A text matching system with the primary purpose to assist students with their academic literacy. Turnitin may be of use to staff in the process of ensuring that student work conforms to the standards of academic integrity outlined within university policy and expected within their specific discipline.
Turnitin allows student assignments submitted via the Canvas course to be checked against electronic resources held within the Turnitin database. The work submitted is compared to the information already held within the database, and against material which is generally available on the Internet. A report is generated and visible to both the person who submitted the material and the instructor. The report details areas that have been matched to previously available work and gives an “overall” percentage of match for the document in its entirety.
For students to benefit most from the Turnitin software we recommend allowing multiple attempts on assignment submissions for students prior to the due date. Students can then review and identify areas where they have failed to conform to the standards of academic literacy required and make the appropriate changes.
In addition, the report provides an AI Writing Detection indicator. This is not visible to the person who submitted the material and instructor discretion is advised in determining is a highlighted passage is of concern. 300+ words of prose is required for the AI writing detection indicator to appear.
It is important to note that Turnitin is not a plagiarism detection system. Turnitin can only identify text matches and provide an indication of assumed AI writing. A “high level of match” does not automatically mean that a work is problematic, and a “low level of match” does not indicate that a work is free from errors.
Additional resources for staff:
- Using Turnitin for assignment submissions
- Turnitin common questions and Issues
- Academic Integrity for staff
- Generative AI Tools Library Guide
- Artificial Intelligence Working Group SharePoint Site
- Academic integrity in the age of AI
Helpful resources for sharing with students:
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.