Canvas assignments are a great way to engage students with learning materials and activities. As an instructor, you can create a variety of assignments, such as quizzes, discussions, and essays. However, it can be difficult to keep track of all the submissions from your students. That’s where the TurnItIn feature comes in. TurnItIn is a plagiarism detection service that allows you to check your students’ submissions for originality. This can be a valuable tool for ensuring that your students are completing their own work.
To require TurnItIn for an assignment, you can follow the steps below:
1. Create a new assignment in your Canvas course.
2. Select the “TurnItIn” tab in the assignment settings.
3. Select the “Enable TurnItIn” checkbox.
4. Choose the desired TurnItIn options.
5. Save and publish the assignment.
Once you have enabled TurnItIn for an assignment, your students will be required to submit their work through TurnItIn. Once they submit their work, TurnItIn will automatically scan it for plagiarism. You can then view the TurnItIn report to see if any plagiarism was detected. TurnItIn can be a valuable tool for ensuring the originality of your students’ work. It can help you to identify and prevent plagiarism, which can lead to improved student learning.
Navigating Canvas Assignment Settings
To access the assignment settings in Canvas, navigate to the course you want to edit and click on the “Assignments” tab in the course navigation menu. This will display a list of all assignments in the course.
Click on the name of the assignment you want to edit. This will open the assignment’s settings page, which is divided into several sections:
General settings: This section contains basic information about the assignment, such as its title, description, due date, and point value.
Submission settings: This section controls how students submit their assignments. You can choose to allow students to submit text, files, or both. You can also set a maximum file size for submissions.
Grading settings: This section allows you to control how the assignment is graded. You can choose to use a rubric, points, or a combination of both. You can also set the grading scale for the assignment.
Feedback settings: This section controls how students receive feedback on their assignments. You can choose to provide feedback in the form of comments, rubrics, or both. You can also set the due date for feedback.
Additional settings: This section contains a variety of additional settings, such as the ability to allow students to submit late assignments, the ability to hide the assignment from students, and the ability to add a discussion thread to the assignment.
Enabling the TurnItIn Button
To enable the TurnItIn button in Canvas, you’ll need to ensure that your institution has a TurnItIn license and that the TurnItIn integration is configured in your Canvas instance. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
1. Configure TurnItIn Settings
- In the Canvas dashboard, click on “Settings” in the left-hand menu.
- Click on “TurnItIn LTI Tools” under the “Apps” tab.
- Ensure that the “TurnItIn LTI Tools” switch is enabled.
2. Assign TurnItIn to Assignments
- Create or open an existing assignment.
- In the “Assignment Settings” tab, under the “Submission Type” section, select “Turnitin LTI Assignment” from the dropdown menu.
- Configure TurnItIn settings, such as the similarity threshold, allowed file types, and options for excluding specific sources.
Specifying Similarity Settings
| Similarity Setting | Description |
|—|—|
| Similarity Report | Shows the percentage of text that matches other sources. |
| Similarity Index | Indicates how similar the submission is to other sources, with a value between 0% (no similarity) and 100% (complete similarity). |
| Similarity Score | A weighted average of the Similarity Index and the Grammatical Similarity Index. |
3. Publish and Monitor Assignments
- Click on “Save & Publish” to make the assignment live.
- Students will now be able to submit their assignments through the TurnItIn button in the assignment page.
- Instructors can view TurnItIn reports by clicking on the “TurnItIn Originality Report” link in the assignment page.
Setting Up TurnItIn Integration
To seamlessly integrate Turnitin into your Canvas assignments, follow these detailed steps:
1. Enable the Turnitin App
Navigate to the Canvas settings page and select “Apps”. Locate “Turnitin” and click “Enable”.
2. Create a Turnitin Account
If you haven’t already, create a Turnitin account by visiting their website and registering as an instructor. Once you have an account, log in to Canvas and connect your Turnitin account.
