University of Greenwich Receives Global Tracey Bretag Award

The Professor Tracey Bretag prize advocates for the pursuit of academic integrity as part of a positive teaching and learning experience. This year they asked how the higher education sector can keep academic integrity, human experience and learning at the heart of students’ experience.

The University of Greenwich’s impactful integrity initiative

The university’s Integrity Matters course was co-created with students. It raises awareness of common pitfalls that may lead to them using essay mills and other unethical practices. The course uses relatable scenarios and gamification to encourage students to consider academic integrity.

Arosha Raza, a 2nd year student of BSc Criminology and Criminal Psychology said:

“The chats were a great way of learning what is and is not allowed. It was informative and engaging. After each section I learned new information to help me with my studies”

The university wanted to create an environment where students could relish learning and celebrate being part of a community of practice.  The aim was to instil a positive culture, shifting away from blame and shame to integrity and empowerment. Gentle humour was used to create a fun environment for learning.

Advancing best practice across the sector

The award also recognises initiatives which can be scaled up and shared. Across the university on campus pop-ups were hosted to encourage home student use. The initiative was also extended to UK and global partners and has since been licenced for use across the sector. Other institutions can re-brand and use the resources to support their students.