title: Contract cheating and academic integrity in higher education: What can universities, governments and quality assurance agencies do to understand, prevent and respond to the challenge?

authors: Williamson, Myra Elsie Jane Bell

subjects: contract cheating

abstract: There is a global challenge to higher education posed by “contract cheating”. “Contract cheating” occurs when a student contracts a third party to create an assignment for them, and then the student submits it as their own work. Usually money changes hands, but not always. This particularly insidious form of cheating has been exacerbated by the commodification of higher education and the increasingly popular “sharing economy”. Contract cheating not only threatens the academic integrity of the individual student’s grades and their degree, it also raises suspicion about all the degrees awarded by an institution. Globally, universities have been struggling to combat contract cheating. This paper defines and describes the problem and then summarizes the findings of recent research and offers a comprehensive set of solutions. New Zealand was one of the first countries to criminalize contract cheating. A legal approach is a solution which every country needs to consider because it directly targets the commercial entities creating the product. A pedagogical approach requires universities to be proactive and there are many things which universities can do to manage the problem. A quality assurance approach can involve national quality assurance agencies working with government departments and tertiary education providers to conduct research and provide guidance to all universities. All three approaches are discussed here. This paper draws on recent research produced by accreditation agencies, individual researchers, and university organizations. It refers to contract cheating research in selected countries-especially New Zealand, Australia and the UK-to counteract contract cheating. The solutions proposed here will be of interest to all universities, quality assurance agencies and governments because contract cheating is a global problem which challenges the academic integrity of every higher education institution.

text: Contract cheating and academic integrity in higher education: What can universities, governments and quality assurance agencies do to understand, prevent and respond to the challenge? There is a global challenge to higher education posed by “contract cheating”. “Contract cheating” occurs when a student contracts a third party to create an assignment for them, and then the student submits it as their own work. Usually money changes hands, but not always. This particularly insidious form of cheating has been exacerbated by the commodification of higher education and the increasingly popular “sharing economy”. Contract cheating not only threatens the academic integrity of the individual student’s grades and their degree, it also raises suspicion about all the degrees awarded by an institution. Globally, universities have been struggling to combat contract cheating. This paper defines and describes the problem and then summarizes the findings of recent research and offers a comprehensive set of solutions. New Zealand was one of the first countries to criminalize contract cheating. A legal approach is a solution which every country needs to consider because it directly targets the commercial entities creating the product. A pedagogical approach requires universities to be proactive and there are many things which universities can do to manage the problem. A quality assurance approach can involve national quality assurance agencies working with government departments and tertiary education providers to conduct research and provide guidance to all universities. All three approaches are discussed here. This paper draws on recent research produced by accreditation agencies, individual researchers, and university organizations. It refers to contract cheating research in selected countries-especially New Zealand, Australia and the UK-to counteract contract cheating. The solutions proposed here will be of interest to all universities, quality assurance agencies and governments because contract cheating is a global problem which challenges the academic integrity of every higher education institution.

year: 2019

title: Family myths in oral history: The unsettled narratives of descendants of a missionary-settler family in New Zealand

