Last updated: 22/05/2019
Purpose of the policy The purpose of this policy is to set out the steps to follow when reporting suspected or actual cases of malpractice and maladministration. It is also in place to review those processes which led to the suspected or actual case of malpractice and/or maladministration and to support any investigations. As an approved centre with various Awarding Organisations, TTT will act upon any reports of suspected or actual cases of malpractice and/or maladministration that are received regarding the staff or learners, which may affect the integrity of training courses, qualifications and quality assurance systems. TTT also has a professional responsibility to report non-adherence to this policy to the Awarding Organisations. Location of the policyThis policy is available for all staff members, third parties and learners to access. The most up to date version of the policy is available on our website www.theteachertrainer.co.uk.
Communication of the policy It is important that staff involved in the management, delivery, assessment and quality assurance of nationally recognised qualifications and learners undertaking these qualifications, are fully aware of the contents of the policy. Review of the policy TTT will review the policy annually and/or revise it as and when required. The review process includes analysis of monitoring data, consultation with and feedback from customers, learners, clients, staff and other stakeholders, changes in practices, actions required by Awarding Organisations or changes in legislation to determine the impact of the policy and any action required. Our review will ensure that our procedures continue to be consistent with the regulatory criteria and are applied properly and fairly in arriving at judgements. Malpractice policies & procedures TTT has a formal procedure to deal with any allegations of academic malpractice. It is one of the most formal and potentially serious procedures TTT has and in cases of extreme cheating it can lead to a learner being deregistered. Learners are usually asked to attend malpractice hearings when TTT suspects that some form of academic malpractice has occurred. The usual process for getting to this stage involves some suspicion of malpractice when a tutor is marking an assessment or assignment. TTT may sample assessments and assignments for academic malpractice. Definition of malpractice Malpractice is any activity or practice which deliberately contravenes regulations and compromises the integrity of the assessment process and/or the validity of certificates. For the purpose of this policy, this term also covers professional misconduct. In brief, malpractice can involve the following categories:- Cheating in exams
- Plagiarism
- Collusion in coursework (working with someone else)
- Fabrication and falsification
- Impersonation
- Breaching anonymity requirements as prescribed by the course, etc.
- Plagiarism of any nature by learners
- Forgery of evidence
- Exam irregularities of any nature by learners
- Exam irregularities of any nature by staff
- Submission of false information to gain a proxy or a qualification
- Discriminatory, bullying or harassing behaviour
- Unprofessional conduct
- Behaviour likely to endanger the health or safety of the public
- Breach of confidentiality including staff members, learners or information
- Failure to meet Awarding Organisation’s or regulator’s requirements
- Falsifying assessment and/or exam records
- Falsifying administration records
- Using the induction period and the course specification to inform learners of TTT’s policy on malpractice and consequent penalties.
- Showing learners the appropriate formats to record cited texts and other materials or information sources including websites. Learners should not be discouraged from conducting research; indeed, evidence of relevant research often contributes to the achievement of higher grades. However, the submitted work must show evidence that the learner has interpreted and synthesised appropriate information and has acknowledged any sources used.
- Introducing procedures for assessing work in a way that reduces or identifies malpractice, e.g. plagiarism, collusion, cheating, etc.
- the requirement for interim work to be handed in before final deadlines to give a picture of the learner’s progress
- Periods of supervised sessions during which evidence for assignments/tasks/coursework is produced by the learner
- altering assessment assignments/tasks/tools on a regular basis
- the assessor assessing work for a single assignment/task in a single session for the complete cohort of learners
- using oral questions with learners to ascertain their understanding of the concepts, application, etc. within their work
- assessors getting to know their learner’s learning styles and abilities
- Ensuring access controls are installed to prevent learners from accessing and using other people’s work when using networked computers.
- The learner’s name
- Staff member details (name, job role) if they are involved in the case
- The title of the qualification affected, or nature of the service affected
- The date(s) suspected or actual malpractice and/or maladministration occurred
- The full nature of the suspected or actual malpractice and/or maladministration
- We will acknowledge reports received within 3 working days of receipt
- We will arrange for appropriate personnel to review the report and commence the investigation
- We will aim to action and resolve all investigations within 7 working days of receipt of the report
- We will advise on the outcome of our investigation within 2 working days of making our decision
- We will report any suspected or actual incidents of malpractice and/or maladministration to the Awarding Organisation.
