Turnitin
Turnitin is a widely used similarity checker that helps instructors and students review written work for matches against a vast database of content, including websites, student papers, and published works. It supports academic integrity by highlighting areas of overlap so that students can revise and instructors can better understand how sources are being used.
Turnitin automatically scans submitted assignments and compares them to a large collection of online materials, academic content, and other student submissions. Instructors receive a Similarity Report that highlights sections of the text that closely match existing content.
Turnitin is not a plagiarism detector. It does not determine intent or make judgments. It simply shows where similarities exist.
Originality Report
The Originality Report provides a percentage score that represents the amount of matching text found in the submitted document. The report includes:
- Color-coded highlights showing where matches occur in the document.
- Match sources that link to the websites, articles, or papers where the text was found.
- Filtering options that allow instructors to exclude quotes, references, or small matches for more accurate results.
The report is a starting point for discussion and should always be interpreted with context in mind. High similarity does not automatically mean misuse, and low similarity does not guarantee originality.
Generative AI Writing Detection
Turnitin's originality report includes a separate score designed to detect writing that may have been generated by AI tools like ChatGPT. This feature is currently in the early stages of development and may be unreliable or produce false positives.
AI detection scores should not be considered definitive and should not be used as the sole evidence to accuse or confirm AI-generated writing. Use caution and consult academic leadership or policy guidelines before taking any action based on these results.
Enable Turnitin in D2L
Turnitin can be enabled by faculty for student assignment submissions directly within D2L. To turn it on:
- Create or edit a dropbox in your D2L course.
- Scroll down to the Evaluation & Feedback section.
- Select Manage Turnitin under the Turnitin Integration section and check the box to enable similarity checking.
- Customize settings as needed, such as allowing students to view the Similarity Report.
Detailed Turnitin Instructions for D2L.
Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or issues related to Turnitin, please contact
Academic Technology Services (ATS). We’re here to help you navigate setup, reports,
and best practices.
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