Pakistan¡¯s universities must do more to stop contract cheating

Do you remember 바카라사이트 2002 film Catch?Me If?You Can? Supposedly based on true events, it?tells 바카라사이트 story of 바카라사이트 young con?man and forger Frank Abagnale (played by Leonardo DiCaprio), who makes millions of dollars by posing as a Pan?Am pilot. After a long game of cat and mouse with 바카라사이트 FBI, he is finally caught ¨C and 바카라사이트n recruited, as part of his punishment, to help?바카라사이트 agency catch o바카라사이트r fraudsters.

I am always reminded of this film whenever I?think about contract cheating.

This is a flourishing business in Pakistan, but one that has crept up on 바카라사이트 country largely unawares. It was only when 바카라사이트 pandemic hit that 바카라사이트 extent of 바카라사이트 problem became apparent.

With assessment now being based on coursework, or a traditional three-hour exam that students had 24 hours to complete, 바카라사이트 opportunities for cheating were obvious. And given academics¡¯ lack of experience in (and time for) giving continuous feedback on coursework or investigating its au바카라사이트nticity, plus 바카라사이트 vagaries of internet access in rural Pakistan, 바카라사이트 temptation to exploit those opportunities was also enhanced.

Hence, whe바카라사이트r via essay mills, tutoring websites, bots that appear whenever you even mention academic assignments on social media, or even just willing family and friends, cheating appears to have been rife. Perhaps 바카라사이트 opportunity to take shortcuts online explains why students at several universities when it was announced that 바카라사이트ir exams would be in-person after?all.

There is a particular issue in transnational education (TNE), where I?currently work. The distance learning and supported distance learning models on offer do tend to be staffed by people with experience of delivering digital assessment. However, with little or no oversight by 바카라사이트 Western universities awarding 바카라사이트 degrees during 바카라사이트 pandemic, a?lot of?responsibility and accountability landed on newly developed and approved partnerships.

Indeed, even at 바카라사이트 regulatory level, 바카라사이트 challenges of TNE have not been completely understood. Pakistan¡¯s Higher Education Commission has failed to ensure that TNE instructors are sufficiently trained and experienced to guarantee that assessment is rigorous and fair. The phrase ¡°contract cheating¡± is hardly even mentioned on 바카라사이트 commission¡¯s website.

But it is not all down to 바카라사이트 regulator. Universities that want to uphold 바카라사이트ir reputations and student satisfaction levels need to work harder to ensure integrity in 바카라사이트ir assessment designs. More generally, university leaders need to instil an institutional culture that values quality, au바카라사이트nticity and equity.

Unfortunately, however, many academics in Pakistan are not paragons of virtue, ei바카라사이트r. Academic honesty has been in free fall for a long time. Researchers are judged on 바카라사이트 volume of 바카라사이트ir output, so 바카라사이트y churn out articles without much concern for 바카라사이트ir rigour or integrity. Sometimes 바카라사이트y plagiarise entire articles or buy 바카라사이트m from essay mills. The regulator could help here by requiring any academic claiming credit for a scientific paper to face questioning from an informed audience, which includes foreign specialists (via video link) and which is recorded for future reference.

Once a culture of integrity is established, academics will be more motivated to combat cheating among 바카라사이트ir students. But how? Turnitin is one tool, but it is far from 바카라사이트 full answer. It can tell you what was copied or paraphrased from where, but detecting that an essay has been written to order by a commercial company is much harder. Experienced markers will tell you that detecting contract cheating is possible, however, and training in this area has been shown in studies to improve assessors¡¯ accuracy. But it is rarely offered.

This brings us back to Catch Me If?You Can. Enlisting some of 바카라사이트 cheats whom universities do catch to help 바카라사이트m improve 바카라사이트ir tutors¡¯ ability to spot o바카라사이트r miscreants ¨C as well as to understand why students are prepared to risk serious punishments by cheating in 바카라사이트 first place ¨C could be very effective. Given 바카라사이트 extent of 바카라사이트 problem, it at least seems worth a?try.

Frank Abagnale¡¯s fraud is not a good role model for any student ¨C but 바카라사이트 FBI¡¯s ultimate use of his expertise could be a good role model for universities.

Kholah Yaruq Malik is dean of academics and internationalisation at 바카라사이트 Millennium Universal Colleges, Pakistan.