Ethical frameworks and ‘poor academic practice’ in e-learning environments.
Key words: plagiarism, poor academic practice, ethics, higher education
School of Social Sciences
University College, Winchester
School of Social Sciences
University College, Winchester
email: Mike.Hart@winchester.ac.uk
The media in the UK and elsewhere report growing incidences of plagiarism in higher education institutions. In particular, they feature articles about the additional potential for plagiarism which the Internet poses for students. One of the most high-profile cases reported involved IT students at the University of Edinburgh.
This paper will look at plagiarism in the context of the teaching of professional ethics in higher education and in Business Schools in particular. It will also consider the growing pressures on students to do well in assessments – given the greater number of graduates in the UK and the fact that the number of graduate-level jobs has not kept pace with the increase in graduate numbers.
The London Business School was the first university in the UK to establish a chair in Business Ethics in 1995 (Professor Jack Mahoney). However, the post was disestablished on the retirement of Professor Mahoney some years later. So, the teaching of professional ethics in UK universities is noticeable by its absence. It should also be noted that the formal teaching of religious education in state schools in the UK has been in decline for a number of years.
Plagiarism does not exist in a vacuum and questions have to asked about the context in which institutions (schools and universities) try to enforce regulations about plagiarism. What ethical framework do they provide for students?
Approaches to the teaching of professional ethics will also be considered in the context of different cultures. In particular, the author will examine current practice in the teaching of the subject in universities in the USA.