3. Configure Assignment Settings
When creating an assignment, select the “Turnitin” tab and enable the integration. You can customize the following settings:
| Setting | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Submission Type | Choose between “Students submit to Turnitin” or “Students submit to Canvas only.” |
| Originality Report | Generate similarity reports to detect potential plagiarism. Select the desired level (Low, Medium, High). |
| Reference Matching | Exclude specific sources from the originality report, such as reference materials or websites. |
| Due Date | Set a due date for the Turnitin submission. Late submissions will be penalized accordingly. |
| Grading Rubric | Create a grading rubric to assess student submissions, including criteria for originality, writing quality, and research. |
Additional features that enhance the Turnitin integration with Canvas include the ability to provide feedback and comments directly on the submitted documents, as well as set up peer review and self-assessment options. By following these steps and customizing the settings to meet your specific needs, you can effectively integrate Turnitin into your Canvas assignments and create a more efficient and effective assessment process.
Verifying TurnItIn Connection
To ensure that TurnItIn is properly connected to your Canvas course, follow these steps:
1. Access Canvas Course Settings
Navigate to the Canvas course where you wish to verify the TurnItIn connection. Click on “Settings” from the course navigation menu.
2. Locate TurnItIn Settings
Under the “Apps” tab, scroll down and locate the “TurnItIn” app. Click on the “Edit” button next to it.
3. Check Connection Status
The “TurnItIn” settings page will display the connection status. If the connection is active, you will see a message stating “You are currently connected to TurnItIn” and the “Active” status indicator.
4. Troubleshooting Connection Issues
If the connection is inactive, you may encounter the following issue:
| Issue | Troubleshooting |
|---|---|
| Invalid API Key | Contact your system administrator or TurnItIn support to obtain a valid API key. |
| Incorrect LTI Configuration | Verify that the LTI tool settings in TurnItIn match those provided by Canvas. |
| Network Connectivity Problems | Check your internet connection and ensure that both Canvas and TurnItIn are accessible. |
| Firewall or Proxy Issues | Contact your IT department to verify that the necessary ports are open for communication between Canvas and TurnItIn. |
Once the issue is resolved, click on the “Save” button to reconnect TurnItIn to your Canvas course.
Configuring TurnItIn Submission Options
1. Enable Turnitin: In the “Assignment Settings” page, under the “Turnitin” tab, toggle “Enable Turnitin” to “Yes.”
2. Originality Check: Set the percentage threshold for similarity detection. Turnitin will flag submissions exceeding this threshold for review.
3. Anonymous Marking: Choose whether student names and profile pictures should be visible to instructors during grading.
4. Grading Options: Specify whether student submissions can be manually graded, graded using rubrics, or both. Turnitin also allows for peer assessments.
5. Submission Options and Report Settings: These options offer granular control over Turnitin’s behavior during submission and report generation:
Specifying TurnItIn Originality Thresholds
The TurnItIn originality threshold feature enables you to set the allowable percentage of similarity between a student’s submission and other sources. Submissions exceeding this threshold will be flagged for potential plagiarism.
To set the originality threshold:
- In the assignment settings, select the “TurnItIn” tab.
- Scroll down to the “Originality Check” section.
- Enter the desired originality threshold (as a percentage) in the “Similarity Threshold” field.
- Optionally, you can customize the following settings:
- Exclude bibliographic references: Exclude references from the similarity check.
- Exclude quoted text: Exclude quoted text from the similarity check.
- Exclude small matches: Ignore similarity matches below a certain word count (e.g., 10 words).
- Select “Save” to apply the changes.
