Turnitin

Overview

Turnitin is a widely adopted educational technology tool designed to uphold academic integrity by helping educators check student work for originality. Its core function involves comparing submitted papers, essays, and assignments against a vast database of web pages, published works, and previously submitted student papers to identify potential instances of plagiarism or improper citation. The tool generates detailed similarity reports highlighting matching text, allowing instructors to investigate and provide feedback.

In response to the rise of generative AI, Turnitin has expanded its capabilities to include AI writing detection, helping educators identify text that may have been produced by large language models. Beyond plagiarism and AI detection, Turnitin offers tools like Feedback Studio for online grading and providing feedback, and options for peer review. It aims to support the teaching and learning process by promoting original thinking and proper attribution, while also providing educators with efficient assessment workflows.

Key Features

• Plagiarism checking with similarity reports
• AI writing detection capabilities
• Extensive database for comparison (web, publications, student papers)
• Feedback Studio for online grading, markup, and comments
• Grammar and spelling checking
• Peer review functionality
• Integration with major Learning Management Systems (LMS)
• Database of licensed content (journals, periodicals, etc.)

Supported Platforms

• Web Browser

Integrations

• Canvas
• Moodle
• Blackboard Learn
• Brightspace (D2L)
• Google Classroom
• Schoology
• Microsoft Teams for Education
• Other Learning Management Systems (via LTI)