In the media

A survey of 1,054 students in the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia found that 92% of students had some knowledge of academic integrity issues, from how to avoid plagiarism, to the consequences of cheating, to where to get help with references. The majority had heard about these issues from a member of the academic staff, showing a promising trend towards open communication within institutions about academic integrity. There were differences between male and female respondents, with male students being more aware of the workshops offered by their university while female students were more familiar with the concept of avoiding plagiarism. The survey also highlights the importance of academic integrity and provides useful information for educators.

Replacing written exams or coursework with oral assessment may help to stop potentially high levels of cheating by students in universities in Gulf States. While the exact number of cases of academic dishonesty in Arab countries is not known, cheating is likely to be fairly widespread thanks to deeply ingrained cultural reasons, according to a paper published in the journal Innovations in Education and Teaching International.