- A request for further information
- Interviews (face to face or by telephone) with personnel involved in the investigation
- We will make informed decisions based on the evidence
- We will protect the identity of the ‘informant’ if required
- What do you understand plagiarism to be?
- What does your course specification say about plagiarism - have you read it? If not, why not?
- If you are expected to ensure confidentiality by making certain data and information anonymous, then what guidance are you given about how to do this?
- Is any information provided in lectures/seminars/workshops/online resources about avoiding plagiarism?
- What have you done since finding out about this hearing? Who have you talked to/asked for help/explanations?
- How did you put the piece of work together?
- Did you get any written/oral guidelines in putting it together?
- What source material did you use - where did you get it from?
- How did you use the source material?
- Did you photocopy from books? Did you highlight text?
- How did you transfer these notes to your actual assignment?
- Did you paraphrase the source material?
- Did you re-write it in your own words?
- Did you get information from the internet?
- Did you copy and paste text from the internet to a word document? Did you print the page?
- Then what did you do with the text - was it inserted into the assignment, did you treat it as notes?
- What do you understand about referencing/bibliographies?
- What referencing systems are you required to use in your department? (E.g. Harvard referencing - would be normal unless told otherwise by a tutor).
- Disallowing all or part of the learner’s assessment evidence
- Disallowing a learner to undertake an exam
- Disallowing all or part of the learner’s external assessment marks
- Not requesting the learner’s certificate(s) from the Awarding Organisation
- Disallowing a learner to undertake a qualification or course with
- Disqualification from the qualification
- The learner’s grade may be revoked
- The learner may be asked to redo/repeat the work
- The panel may decide that malpractice has not occurred
- The learner may be permanently excluded/deregistered from the organisation
- Failing to keep any mark schemes secure
- Alteration of any mark schemes
- Alteration of assessment and grading criteria
- Assisting learners in the production of work for assessment, where the support has the potential to influence the outcomes of assessment, for example where the assistance involves centre staff producing work for the learner
- Producing falsified witness statements, for example, for evidence the learner has not generated
- Allowing evidence, which is known by the staff member not to be the learner’s own, to be included in a learner’s assignment/task/portfolio/coursework
- Facilitating and allowing impersonation
- Misusing the conditions for special learner requirements, for example, where learners are permitted support, such as an amanuensis/scribe, this is permissible up to the point where the support has the potential to influence the outcome of the assessment
- Failing to keep learner computer files secure
- Falsifying records/certificates, for example by alteration, substitution, or by fraud
- Fraudulent certificate claims, that is claiming for a certificate prior to the learner completing all the requirements of assessment
- Failing to keep assessment/examination/test papers secure prior to the assessment/examination/test
- Obtaining unauthorised access to assessment/examination/test material prior to an assessment/examination/test
- The member of staff will be informed about the issues, possible consequences and right of appeal
- Collection of evidence related to the alleged malpractice
- The review of evidence and production of a report
- A formal meeting between the Quality Nominee (Phenil Mehta) and the member of staff against whom an allegation has been made
- The appropriate Awarding Organisation will be informed by TTT of the allegation of malpractice and they will be given the supporting evidence
- TTT may take internal disciplinary action in line with policies and procedures. This action will be commensurate with the seriousness of the malpractice
- Use only Awarding Organisation forms to record marks/grades
- Marks/grades awarded must be randomly sampled by the IQA
- Sample size must meet criteria set by IQA strategy
- Complete unit marks/grades must be recorded as one entity
- Assignments are marked and verified within a time frame of 15 days (more in extenuating circumstances)
- All certificates awarded by the Awarding Organisation must be checked against individual learner records held on the learner progress records
- If errors are detected on certificates, the course tutor(s) must be notified immediately
- The course administrator or tutor(s) must liaise with the Awarding Organisation to ensure that the correct certificate is issued