| A decade of growth and innovation in the field of online learning has had significant impact upon the nation's postsecondary institutions. Each year, the growth rate of online enrollment has surpassed that of overall enrollment rates of postsecondary institutions, and along with that growth, serious concerns regarding the integrity of online courses have emerged. Federal requirements for authentication have been adopted for postsecondary institutions offering online courses, and student cheating via the Internet has increased. Current methods of prevention and detection may be effective but not address the scope of the problem, as research indicates that up to 41% of online students have admitted to cheating in their online classes (Lanier, 2006).;A systematic literature review was conducted to determine the nature and scope of the problem of academic integrity in online classes at postsecondary institutions, and on community college campuses in particular, where online enrollment rates are higher than those of four-year institutions. Inclusion criteria for the review were studies at diverse institutions in the United States and Europe among varieties of college majors and levels because research of online learning at community colleges was very limited. The literature review also expanded to include evaluation of the effectiveness of technology that has been developed to prevent and detect academic dishonesty.;The application of an evidence-based analysis of the literature revealed important findings that students are cheating by engaging in unauthorized collusion and plagiarism. Furthermore, determinants of dishonest behavior were identified as neutralization or justification of the act, peer influences, unclear definitions of academic dishonesty, and a perceived opportunity to cheat. Other evidence indicated further contributions to the problem: faculty are often reluctant to report cheating, they may underestimate the extent of the problem of cheating, and they also have unclear definitions of academic dishonesty, even among themselves.;In addition to evidence of the problem, the literature review determined that there are instructional and technological innovations that are useful in preventing and detecting cheating. Adopting an honor code, incorporating ethics into the curriculum, utilizing authentication technologies and plagiarism detection programs, and engaging students through course design and activities to promote moral reasoning can be useful for preventing academic dishonesty. Furthermore, management challenges, including procedural and cultural challenges, were revealed through an analysis of the literature.;Also, relevant behavioral and management theories that provide meaningful perspectives on the causes and prevention of cheating and online courses were applied to the problem. A thorough review and analysis of the literature has led to the description of more efforts to address the problem of academic integrity in online classes for community colleges. Based upon an analysis of the evidence and the application of behavioral theory, a conceptual model is presented to illustrate how a community college can promote academic integrity in online classes. |
