Turnitin Integration with Learn Assignments Early Adopter Program
The Turnitin integration with Learn assignments allows instructors to use Turnitin’s similarity checker within a Learn assignment making the most of Learn’s flexible grading view and marking features. The similarity checker compares the text in a student submission against an extensive database of websites, academic reference materials and previously submitted work, to produce a similarity score and a similarity report. Previously colleagues would have used Turnitin’s feedback studio to produce a similarity score which is an external tool to Learn. This new integration enhances the staff and student experience by removing the need to use multiple tools.
The Learn and Turnitin service teams ran an early adopter program to receive greater feedback on the usage of the integration and to test out its functionality to our users particularly around usability and accessibility.
During semester one of academic year 2024/25 we had 24 courses with representation from all three Colleges take part. Training and guidance were provided to early adopters on the run up and throughout semester one as well as a dedicated Teams channel for sharing information and updates.
We received feedback from our early adopters via a feedback form, comments that were made in the dedicated Teams channel, collated course feedback that was sent in via email and through training sessions from academic and professional services colleagues.
Responses from feedback
From the feedback we received we had a mix of individual responses and collated responses form course teams. From the responses 60% usually use Turnitin for assignments 10% use Learn assignments, 25% will use both and 5% use GradeScope.
What worked well with the new integration
Marking
There was lots of positive feedback around using rubrics in Learn particularly being able to use a percentage range. Additionally, the rubrics were easy to use and helped standardise feedback on a course with multiple markers with a large cohort of students.
Overall, as both a marker and a course organiser, I found the process of using the rubric more effective and efficient.
Early adopter from the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences .
Markers enjoyed using the Learn marking interface and the ability to add comments on the student submissions. Markers also like that you were able to upload documents to the overall feedback area when marking offline.
It makes life a lot easier and quicker as we mark and moderate offline and then submit all our feedback sheets to the students.
Early adopter from the College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine.
Usability
Colleagues liked how Learn handled multiple file submission, particularly if the student was submitting an embedded video from Media Hopper Create as well as a supporting document. On previously used submission tools, two submission boxes were being used for each submission element, whereas within Learn they only need to have one. Colleagues liked how everything was contained within a Learn assignments and how it was much preferred that students only had to deal with one interface as well as for administrators having only to create one submission box.
Accessibility
Colleagues who used assistive technology found the zoom functions on the student submission area within Bb annotate and the rendering of student submissions aided in accessibility.
Colleagues that were not familiar with the similarity score and report liked how it integrated into Learn and how easy it was to use. The similarity report helped to identify quotes that had been properly referenced and ones that had not. The colour-coding and number flag attached to similarities that identified with other text according to whether there’s a reference somewhere nearby in the text was especially handy.
What could be improved
Usability
This mostly revolved around changes in functionality from the tools that were previously used. Although there were changes, workflows were able to be adapted to accommodate these changes. In particular, there was a change to the overview page from previously used tools that included a more detailed summary for similarity report scores and submitted file name/paper title with the ability to search more elements. This was mostly from the moderator and administrator perspective.
Accessibility
Colleagues commented on the amount of space at the top of the submission that is taken up with student submission details. There have been recent updates to improving the grading interface (opens in a new window) that has helped with this.
Conclusion
After analysing the feedback received from colleagues, it was found that the Learn assignments with the Turnitin integration was useful and easy to use, they preferred the Learn marking interface whilst still having the ability to use Turnitin’s similarity report features and how well it integrated into the course Gradebook. The integration was a better experience for students when submitting assignments.
Overall colleagues preferred the new Turnitin integration with Learn assignments despite the change in functionality with other tools they previously used, some of this functionality is on the roadmap. We have fed back to the vendors and we are making enhancement requests to be considered.
We are continuing to run the early adopter program through semester two due to increased interest where we have 14 semester two courses and two full year courses using the integration. We will update the community at a later date on any decisions to further release the integration.
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