Outbreak

Higher education

Pathology

Psychology

Virology

Neuroscience

Political science

Perception

Cheating

Disease

Academic integrity

Misconduct

Online learning

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Computer science

Multimedia

Medical education

Infectious disease (medical specialty)

Medicine

Social psychology

Pandemic

International Journal for Educational Integrity

This paper explores the perceptions of academic staff and students to student cheating behaviours in online exams and other online assessment formats. The research took place at three Australian universities in July and August 2020 during the emergency transition to online learning and assessment in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study sought to inform decision making about the future of online exams at the participating universities. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using online surveys. The findings of the study led to seven key observations, most notably the need to redefine the characteristics of academic misconduct to account for changes wrought to examinations in a digital world. The study concludes with lessons learned in relation to enhancing academic integrity in digital examinations and assessments.

Responding to the COVID-19 emergency: student and academic staff perceptions of academic integrity in the transition to online exams at three Australian universities