Not so long ago the biggest threat to academic integrity on campus was plagiarism. These days, contract cheating services – which provide essays and assignments to order – are emerging as the biggest risk, magnified by the pandemic and shift to remote learning. “It’s a huge problem,” says Megan O’Connor, vice-president for academic affairs with the Union of Students of Ireland (USI). “On campus, the posters advertising these services are going up faster than they can be taken down. Students are being targeted on social media... Anyone who thinks there isn’t an issue doesn’t realise that it’s right under their nose,” she says. The main activity of contract cheating services is providing paid-for assignments, ranging from coursework to open-book exam questions Alarmed by the risk to academic integrity, the Irish watchdog for standards in education, Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), has flagged more than 80 websites which allow students to cheat in online exams or assessments. Uni...