Why they do and why they don’t: a combined criminological approach to understanding assignment outsourcing in higher education

Assignment outsourcing is an intractable challenge for higher education. While various academic and legislative approaches have sought to explain/respond to this problem, recent media, community, and government concerns suggest students are increasingly outsourcing assessments. This paper reports on the qualitative findings of an international survey (n = 7000 +) of students’ perceptions and experiences of outsourcing, to test the utility of a multi-theoretical criminological explanation for this behaviour. The results reveal a complex learning environment where students’ knowledge is shaped by an assemblage of social, cultural, and institutional influences; a learning environment where engagement in, or avoidance of, cheating are dynamic. Interdependent behaviours are learnt, shared or observed, and reinforced through peer networks. Interrogation of students’ qualitative comments emphasises that intervention is possible, albeit equally complex.