Factors Affecting Academic Integrity in E-Learning of Saudi Arabian Universities. An Investigation Using Delphi and AHP

Abstract

In the last few years, most of the public universities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) have adopted electronic learning (e-learning) as an evolutionary educational platform both by choice and by demand. Despite its many advantages, it has increased the ethical and moral challenges faced in the form of the violations of academic integrity that exist in traditional education. Universities all over the world are struggling to overcome these issues. Keeping this in mind, the purpose of this paper is to investigate and priorities the factors of violating academic integrity within Saudi Arabian universities. Based on the previously published literature and using Delphi - based discussions with e-Learning experts, this paper has identified twelve major factors which were related to e-Learning environment, Awareness on Academic Integrity, and e-Learning guiding principles. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to prioritize these factors. It was concluded that inappropriate guidelines provided to students was the most contributing factor while Shortage of feedbacks was least contributing factor among all the identified factors.