Decoding Academic Integrity Policies: A Corpus Linguistics Investigation of AI and Other Technological Threats

Abstract

This study provides a corpus analysis of academic integrity policies from Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) worldwide, exploring how they address the emerging issues posed by novel technological threats, such as Automated Paraphrasing Tools (APTs) and Generative-Artificial Intelligence (Gen-AI) tools, such as ChatGPT.The analysis of 142 policies conducted in both November 2022 and May 2023 revealed a significant gap regarding the mention of AI and associated technologies in publicly available academic integrity policies. Despite the growing prevalence of these tools in the six-month period since the release of ChatGPT, no HEIs have produced a revised academic integrity policy. Content analysis of 53 guidance documents produced by HEIs suggests an overall positive perception of Gen-AI tools, with a note of caution.This study suggests a modification to Bretag' et al.'s (2011) exemplary academic integrity model by introducing "Technological Explicitness", emphasizing the need to include explicit guidelines about new technologies in academic integrity policies. The results underscore the urgent need for HEIs to revise their academic integrity policies, considering the evolving landscape of AI and its implications for academic integrity. This paper argues for a multifaceted approach to deal with the issues of integrating technology, education, policy reform, and assessment restructuring to navigate these challenges while upholding academic integrity.

Challenges and Opportunities of Generative AI for Higher Education as Explained by ChatGPT

“…A recent study found evidence of a clear absence of clarity regarding the use of ChatGPT and similar GenAI tools in academic policies. Out of 142 HEIs surveyed in May 2023, only one explicitly prohibited the use of AI [43]. This is an important finding as there is evidence to suggest that academic dishonesty is inversely related to understanding and acceptance of academic integrity policies [44,45].…”

Academic publisher guidelines on AI usage: A ChatGPT supported thematic analysis

“…AI-generated submissions to academic journals have been described as a ‘coming tsunami’ ( Tate et al , 2023 ) and it has been claimed that publishers need to anticipate the potential of wholly AI-generated submissions ( Anderson et al , 2023 ). To date, much of the focus in academia has been on the use of GenAI tools such as ChatGPT, thanks to their human-like text production capabilities ( Perkins, 2023a ; Perkins & Roe, 2023 ), although other AI tools such as Elicit have also shown promise in summarising literature and identifying source material ( Roe et al , 2023 ). Such capabilities have fuelled the debate on the positive and negative impacts of GenAI on scholarly work.…”

“…The rapid advancement of AI technologies and their increasing application in various domains has underscored the need for comprehensive policy analysis and ethical considerations. Despite the widespread use of digital and AI technologies, only a small percentage of higher education institutions (HEIs) have developed formal policies surrounding their use since the launch of ChatGPT ( Perkins & Roe, 2023 ; Xiao et al , 2023 ). Just as HEIs had to quickly develop policies and guidelines on students’ use of GenAI tools, academic publishers were also forced to consider how to manage the use of GenAI tools by authors.…”

The Artificial Intelligence Assessment Scale (AIAS): A Framework for Ethical Integration of Generative AI in Educational Assessment

“…As a potential solution, we propose an AIAS in which educational institutions can adapt to their needs. The AIAS is a response to these broader concerns, amid calls to delineate the appropriate use of GenAI tools in education (Perkins & Roe, 2023b), design curricula with GenAI in mind (Bahroun et al, 2023), set clear guidelines for when and how GenAI can be used (Cotton et al, 2023), and support transparency in GenAI usage (Perkins & Roe, 2023a). Given that few global HEIs have developed clear policies for AI, let alone the more specific and novel field of Generative AI (Perkins & Roe, 2023b;Xiao et al, 2023), being able to employ a practical technique that fits within the wider constraints of a broader HE Institution policy is potentially of significant benefit to educators and students.…”

“…We recognise that providing a scale-based solution for GenAI tool usage needs additional context and urge HEIs to continue developing GenAI policies and student-facing guidelines that are flexible enough to cover the rapidly developing field while still allowing for the core elements of academic integrity to be considered. Recent work has demonstrated the slow speed of HEIs in creating formal policy documentation (Fowler et al, 2023;Perkins & Roe, 2023b;Xiao et al, 2023); however, guidelines and supporting multimedia content can be an effective way to provide additional context to how GenAI tools might be used in a safe and ethical manner. These guidelines may cover areas such as the ethics of GenAI tool usage, explaining how these tools can be cited and used in a transparent manner, exploring the limitations and biases of GenAI tools, and addressing security and privacy concerns.…”