Universities urged to crack down on contract cheating

The Sydney Morning Herald 06 October 2017

Universities are being urged to block websites that sell essays, identify cheating ‘hot spots’ and consider publishing data on breaches of academic integrity, writes Henrietta Cook for The Sydney Morning Herald.

As universities grapple with a rise in contract cheating – which involves students outsourcing assessments – Australia's higher education watchdog has unveiled new guidelines to tackle the issue. Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Chief Executive Anthony McClaran said cheating put the reputation of Australia's higher education system at risk, and could endanger employers and the integrity of qualifications.

A recent survey by University of South Australia Associate Professor Tracey Bretag – who helped create the guidelines – found that 6% of Australian students engaged in cheating. The survey also revealed that 68% of academics had encountered what they suspected was cheating.
Full report on The Sydney Morning Herald site

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