Correlational and path analyses were used to examine the effects of four situations on self-reported ethical behaviors on four primary ethical dimensions among undergraduate communication students. The four situations are: students' ethical beliefs, students' perceptions of professors' ethical beliefs, and students' perceptions of ethical beliefs…

A series of highly publicized cases of alleged fraud in the Australian academic community are described. Each case reveals an apparent failure of peer review. The right to pursue investigations and make comments that may offend powerful figures within the scholarly community is precarious. (MLW)

A survey of 2,256 teachers, testing coordinators, principals, and superintendents on ethical issues related to norm-referenced test (NRT) administration and practice found that 44 percent believed that colleagues engage in practices that are blatant cheating, and 78 percent believed that teaching information only because it is on the test occurs.…

A survey of 549 biomedical trainees (graduate and postdoctoral students, medical students, residents, fellows) investigated training in research ethics, observation of scientific misconduct, and willingness to select, omit, or fabricate data to win a grant or publish a paper. The efficacy of current ethics instruction is questioned. (Author/MSE)

This digest organizes the complex and interrelated issues concerned with student discipline into four questions, and suggests ways in which colleges and universities can deal with the issues raised. In answering the first question about what might be a proper role for institutions to play in student discipline, it suggests that an appropriate…

Some of the major research in the area of assessment, concentrating on distance learning, is reviewed, and a strategy that can be used as a guideline for assessment of distance learning, and particularly World Wide Web-based courses, is introduced. A review of assessment strategies confirms that a balance between knowledge acquisition and…

Focusing on the role of the community college in promoting academic integrity, this paper provides a review of the literature and a case study describing the development of a relevant college-wide policy. First, a general overview of the role of colleges in promoting values is presented. Next, the literature review on cheating and plagiarism in…

Some examinees' test-taking behavior may be so idiosyncratic that their scores are not comparable to the scores of more typical examinees. Appropriateness indices, which provide quantitative measures of response-pattern atypicality, can be viewed as statistics for testing a null hypothesis of normal test-taking behavior against an alternative…

Some aspects of the white-Indian relationship are reflected in the writings of 16th and 17th century observers of Indian pastimes. The Noble Savage image was apparently accepted by French colonists as a consequence of an intellectual disappointment in the contemporary societies. In an age of absolutism and religious intolerance, the picture of the…

The result of a study designed to assess student attitudes toward grading practices are discussed. Questionnaire responses of 3439 students in three institutions were tabulated. Responses were generally negative toward conventional grading systems. (MS)

There are few certifying or recertifying examinations in the medical field that are given in a take-home format. This stems from a concern that examinees may discuss items with peers, or save copies of items on the exam and then pass them on to others. This study examined if item exposure on take-home examinations influences the difficulty of the…

This research provides lengthy proof of a principle of social science known as Campbell's law: "The more any quantitative social indicator is used for social decision-making, the more subject it will be to corruption pressures and the more apt it will be to distort and corrupt the social processes it is intended to monitor." Applying…

Giving tests and assigning grades are stated to be important aspects of teachers' responsibility for facilitating student learning. Opposition to testing is discussed, objections are criticized, and beneficial consequences of evaluation are listed. It is maintained that tests do not cause cheating, or excessive discouragement, competition, or…

Academic dishonesty in post-secondary education is a widespread, insidious and global problem. Business educators hosting foreign students locally and teaching abroad more than ever need to understand the nuances and attitudes of different student populations and how these differences may manifest themselves in a course. This research contributes…

This legal compendium focuses on the difficult and volatile issues of student discipline in cases of both academic and nonacademic misconduct. Part I lists non-academic codes from University of Michigan, Yale College, Vanderbilt University, University of Iowa, City University of New York, Baylor University, Columbia University, George Washington…