| Technological advancements have allowed educational delivery methods to expand and change. A review of literature indicated that most prior research examining cheating in the college setting was conducted with students from traditional settings. Although studies have started to examine online learners, additional research on how type of student and student experiences relate to student behavior, particularly academic integrity is needed. The current study expanded existing literature on both intellectual development and academic integrity by examining a new combination of variables and relevant educational delivery methods. The purpose of this study was to examine how type of learning environment (traditional, online, or both) and depth of student experience (how many courses the student had taken) interacted with intellectual maturation and perceptions of cheating. Using a non-experimental design, data was collected from undergraduate college students on multiple campuses. A total of 200 completed online surveys that measured intellectual maturity and assessed perceptions of cheating were used for analysis. Correlation analysis indicated that age of learner and prior history of cheating were significantly related to perceptions of cheating. The results indicated that many factors were not significantly correlated with perceptions of cheating including type of learner experience, depth of learner experience, level of intellectual maturity, or gender. Using multiple regression, it was found that the combination of age of learner and prior history of cheating resulted in the largest effect on student perceptions of cheating. Using ANOVA, it was determined that levels of intellectual maturity and perceptions of cheating were not significantly different between groups when comparing type of student experience or depth of student experience. Results from both the hypotheses that were significant as well as those that were not significant provide practical information for those concerned about academic integrity in the college setting. Additionally, this study offered preliminary informaiton on the "hybrid" student as a starting point for future studies. |
