Academic integrity in the online learning environment for health sciences students

Area of Science:

• Health Sciences Education
• Online Learning
• Academic Integrity

Background:

• Online learning offers accessibility but presents challenges to academic integrity in health sciences education.
• Technological advancements introduce new forms of academic dishonesty, often lacking clear definitions.
• Clarifying academic dishonesty is crucial for maintaining educational standards in digital environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess an educational intervention designed to enhance knowledge and attitudes regarding academic integrity among health sciences students in online settings.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of targeted education in promoting ethical conduct within virtual academic environments.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental, pre-post test study design was employed.
• The Survey of Online Learning Knowledge and Attitudes (SOLKA) was utilized for data collection.
• Participants included 355 health sciences students across nursing, pre-medical, and exercise physiology disciplines, divided into control and intervention groups.

Main Results:

• The intervention group showed a significantly greater improvement in post-intervention knowledge scores compared to the control group (p=0.001).
• Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in attitude scores, with the intervention group showing greater gains (p<0.001).
• Exposure to academic integrity information positively correlated with improved attitudes.

Conclusions:

• Educational interventions are effective in improving students' understanding and attitudes toward academic integrity in online learning.
• Emphasizing academic integrity is vital for preparing health sciences students for professional conduct in a technologically evolving field.
• Recommendations are provided for instructors to foster a culture of academic integrity in online health sciences courses.