Faculty and students advocate for better identification process to increase academic integrity and prevent financial aid fraud
For more information, contact:
Jonathan Portis
Acxiom Public Relations
jonathan.portis@acxiom.com
501.252.0582
GACXM
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – March 24, 2010 - As distance
education transforms the U.S. higher education model, concerns related
to academic integrity and financial aid fraud have grown in the
education community at large. Addressing these concerns and exploring
viable solutions is Acxiom® Corporation’s (Nasdaq: ACXM) third annual
report on student identity in distance education.
Entitled “Experiences Verifying the Identity of Distance Learning Students,” the Acxiom white paper compiles the thinking of key leaders in the higher education accreditation field, summarizes
government regulations and includes an in-depth analysis of the categories of solutions currently
being implemented to verify student identity.
“As the education models change to adapt to current consumer demands,
it is essential to ensure that the student who enrolls is also the
student who does the work, receives course credit or receives financial
assistance.” said Michael Jortberg, author of the study and Acxiom’s
executive for higher education.
“The single most important question to ask is, if staff or students
share user IDs, are our processes, faculty and technology sufficient to
prevent academic or student aid fraud in our distance learning program?”
The Acxiom study will help institutions determine what
assessment processes, technology and faculty practices should be
adjusted to further improve quality in their online programs. It
includes risk analysis guidelines for leaders of online programs to aid
in their analysis of why, when and where to verify student identity.
“I now have an answer to faculty who has asked how they can know
who’s taking the online assessment,” said Larry Dugan, coordinator of
Learning Environments at Finger Lakes Community College, part of State
University of New York. “This level of authentication really does help
with overcoming many objections faculty has to online learning."
Additionally, the study also discusses Acxiom Identify-X™,
which offers real-time identity verification by comparing directory
information against Acxiom’s databases while maintaining regulatory
compliance. Acxiom, a global leader in interactive data services,
incorporates decades of experience in consumer data, information
technology, data integration and consulting into its identity
verification solutions.
Burck Smith, CEO and founder of StraighterLine, a provider of online
college courses to students, cited Acxiom’s technology as crucial to the
institution’s reputation. “With Acxiom’s identity verification system,
StraighterLine surpasses higher education’s standard for identity
checking,” Smith said. “Colleges that award credit for StraighterLine’s
courses have greater confidence in the integrity of student work.”
Tony Pina, Dean of Online Studies at Sullivan University in
Louisville, Ky., commissioned a survey of students who verified their
identities with Acxiom’s Identify-X. “It’s a far superior approach than
proctoring,” he said after analyzing his student feedback about the
system. “We’ve tried special hardware devices and proctoring and this is
by far the most affordable and easy system to implement says.”
In addition to offering recommendations, the study also includes:
- Case studies about academic integrity and student aid fraud
- Survey results of faculty opinions about student identity
- Student feedback about privacy, proctoring and academic integrity.
To download the Acxiom higher education white paper go to http://www.acxiom.com/dl_whitepaper or for more information about Acxiom’s identity solutions, call 1-888-3ACXIOM (1-888-322-9466)
About Acxiom
A global leader in interactive marketing services and infrastructure
management, Acxiom connects clients with their customers through deep
customer insight, powering effective and profitable marketing
initiatives and business decisions. Our consultative approach spans
multiple industries and incorporates decades of experience in consumer
data and analytics, information technology, data integration and
consulting solutions for effective marketing across digital, Internet,
email, mobile and direct mail channels. Our secure, high-performance
technology services deliver consistent value and reliability. Founded in
1969, Acxiom is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, and serves
clients around the world from locations in the United States, Europe,
Middle East and Asia-Pacific. For more information about Acxiom, visit www.acxiom.com.
Acxiom and Acxiom Identify-X are trademarks of Acxiom Corporation.
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