Turnitin Common Questions and Issues - FAQs
For assistance with student integrity further information is available on the Academic Integrity for Staff website.
Turnitin provides a range of FAQs on the AI Writing Detection Indicator and the information on interpreting the Similarity Report. The below are some of the common questions asked by staff at the University:
How do I ensure that student can view their Turnitin reports?
When setting up an assignment, ensure that the following setting Show report to students is set to Immediately. See recommended process for setting up a Canvas Assignment.
None of the students in my group have a Turnitin match which is greater than 20% - does that mean that the submissions are all OK?
No. The overall percentage may provide you with a guide to certain features of the work, but it isn’t an indication of plagiarism. The judgement on plagiarism is an academic decision and this requires you to look at the report.
Do I have to use Turnitin for all my assignments?
No. The University Policy simply states that Turnitin must be available for students to use. There is no University requirement that all assignments are submitted to Turnitin. Some schools have policies on this matter, and you should check with your Student Academic Conduct Officer (SACO) if you are unsure.
One of the assignments submitted to my course has a 75% Turnitin match. That has to be a problem doesn’t it?
It depends on the assignment. The high level of match is probably a cause for concern; however it may be related to the response style rather than the academic integrity of the work. For example, if a student has used a large number of quotes within an essay, the level of match could be high, even if they are correctly referenced. Thus, the level of match may be an issue of poor writing rather than poor referencing. Similarly, within some assignments, this level of match might not be a cause for concern at all.
Students have a right to not submit their work to Turnitin don’t they?
In most cases students have signed a waiver which allows the University to require students to submit their work to text matching software. This is one of the items that is usually listed on course outlines. However, if issues arise in relation to this area, contact the University Student Academic Conduct Officer coordinator.
How do I manage all the extra work that comes with using Turnitin?
At one level, there is no extra work which is generated by Turnitin. As academics we have the responsibility to ensure that the work submitted by students conforms to the expected guidelines within our discipline and to the University Policy on Academic integrity. This has always been the case. The rapid expansion of material available to students has made this more difficult. Electronic text matching software is designed to make the task we are required to do easier. However, it is important that you develop workflows which allow you to do this as easily as you can. There are Turnitin sessions run by the Learning Technology Support team who can help you manage your engagement with Turnitin.
Should I “teach” my students about Turnitin?
It is important that students have a good understanding of academic integrity. The University has moved to ensure that all students, who commence in 2011 and beyond complete an Academic Integrity Module. This module should ensure that students have an understanding of the requirements within the University. Additionally, it can be useful to make the resources which explain how to use the features of Turnitin available in Canvas sites for your courses (see additional resources below).
Do my students see the AI Writing Indicator?
The AI Writing Indicator is not visible to students within Canvas nor Turnitin. If you wish for a student to see their report, you must navigate to the report, and download a copy of the report via the button in the top-right.
What is a reasonable percentage to appear in the AI writing indicator?
As for the Similarity Score, there is no specific score which may be deemed acceptable as there are many considerations to be made in determining if a student had used an AI tool to generate their assignment.
How do I manage Artificial Intelligence within student assessment?
The use of generative AI does not automatically constitute academic misconduct. Whether its use in individual courses and specific assessment items is acceptable needs to be communicated by Course Coordinators to student. More resources and helpful information can be found on the Artificial Working Group SharePoint.
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