Advanced Similarity Options
The following additional settings allow for fine-tuning the originality threshold:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Exclude direct quotes | Exclude directly quoted text from the similarity check. |
| Ignore white space | Ignore white space (spaces, tabs, etc.) when calculating similarity. |
| Exclude matching case | Ignore case (upper or lower) when calculating similarity. |
| Exclude URL and HTML tags | Exclude URL and HTML tags from the similarity check. |
Customizing TurnItIn Similarity Report Options
The TurnItIn Similarity Report provides detailed insights into the originality and potential plagiarism in your students’ work. Here are some options to customize the report:
Similarity Score Threshold
Set a threshold for the similarity score, above which submissions will be flagged. You can specify different thresholds for text, web, and repository searches.
Exclusion Types
Exclude certain types of content from the similarity check, such as quotes, citations, or specific words. This helps filter out legitimate matches that are not indicative of plagiarism.
Allowed Similarity
Define an acceptable level of similarity between submissions before they are flagged for potential plagiarism. This allows for some degree of overlap, such as common phrases or references.
Document View
Choose whether to view the similarity report in color-coded or percentage view. Color-coded view highlights matching text, while percentage view displays the percentage of text that matches other sources.
Exclusions
Exclude specific web pages or documents from the similarity check. This is useful for excluding course materials or instructor-provided resources.
Sources Excluded from Similarity Scores
Identify specific sources, such as a class website or a course bibliography, that should be excluded from the similarity score calculation.
Advanced Similarity Settings
Configure advanced settings, such as how the similarity index is calculated, the treatment of inline comments, and the inclusion of metadata in the report. This provides granular control over the report’s accuracy and specificity.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Exclude Submitted Text | Excludes the student’s own text from the similarity calculation. |
| Ignore Citing Sources | Treats cited sources as excluded content. |
| Include Inline Comments | Includes instructor comments in the similarity calculation. |
Managing Student TurnItIn Submissions
Canvas provides several options for managing student TurnItIn submissions. These options allow instructors to customize the submission process, review submissions, and provide feedback to students.
Submission Settings
Instructors can configure submission settings when creating or editing an assignment. These settings include:
- Turnitin Engine: Choose between the Original or New TurnItIn engine.
- Similarity Threshold: Set the percentage threshold at which submissions will be flagged as similar.
- Exclude Sources: Exclude specific sources from similarity checking, such as course materials or approved readings.
- Allow Resubmissions: Allow students to submit revised versions of their work after receiving feedback.
Reviewing Submissions
Once students have submitted their assignments, instructors can review the submissions in the TurnItIn tab of the assignment. Submissions are listed with their corresponding similarity scores. Instructors can:
- View Similarity Report: Access detailed reports that highlight potential sources of plagiarism.
- Annotate Submissions: Add comments and feedback directly on the student’s submitted work.
- Download Submissions: Download student submissions for offline review or archiving.
- Mark as Original: Verify that a submission is original and exempt it from future similarity checks.
Providing Feedback
Instructors can provide feedback to students through TurnItIn submissions. Feedback can be provided in the following ways:
- Annotate Submissions: Use the annotation tools to highlight specific text and add comments.
- Provide Overall Feedback: Leave general comments and feedback on the submission as a whole.
li>Use Rubrics: Create and apply rubrics to assess student submissions and provide structured feedback.
Turnitin Similarity Levels
Turnitin uses a color-coded system to indicate the similarity level of a submission:
| Similarity Level | Color Code |
|---|---|
| Low (0% – 24%) | Green |
| Medium (25% – 49%) | Yellow |
| High (50% – 74%) | Orange |
| Very High (75% – 100%) | Red |
Troubleshooting TurnItIn Issues
Here are some common issues you may encounter while making a Canvas assignment have a TurnItIn submission:
Error: “TurnItIn not enabled for this course”
Ensure that the TurnItIn integration is activated for the course in Canvas settings.
Error: “File cannot be uploaded to TurnItIn”
Verify that the file format is supported by TurnItIn (e.g., PDF, Word, PowerPoint). Check the file size limits and ensure that the file does not contain any corrupted or special characters.
