The study, which launched on 30 March 2023 and is funded by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education’s (QAA) Collaborative Enhancement Projects scheme, aims to engage students inclusively in learning and developing academic integrity skills.
The project, titled The Improvement of Student Learning by Linking Inclusion/Accessibility and Academic Integrity, is the result of a 15-month-long collaboration between lead researchers at Oxford Brookes University, the University of Westminster, and colleagues based at the Bloomsbury Institute and University of Southampton. Stephen Bunbury, Senior Lecturer in Law, Dr Sylvie Bacquet, Principal Lecturer in Law, and Dr Claire Robertson, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Public Health, formed the Westminster team of researchers.
Acknowledging difficulties imposed on the Higher Education journey for students from diverse backgrounds - such as BAME students, international students, and students with disabilities - the project ran focus groups with University of Westminster students to explore their perspectives and experiences with academic integrity. Student Academic Integrity Champion roles, which are currently held by Kanwar Verma, Madeline Heatherington and Zahistha Begum Raj Gafoor, were developed, and downloadable interactive activities and guidance created for two purposes: first, to guide colleagues to facilitate delivery of inclusive and accessible academic integrity education using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles; second to enhance student understanding of why academic integrity is important in their work.
The Westminster Student Academic Integrity Champions have also produced two YouTube videos explaining the concept of academic integrity and a guide to referencing.
Speaking about the project, the Institutional team at Westminster said: “As a team we have learnt that raising awareness of academic integrity through education incorporating the student voice is key to ensuring we minimise academic misconduct in an inclusive manner. Use of our resources can help ensure academic integrity is embedded in course design and delivery. These were designed to be useful for academic, professional services colleagues and students. Working collaboratively alongside both external colleagues and our students added value to how much we learnt from this project.”
Zahistha, one of the students currently acting as an Academic Integrity Champion, added: "Being an Academic Integrity Champion has given me a sense of understanding and shared responsibility. Whilst helping others achieve their academic goals, I’ve learnt many things and so being an Academic Integrity Champion has been one of the best things I’ve experienced in my academic life."
Find out more about Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Westminster.
