Turnitin® Use at a Canadian University

Abstract

While the text-matching tool, Turnitin®, has traditionally been used to deter and detect plagiarism, more recently, instructors have started to use this tool for formative self-assessment. To describe Turnitin®’s use in practice and to explore perceptions of this tool, we surveyed 940 students, teaching assistants, and instructors at a Canadian university. Our findings indicate that Turnitin® was more commonly used for plagiarism detection than for formative self-assessment. The majority of respondents had positive views of Turnitin®, and 70% of students stated that they had no concerns about using this tool. Despite these positive findings, content analysis of open-ended responses indicate that students experience increased anxiety of being falsely accused of plagiarism and have concerns about their work being stored in the Turnitin® database. Our findings lead us to conclude that there is a need for more information and improved communication about Turnitin® for all three groups. Bien que l’outil Turnitin® de mise en correspondance de texte ait été traditionnellement utilisé pour prévenir et détecter le plagiat, plus récemment, les instructeurs ont commencé à utiliser cet outil pour l’auto-évaluation formative. Afin de décrire l’emploi de Turnitin® dans la pratique et d’explorer les perceptions de cet outil, nous avons réalisé une enquête par sondage d’opinion auprès de 940 étudiants, assistants pédagogiques et instructeurs d’une université canadienne. Nos résultats indiquent que l’outil Turnitin® est davantage utilisé pour détecter le plagiat que pour l’auto-évaluation formative. La majorité des répondants avaient une opinion positive concernant Turnitit® et 70 % des étudiants ont déclaré qu’ils n’avaient aucune inquiétude concernant l’emploi de cet outil. Malgré ces résultats positifs, l’analyse du contenu des réponses aux questions ouvertes indique que les étudiants avaient peur d’être accusés à tort de plagiat et étaient inquiets que leurs travaux soient sauvegardés dans la base de données de Turnitin®. Nos résultats nous conduisent à conclure que pour ces trois groupes, il faudrait avoir davantage d’information et améliorer la communication concernant Turnitin®.

An Institutional Self-Study of Text-Matching Software in a Canadian Graduate-Level Engineering Program

“…Compared to other countries, Canada has been slow to adopt TMS in higher education (Bretag 2019b;Kloda and Nicholson 2005;Strawczynski 2004;Zaza and McKenzie 2018). This study demonstrates that the software offers some value to a variety of stakeholders in post-secondary institutions by providing students with examples of do's and don'ts while writing a manuscript.…”

“…A key point of interest was that students reported that academic staff could have better explained the software and what to do if the software found a text match. Although respondents were generally satisfied with the TMS, it was found that students needed more information and support from their instructors to use it more effectively (Zaza and McKenzie 2018).…”

“…Self-study can be a key step to developing a culture of academic integrity at an institution (Bertram Gallant and Drinan 2008). Although the volume of academic misconduct research in Canada may not be as robust as in other regions, studies conducted in this country have often used an institutional self-study approach (Austin et al 2005;Austin et al 2006;Bens 2010;Hu 2001;Taylor et al 2004;Zaza and McKenzie 2018), frequently naming the institutions in the knowledge mobilization of the research. Our project followed in the footsteps of previous self-studies in Canada, and elsewhere, as part of an institutional commitment not only to uphold academic integrity but to improve and also to showcase the university's commitment to student learning and success through evidence-based approaches.…”

“…The use of TMS has been more limited in Canadian higher education contexts for a variety of reasons outlined in the literature review (Bretag 2019b;Kloda and Nicholson 2005;Strawczynski 2004;Zaza and McKenzie 2018). Research such as this, despite its narrow scope, provides evidence of the usefulness of TMS as a tool to promote academic integrity when coupled with instructional and administrative supports and policies.…”

Academic Integrity in Canada: Historical Perspectives and Current Trends

“…The results of this case set a legal precedent in Canada regarding the use of text-matching software in Canada, with the long-term impact being that such software is not used in Canada to the extent that it is in other countries. There has also been limited research into how text-matching software is used in Canadian universities (for one example see Zaza & McKenzie, 2018) in part because universities have firmly limited their use of these products or declined to use them all together.…”