Plagiarism & AI Detection with "Turnitin"

The state of AI detection

"Detection tools are controversial and are often one step behind the most advanced generative AI models. There are countless simple tools and  strategies (see below) to get around these detectors, and research has repeatedly found that writing by non-native English speakers gets flagged more often.

When you suspect undisclosed use, ask the student about the work. Have them walk you through a decision they made, or explain a passage, or talk about what they cut from the final draft." — Ben Hunter, Chief Data & AI Officer, UI

Sources:
AI in the Classroom — U of I AI Resources and Guidance, Inside U of I

AI Detection Bypass Strategies

Plagiarism Detection in CANVAS

Turnitin is integrated into CANVAS and can be used by instructors to check student work for originality and potential plagiarism. It works by comparing submitted documents against a massive database of web pages, previously submitted student papers, and academic journals. You must enable Turnitin on your assignment to use it.

Enable Turnitin on your Assignment

  1. Edit your assignment in CANVAS
  2. Scroll down to Plagiarism Review
  3. Select Turnitin Similarity
  4. Specify when you want the report to generate, and when you want students to see the report.

CANVAS Assignment settings for turnitin highlighted

Review Assignment Submission using Turnitin

  1. Once assignments have been submitted, go to Grades.
  2. On your assignment, click triple dot then Speed Grader.
  3. Click on the similarity percent to see the Turnitin Report
    CANVAS Assignment grading turnitin similarity percent circled.
     
  4. The report will indicate items not cited or quoted, and will provide a link to the matching SOURCE content if available.
    Sample Turnitin Report with percent not cited or quoted circled and an arrow pointing to the matching source content.

Learn more about Turnitin

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