Instructor Support for Educational Systems

Tell me more on the More Options in Turnitin

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This article will explain why certain settings under More Options are needed, and more importantly what the consequences will be when these settings are selected.  Since the July 2022 release of Brightspace, some settings have been turned off under Turnitin More Options, since the functionality of similarity report checking has changed.

 

Turnitin Assignment - Google Chrome

After you click on more options, a pop up screen will appear, stating that you cannot change some settings anymore.

Submission settings

Turnitin Assignment - Google Chrome

Options under Submit papers to:

  • Standard paper repository: Recommended settings, best result for similarity scores
    • This is the default setting. By allowing submissions to be stored in the standard paper repository, these submissions will be added to the global database, allowing for similarity checks to be generated across all institutions and other sources.
  • Institution paper repository: Optional settings, no impact on similarity scores
    • Whilst this option might seem interesting, please consider that cross checks between other universities might not be possible anymore if we all choose to keep our students work within our own organization.
  • Do not store the submitted paper: Optional settings, no impact on similarity scores
    • This option is useful in cases where you only want to check on similarity, but do not yet want to store the paper/thesis in Turnitin. We recommend to only use this option when you want draft versions to be checked on similarity.

Other options under Submission Settings:

  • Allow submission of any file type: N/A
  • Allow late submission: N/A
    • You can not change this setting here, since late submission is controlled by your due and end date settings in Brightspace.
  • Enable anonymous marking: N/A
  • Attach a rubric: optional setting, no impact on similarity scores
    • Please see here for more information on using rubrics for Turnitin Assignments.

Compare against:

ScreenSteps - Google Chrome

Keep all boxes checked to ensure similarity scores represent a correct score. Unchecking one or more boxes might result in a lower or even a 0% similarity score. Remember that you can always exclude sources when checking a submission in Feedback Studio.

Similarity Report

Options under Generate Similarity Reports for student submission:

Turnitin Assignment - Google Chrome
  • Generate Similarity Reports for student submission: this controls when and how the similarity reports are generated
    • Generate reports immediately (students cannot resubmit): this will generate a similarity immediately, but offers no collusion check.
    • Generate reports immediately (students can resubmit until due date): you will see a similarity score directly upon submission, and after the end date Turnitin regenerates the scores, based on the collusion check. This is the most recommended setting.
    • Generate reports on due date (students can resubmit until due date): do not use this setting(!), as it currently bugged and will never generate a similarity report.
  • Allow students to view Similarity Reports: N/A
  • Exclude bibliographic materials: optional settings, will have a slight impact on similarity scores
    • See here what is excluded when you check this box.
  • Exclude quoted materials: optional settings, will have a slight impact on similarity scores
    • See here what is excluded when you check this box.
  • Exclude small sources: optional settings, will have a slight impact on similarity scores
    • By checking this box, you can exclude sources that are less than a certain number of words, or a certain percentage of words. For example, filtering by 10 words will exclude all sources that have a cumulative number of matching words that are less than 10 words in length.

Exclude assignment template

Turnitin Assignment - Google Chrome

This feature enables you to exclude the assignment it self as a similarity check. Quite handy in case your students use the same formats where they need to answer the same questions and the questions are part of their submission.

Additional settings

ScreenSteps - Google Chrome

Last but not least: the Save these settings for future use.

  • Be advised to check the box and first save the other settings, before uploading a template assignment. In that way you will always have the same settings, and only have to upload a template in this screen.
  • When you upload a template, do not check the box for Save these settings for future use and just click on submit.

Please note that your saved settings will not work retroactively in previously made assignments.

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