Preventing Plagiarism and Improving Student Writing —
TurnItIn Educational Suite to be added to Blackboard

Can technology be used to help instructors prevent plagiarism and improve students’ writing skills? To answer this question, the university Academic Integrity Committee conducted a pilot study, subsequently recommending the TurnItIn Educational Suite for campus-wide adoption. Fully integrated into the Blackboard Learning System and available to all instructors who create a Blackboard course site, the TurnItIn Suite incorporates three key features:

• The Plagiarism Prevention application allows instructors to compare student papers against a database composed of millions of articles, books, Internet sites and previously- submitted student papers. If a match is found, TurnItIn displays the submitted paper and the sources from the TurnItIn database that were used in that paper.  Thus, the new software application provides instructors with additional tools to help students revise their papers, cite source material properly, evaluate their work, and reduce plagiarism.

• The GradeMark digital markup system enables instructors to mark student work in a unique and paperless environment.

• The Peer Review application allows students to review and respond to their classmates' work online.

Blackboard/TurnItIn Training & Support
TurnItIn is currently available in Blackboard and is being used by faculty who participated in the initial pilot study. Support materials are being developed and Blackboard/TurnItIn training workshops will be offered beginning in August. You may register for these sessions through the TRAIN system, accessible at www.muohio.edu/TRAIN.

Should you need immediate assistance or have questions, please contact Advanced Learning Technologies in 351 Gaskill Hall at 529-6068 or alt@muohio.edu.