Error: “TurnItIn processing taking too long”
This can occur during peak usage times. Consider submitting the assignment at a different time or contacting TurnItIn support for assistance.
Error: “TurnItIn report contains plagiarism”
Carefully review the report to identify the sections of text flagged as plagiarism. Cite all sources appropriately and make any necessary revisions to the submission.
Error: “Cannot view the TurnItIn report”
Ensure that you have access to the assignment submission and that the TurnItIn report has been generated. Contact the instructor or TurnItIn support for further assistance.
Error: “TurnItIn integration is not working”
Check if the Canvas and TurnItIn accounts are properly linked. Clear your browser cache and log back into Canvas. If the issue persists, contact TurnItIn support.
Error: “Incorrect submission time”
Verify the submission time specified in the assignment settings and ensure that it aligns with the actual submission time.
Error: “TurnItIn license expired”
Contact your institution’s administrator to check the status of the TurnItIn license and renew it if necessary.
Troubleshooting Advanced Issues
If you encounter more complex issues related to specific assignment settings or technical errors, refer to the TurnItIn documentation or contact their support team for specialized assistance.
| Issue | Troubleshooting Steps |
|---|---|
| Incompatible file format | Convert the file to a supported format (e.g., PDF, Word) using a converter tool. |
| TurnItIn not activated for assignment | In Canvas, enable TurnItIn for the assignment under “Submission Options.” |
| Slow processing time | Submit during off-peak hours, reduce file size, or contact TurnItIn support. |
Verifying TurnItIn Scan Results
10. Review the Originality Report’s General Information
Examine the following sections in the Originality Report’s General Information tab:
- Similarity Index: A percentage indicating the amount of text in the submission that matches content from external sources.
- Text Inclusion: The total number of words in the submission and the number that match external sources.
- Internet: The percentage of text that matches content found on the internet.
- Publications: The percentage of text that matches content found in academic publications.
- Student Papers: The percentage of text that matches content found in submissions from other students.
- Institutional Repository: The percentage of text that matches content found in your institution’s database of student work.
| Originality Report Section | Description |
|---|---|
| Internet | Matches with web pages and other online sources |
| Publications | Matches with scholarly articles, books, and other academic materials |
| Student Papers | Matches with submissions from other students in your institution’s TurnItIn database |
| Institutional Repository | Matches with previously submitted student work at your institution |
How to Make Canvas Assignment Have a Turn It In
Canvas is a learning management system that allows instructors to create and manage online courses. One of the features of Canvas is the ability to create assignments that require students to submit their work through Turnitin, a plagiarism detection service. Turnitin compares students’ submissions to a database of other submissions and identifies any instances of plagiarism. This can help instructors ensure that students are submitting original work.
To make a Canvas assignment have a TurnItIn, follow these steps:
1. Create a new assignment in Canvas.
2. Click on the “Submission Type” drop-down menu and select “Turnitin”.
3. Click on the “Settings” button.
4. Under the “Turnitin Settings” tab, select the options that you want to use for the assignment.
5. Click on the “Save” button.
Once you have created the assignment, students will be able to submit their work through Turnitin by clicking on the “Submit” button on the assignment page. Turnitin will then compare the student’s submission to its database of other submissions and identify any instances of plagiarism.
People Also Ask About How to Make Canvas Assignment Have a Turn In
How do I check if a Canvas assignment has TurnItIn enabled?
To check if a Canvas assignment has TurnItIn enabled, open the assignment and click on the “Submission Type” drop-down menu. If “Turnitin” is selected, then TurnItIn is enabled for the assignment.
How do I submit an assignment to TurnItIn?
To submit an assignment to TurnItIn, open the assignment and click on the “Submit” button. Then, click on the “Turnitin” tab and follow the instructions on the screen.
How do I view TurnItIn reports?
To view TurnItIn reports, open the assignment and click on the “Grades” tab. Then, click on the “Turnitin” tab and select the “View Report” link next to the student’s submission.
