Newfoundland and Labrador Education Report Faces Credibility Crisis

A recent report aimed at modernizing the education system in Newfoundland and Labrador has sparked significant controversy due to the inclusion of fabricated sources. The Education Accord NL, released on August 28, 2023, outlines a ten-year roadmap intended to enhance public schools and post-secondary institutions across the province. However, the report contains at least 15 citations for non-existent journal articles and documents, raising serious concerns among educators.

Among the questionable references is a supposed 2008 film titled Schoolyard Games, attributed to the National Film Board. A spokesperson for the board confirmed that no such film exists. Notably, the citation used in the report appears in a style guide from the University of Victoria, which includes fictitious references as templates for academic writing. The guide explicitly states, “Many citations in this guide are fictitious.”

Josh Lepawsky, former president of the Memorial University Faculty Association, resigned from the report’s advisory board earlier this year, citing the “deeply flawed process” that produced “top-down” recommendations. He emphasized that while errors in citations can occur, the use of fabricated sources undermines the credibility of the entire document.

The comprehensive 418-page report was co-chaired by Anne Burke and Karen Goodnough, both professors at Memorial University’s Faculty of Education. They presented the findings alongside Education Minister Bernard Davis, who has not commented on the specific allegations but acknowledged in a statement from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development that a “small number of potential errors in citations” exist.

“We understand that these issues are being addressed, and that the online report will be updated in the coming days to rectify any errors,” said spokesperson Lynn Robinson.

The possibility that generative artificial intelligence (AI) may have played a role in creating the fabricated citations has raised further questions. Some educators suggest that the incorrect references could have been generated by AI systems designed to produce text based on prompts. Aaron Tucker, an assistant professor at Memorial University, stated, “There are sources in this report that I cannot find in the MUN Library, in other libraries I subscribe to, or in Google searches. The fabrication of sources at least begs the question: did this come from generative AI?”

The implications of these findings extend beyond mere inaccuracies. They challenge the integrity of the report, which aims to address critical issues such as chronic absenteeism, violence in schools, and class sizes. Advocates for education reform are adamant that the report must not be allowed to fade into obscurity without action.

Professor Sarah Martin of Memorial University echoed these sentiments after examining the report for several days and uncovering numerous fictitious citations. “If I were the author of a document that contained such mistakes, I would retract it and correct it,” she remarked.

The Education Accord NL includes 110 recommendations, one of which calls on the Newfoundland and Labrador government to “provide learners and educators with essential AI knowledge, including ethics, data privacy, and responsible technology use.” Minister Davis committed to reporting back on these recommendations before the end of the fiscal year in March 2024, contingent upon the provincial Liberals retaining power in the upcoming election.

As the situation unfolds, the focus remains on the potential ramifications for public trust in educational policy and the integrity of academic research. The findings have ignited a dialogue about the responsible use of artificial intelligence in research and the importance of verifying sources to maintain credibility.