Reflections from the 2023 Canadian Symposium on Academic Integrity (CSAI) Conference | The Teaching & Learning Centre

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by Naomi Go, Project Manager, eLearning Specialist in the Teaching & Learning Centre

After a two-year hiatus, the Canadian Symposium on Academic Integrity (CSAI) conference resumed as an in-person conference, centering on the theme of looking to the future of academic integrity. Taking place at the University of Manitoba, over 100 attendees from over 40 post-secondary institutions, government agencies, and corporate sponsors gathered from across Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. The programming included sessions presenting original research (e.g., plagiarism, Indigenous perspectives on academic integrity), professional development, and panel sessions. Attendees were also able to take part in a fireside chat with Andrew Phung, star of CBC’s Kim’s Convenience and Run the Burbs. Andrew spoke about his definition of integrity and how it permeates all aspects of life.

As part of the programming, Cedar Leithead and myself, along with Kasha Visutskie from Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) were able to present our eCampusOntario VLS online game submission, Academic Integrity in Cyberspace, in the first morning session block. We had an engaged audience, got some great feedback, and fielded some interesting follow-up questions after the presentation, including one about recreating this game in French for a French-speaking student body. We were also able to share that the game would be part of an REB-approved project and preliminary research results would be available in the summer.

It was great to finish our presentation right at the start of the conference, so that we could breathe easy and enjoy the rest of the sessions! Among the many sessions, a few stood out to me, including one on exploring Indigenous perspectives of academic integrity by Dawn Cunningham Hall; “Ambivalence and uncertainty about academic integrity in international students; self-reports of using paid academic support services” by Joel Heng Hartse; and “Exploring official academic integrity data” by Anita Lam and Angelica McManus. The latter two sessions focused on international students and their experiences in post-secondary institutions, with respect to academic integrity violations. Hartse’s research revealed an increase of international students at the University of British Columbia using paid academic support services, but attempted to look at the reasons driving this increase and how they understand the ethics of their choices. Lam and McManus’ research looked at the learning systems in place at York University, stressed by the pandemic, which exacerbated poor assessment design and learner disengagement. At the same time, predatory third-party contract cheating services were on the rise, similar to the findings from Hartse’s research. Where Lam and McManus diverge is their analysis of the academic integrity violations data, comparing domestic and international students. What Lam and McManus found was that international students, specifically racialized students, are disproportionately represented in academic violation data. Lam and McManus stressed that it is important to recognize the limitations in data collection practices in order to create a rigorous standard of academic conduct that is at the same time anti-racist, equitable, inclusive, and diverse.

Next year, the CSAI conference will be held in Gatineau-Ottawa, but instead of a conference like this year, it will be a joint event between CSAI and the Partnership on University Plagiarisum Prevention (PUPP). Check out the format and the call for submissions if you’re interested!

Cedar reflects on her experience at the Conference (and more!) in our Integrity, Indigenization, and (Artificial) Intelligence Spark Plug article.

Upcoming from the Teaching & Learning Centre

The Teaching & Learning Summer Conference 2023 takes place at Newnham Campus on Aug. 24-25. This two-day conference will have a keynote speaker and featured presentations on teaching and assessment strategies, student engagement, and using technology in your classroom. (This is our Micro-teaching event!)

New Faculty Orientation takes place at Newnham Campus on Monday, Aug. 28. Join us and learn about the services and supports that impact teaching practice at Seneca.

^{Header photo source: Canadian Symposium on Academic Integrity 2023 landing page, 2023}

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