Beyond honour codes: bringing students into the academic integrity equation

Honour codes represent a successful and unique, student-led, 'bottomup' approach to the promotion of academic integrity (AI). With increased flexibility, globalisation and distance or blended education options, most institutions operate in very different climates and cultures from the US institutions that have a long-established culture of honour codes and societies. To explore the viability of a student-led academic integrity intervention similar to honour codes, we conducted a two-year national project. Forty students from three Australian universities participated in focus groups. Interviews were conducted with 45 participants occupying academic, student affairs and student representation roles at 22 of Australia's 39 universities. Our findings revealed how students currently engage (and how they prefer to engage) with the concept of AI and their views regarding student-led AI and the use of academic honour codes. The outcome of our exploration was the launch of the first AI student society in Australia.