Our cheating is not your cheating: signature misconduct exemplified in mathematics

Abstract

That the manifestation of cheating varies between disciplines is rarely discussed, an unspoken assumption being that assessment takes the form of written prose supported by a bibliography. Students and academics from disciplines, such as mathematics, not fitting this model can feel that their work is regarded as an aberration. ‘Plagiarism’ is not an adequate term to indicate collusion on an individual task, copying a classmate’s calculation by hand, or substitution of a computational tool for one’s own competence when it is being tested. Signature pedagogies give rise to signature assessments and hence signature misconduct. Our analysis provides insight into the nature and rationale of mathematics assessment for the broader academic integrity community, and we suggest that other disciplines, particularly the non-text disciplines, may wish to similarly examine their own forms of misconduct. Our cheating is not your cheating; therein lies a challenge for all of us.