Online Submission of Coursework - Turnitin Best Practice Report

In April 2012, Senate received the final report of the Learning & Teaching Committee’s Best Practice Turnitin Working Group.

This covers a review of the GradeMark and PeerMark functions of Turnitin, to assess their functionality, and compare them with alternative software solutions. Alternative products, Aropa and PeerWise were considered, along with a survey of other HE institutions’ activity in this area.

The following benefits associated with online submission of work were noted:

  • No need to handle, track and store hard copy;
  • Legibility of feedback comments and easy duplication of comments where they applied to a larger group of students, thus improving quality and efficiency;
  • Flexibility for staff in how and where they could do this work;
  • Ease for students picking up marked work;
  • Choice of submission deadlines to avoid system congestion.

Senate approved the recommendations that:

(i) Both Turnitin (GradeMark, PeerMark) and Aropa should be promoted and supported within the University, with Appendix 3 of the report – Functional Comparison of Turnitin and Aropa informing choice between the two;
(ii) Peerwise should be supported and promoted within the University as a tool that might be useful to support learning on appropriate courses.