Using Turnitin as a Positive Tool for Formative Assessment

Aims and rationale: The use of Turnitin as a tool within Higher Education has been growing for many years. Alongside this, however, a culture of fear has been growing amongst students that they will somehow be caught out by the software and vilified as a cheat. This case study aims to challenge that culture and offer some insight into how Turnitin can be used as a positive tool for both staff and students. Through proper understanding of Turnitin and its intended use, staff and students can begin to use Turnitin to self-assess, to make academic improvements, and to send and receive appropriate formative feedback throughout modules and courses.

Implementation: Turnitin for staff is a tool that we often only use to mark electronically. It is the GradeMark software that allows us to do just that, and not Turnitin itself. There is, as with most software, a period of training and…