Introduction
Academic quality and credibility of institutional degrees are reflected in academic standards set out by institutions with the ability to uphold academic integrity principles. Higher education institutions are frequently challenged to ensure student’s understanding of the academic integrity (AI) core values. Recent proactive shifts in educational institutions from punitive consequences to educative value-based methods of teaching AI concepts enhance opportunities for pro-active teachable moments (Bertram Gallant, 2008, 2011; Cole & Kiss, 2000). Better education is a more effective mechanism for reducing cheating, such as plagiarism and academic misconduct (Fishman, 2016, p. 15).
How can learners show the world they are knowledgeable about academic integrity? How can institutions prove learners can explore and assess real life scenarios ethically through the values of honesty, trust, respect, fairness, responsibility and courage? The IntegrityMatters open access application with digital badging offers an innovative approach to address these challenges. Six fundamental values of integrity: trust, honesty, respect, responsibility, courage, and fairness (International Center for Academic Integrity, 2014) form the foundation of this award-winning mobile academic integrity training (Hanbidge, McKenzie, Scholz, & Tin, 2019). Academic integrity (AI) “refers to a set of conventions that scholars follow in their work, and which generates credibility, trust, and respect within the academic community” (http://www.yorku.ca/spark/academic_integrity).
Learners can earn a digital badge when successfully completing the AI lessons in the IntegrityMatters app by scoring 75% or higher on all six module quizzes. Issuing digital badges provides excellent visibility and credibility to the IntegrityMatters app that aspires to improve student engagement with AI material. The digital badges provide an opportunity to promote the importance of AI while also exploring the use of badge credentialing to recognize completion of a learning experience, and to develop trust and credibility on social media. The badges were developed via CanCred Factory (https://cancred.ca), a cloud-based system that can be exported to learner’s LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Google+ profiles. Given that many university programs include a component of work experience (e.g. co-op, field education, experiential learning) and all are preparing students for eventual employment (Billet, 2009), it is incumbent upon educational institutions to ensure their students are prepared to effectively integrate AI training and to share them visually through social media.