authors: Moodie, Jane

abstract: The ramifications of family myths used in the narrative construction of lives are explored in the light of Alistair Thomson's model of remembering and concept of composure. Just as public legends have been shown to shape the remembering of individual experience, so the myths of a family shape the narrative construction of lives of members of that family. Family myths may be seen as those beliefs that members of a family hold about themselves, their family, and the society in which they live, arising out of their shared history. The investigation focuses on members of one large extended family, the first of whom arrived in New Zealand in 1823 as missionaries to the Maori. Among their many children, several were involved in the Anglican Church and with Maori, while others became wealthy landowners. The life narratives of 52 descendants of these missionaries were recorded using an interactive interviewing technique. It is the first study of its kind in New Zealand, and possibly further afield, throwing light on the multitude of ways members of a particular family can create a usable past out of their common history. 
Family myths are shown to be fundamental in the construction of memory, and a powerful component in the process of negotiating narratives. The myths arising from the missionary-settler background of this family are multiple. They fall into four main groups: myths associated with land and landownership, those concerned with class and refinement; those concerned with religion and the family's dual tradition as Dissenters and as part of the Anglican hierarchy; and finally those concerned with the Williams family's special relationship with Maori arising from the missionary past. It is argued that family memory and myths are collective memory, the family a mnemonic community. Some of the ways in which family myths are formed and passed on are revealed in the testimonies. 
It is also shown that the narratives in this cohort were lacking in composure. Within individual narratives there is considerable overlap and interaction between the many different family myths, and also between these and public ideologies such as egalitarianism and biculturalism. Some may interact synergetically, but often they are in conflict. In addition, myths are shown to be subject to gradual metamorphosis according to changing external circumstances. The construction of memory requires constant adjustments to accommodate these conflicting and ever-changing myths. Life narrative remains always partial, provisional and open-ended. We may try to compose our memories in the sense of a process, but we cannot achieve composure, a product. It is suggested that oral historians should reconsider the concept of composure in the analysis of memory and narrative. 
Particular family myths may also allow narrators to embed themselves deeply into history, extending their links into both past and future well beyond the reach of their own life-spans. The use of myths in this way may also allow narrators to make claims to legitimacy, indigeneity and destiny.

text: Family myths in oral history: The unsettled narratives of descendants of a missionary-settler family in New Zealand The ramifications of family myths used in the narrative construction of lives are explored in the light of Alistair Thomson's model of remembering and concept of composure. Just as public legends have been shown to shape the remembering of individual experience, so the myths of a family shape the narrative construction of lives of members of that family. Family myths may be seen as those beliefs that members of a family hold about themselves, their family, and the society in which they live, arising out of their shared history. The investigation focuses on members of one large extended family, the first of whom arrived in New Zealand in 1823 as missionaries to the Maori. Among their many children, several were involved in the Anglican Church and with Maori, while others became wealthy landowners. The life narratives of 52 descendants of these missionaries were recorded using an interactive interviewing technique. It is the first study of its kind in New Zealand, and possibly further afield, throwing light on the multitude of ways members of a particular family can create a usable past out of their common history. 
Family myths are shown to be fundamental in the construction of memory, and a powerful component in the process of negotiating narratives. The myths arising from the missionary-settler background of this family are multiple. They fall into four main groups: myths associated with land and landownership, those concerned with class and refinement; those concerned with religion and the family's dual tradition as Dissenters and as part of the Anglican hierarchy; and finally those concerned with the Williams family's special relationship with Maori arising from the missionary past. It is argued that family memory and myths are collective memory, the family a mnemonic community. Some of the ways in which family myths are formed and passed on are revealed in the testimonies. 
It is also shown that the narratives in this cohort were lacking in composure. Within individual narratives there is considerable overlap and interaction between the many different family myths, and also between these and public ideologies such as egalitarianism and biculturalism. Some may interact synergetically, but often they are in conflict. In addition, myths are shown to be subject to gradual metamorphosis according to changing external circumstances. The construction of memory requires constant adjustments to accommodate these conflicting and ever-changing myths. Life narrative remains always partial, provisional and open-ended. We may try to compose our memories in the sense of a process, but we cannot achieve composure, a product. It is suggested that oral historians should reconsider the concept of composure in the analysis of memory and narrative. 
Particular family myths may also allow narrators to embed themselves deeply into history, extending their links into both past and future well beyond the reach of their own life-spans. The use of myths in this way may also allow narrators to make claims to legitimacy, indigeneity and destiny.

year: 2004

title: Māori Waiata: Discourse structuring, sub-genres and aesthetics

authors: Roa, Raukura

subjects: Te reo Māori

abstract: With particular reference to a discourse-based analysis of five waiata tangi from Ngāti Hauā, it is argued here that different types of Māori waiata (songs and chants) may be characterised by different types of overall discourse structuring. It is also suggested that discourse structuring may be a significant aspect of the aesthetics of Māori waiata.

text: Māori Waiata: Discourse structuring, sub-genres and aesthetics With particular reference to a discourse-based analysis of five waiata tangi from Ngāti Hauā, it is argued here that different types of Māori waiata (songs and chants) may be characterised by different types of overall discourse structuring. It is also suggested that discourse structuring may be a significant aspect of the aesthetics of Māori waiata.

year: 2004-02