify anomalies that may indicate contract cheating, such as unusual login patterns or a disproportionate focus on assessments. This proactive approach shifts the investigation from waiting for cases to be reported to actively monitoring student engagement. Such methods aim to highlight not just individual incidents but broader patterns that can signal systemic issues in academic integrity.
Impact of AI on Student Behaviors
The increasing sophistication of AI technology has created a new dynamic in academic dishonesty, sometimes making it feel less severe than traditional forms of cheating. Many students now utilize AI tools for assistance in their work, which complicates the traditional understanding of academic integrity. The conversation suggests that the presence of AI might actually lower the perceived risks associated with academic dishonesty, as students feel more confident in using these tools to complete tasks. This raises essential questions about how educational institutions can navigate the dual challenges posed by AI and contract cheating.
Reassessing the Value of Learning
A significant theme in the discussion is the need to re-evaluate the purpose and process of education amidst rising cheating practices. The current focus on grades and assessments often overshadows the intrinsic value of learning, leading to student apathy toward genuine education. With students increasingly viewing education as a transaction that leads to a degree, educators are challenged to foster a deeper appreciation for the learning journey itself. This shift requires not only reevaluating assessment methods but also engaging students in a way that emphasizes the lifelong benefits of learning beyond mere grades.
In this episode I speak with Kane Murdoch about the perils of contract cheating. As an integrity officer, he frames what's happening with "cheating" as an unlearning that we should all be paying attention to if we care about education. Recorded Feb 6, 2025. Released March 10, 2025.
Ellis, C., & Murdoch, K. (2024). The educational integrity enforcement pyramid: a new framework for challenging and responding to student cheating. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 49(7), 924–934. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2024.2329167
Lures and violent threats: old school cheating still rampant at Australian universities, even as AI rises — The Guardian
