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How do you use Turnitin Similarity Reports in your teaching? Commonly the Turnitin similarity checker is seen as the ‘plagiarism detector’ and although it can be a useful indicator of whether or not unacceptable academic practices occurred, reducing its role to a purely punitive one is a huge missed opportunity.
If we look at the resources from the tool’s provider, their recommendations advocate for a more pedagogical approach: ‘One of the most effective ways to utilise the Turnitin Similarity Report is to guide students to make improvements in their writing and research practices.’ (Understanding the Similarity Report: An educator guide | Turnitin). They even provide a student guide to understanding the Similarity Report which starts with: ‘Continue reading to better understand what this information means and how you can use it to improve your writing.’ (Understanding the Similarity Report: A student guide | Turnitin).
As suggested by Mphahlele & McKenna (2019, p. 3): ‘‘Much of the literature in favour of such software argues that its most effective use is as a pedagogical tool, rather than a policing one. It is shown to add an enormously positive aspect to the development of student writing when used in such a way. ’ Interestingly, some experimental studies showed a positive impact of using Similarity Reports along with clear and specific guidelines and paraphrasing exercises on reducing plagiarism, suggesting that Similarity Reports could be used in its prevention rather than detection. The research indicates that students are more likely to internalise guidelines on acceptable academic practices when they refer explicitly to their own work (Barrett & Malcoln, 2006). As discussed by David and Carroll (2009, p.6): ‘Many students seemed to have a kind of ‘eureka’ moment, when faced with the onscreen evidence of how they had used sources, where they understood more fully about issues related to academic integrity, as they connected to their own work.’ Using Similarity Reports as the reference point, students can engage in comparison processes, underlying the generation of valuable internal feedback (Nicol, 2021).
The most effective ways of utilising Turnitin Similarity Reports seem to involve an opportunity for students to discuss their reports with staff. Where this is not possible on an individual basis, David and Carroll (2009, p.67) suggested small group tutorials with examples highlighting typical mistakes. If a fully self-directed design is applied, clear guidelines are key (Rolfe, 2011). It has been also suggested that limiting the similarity report generation to one attempt may minimise the risk of system evasion (McKeever, 2006). A potential implementation may look like this:
Clearly labelled folder on Blackboard included in the Assessment and Feedback area:
Step-by-step instructions with links to further resources:
A crucial factor in the effectiveness of this approach is clear signposting from the tutor. Many other institutions in the sector seem to follow similar practices:
- Queen Mary University of London
- Imperial College London
- Aberystwyth University
- Loughborough College
- University of Exeter
- The University of Edinburgh
- University of Plymouth
- University of Liverpool
- University of Sheffield
If you are interested in adopting this approach or you like to share your way of using Similarity Reports, please get in touch: ania.udalowska@bristol.ac.uk. To conclude, I would like to second this quote from Kaktiņš, (2019, p. 432):
‘Overall, it appears that the use of text-matching software in its most authentic iteration is most effectively implemented as part of a holistic approach (Lee & Edwards, 2013) focused on formative learning and the development of students’ responsibility for their work, plus disciplinary measures where required.’
References:
Barrett, R., & Malcolm, J. (2006). Embedding plagiarism education in the assessment process. International Journal for Educational Integrity, 2(1), 38-45. https://doi.org/10.21913/IJEI.v2i1.23
Davis, M. and Carroll, J. (2009). Formative feedback within plagiarism education: Is there a role for text-matching software? International Journal for Educational Integrity, 5(2), 58-70. https://doi.org/10.21913/IJEI.v5i2.614
McKeever, L. (2006). Online plagiarism detection services—saviour or scourge? Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 31(2), 155–165. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602930500262460
Mphahlele, A., & McKenna, S. (2019). The use of Turnitin in the higher education sector: Decoding the myth. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 44(7), 1079–1089. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2019.1573971
Nicol, D. (2021). The power of internal feedback: exploiting natural comparison processes. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 46(5), 756–778. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2020.1823314
Rolfe, V. (2011). Can Turnitin be used to provide instant formative feedback? British Journal of Educational Technology, 42(4), 701–710. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2010.01091.x
Turnitin. (n.d.). Understanding the Similarity Report: A student guide. Turnitin. https://www.turnitin.com/papers/understanding-the-turnitin-similarity-report-student-guide
Turnitin. (n.d.). Understanding the Similarity Report: An educator guide. Turnitin. https://www.turnitin.com/papers/understanding-the-turnitin-similarity-report-instructor-guide
A really excellent point and a great suggestion for implementation!
Thank you Han!