Adding an assignment to Turnitin on Canvas involves creating a standard Canvas assignment and then configuring its submission type and plagiarism review settings to utilize Turnitin's capabilities. This process enables plagiarism detection and provides originality reports for student submissions.
How Do I Add an Assignment to Turnitin on Canvas?
To add an assignment with Turnitin integration in Canvas, you'll configure the assignment's submission settings to enable Turnitin's plagiarism review.
Here's a step-by-step guide to setting up a Turnitin-enabled assignment in Canvas:
Step 1: Navigate to Your Course and Add a New Assignment
- Log in to your Canvas account and navigate to the specific course where you want to add the assignment.
- From the course navigation menu, click on "Assignments."
- On the Assignments page, click the "+ Assignment" button (usually located in the top right corner) to create a new assignment.
Step 2: Define Assignment Details
Fill in the basic information for your assignment:
- Assignment Name: Provide a clear and descriptive name for the assignment.
- Description: Use the Rich Content Editor to provide instructions, rubrics, or any other relevant details for students.
- Points: Set the maximum points for the assignment.
- Assignment Group: Select an assignment group (e.g., Quizzes, Homework, Projects).
- Display Grade As: Choose how the grade will be displayed (e.g., Points, Percentage, Complete/Incomplete).
Step 3: Configure Submission Type for Turnitin
This is a critical step for integrating Turnitin. Scroll down to the "Submission Type" section:
- Open the Submission Type menu and select "Online." Turnitin assignments must be submitted online through Canvas.
- Under the "Online Entry Options," you must choose "Text Entry" and/or "File Uploads." Turnitin will only function if at least one of these options is selected.
- Text Entry: Allows students to type or paste their submission directly into a text box in Canvas.
- File Uploads: Allows students to upload documents (e.g., Word, PDF). This is the most common option for Turnitin.
- Note: If you select "Website URL" or "Media Recordings," Turnitin will not be able to process the submission for plagiarism review.
Step 4: Enable Turnitin Plagiarism Review
After configuring the submission type, you will see the "Plagiarism Review" section:
- From the "Plagiarism Review" menu, choose "Turnitin Plagiarism Review."
- Once selected, additional Turnitin settings will appear below this dropdown menu, allowing you to customize the plagiarism check.
Step 5: Adjust Turnitin Settings (Optional but Recommended)
Turnitin offers several settings to tailor the plagiarism review process to your needs. Carefully review and adjust these options:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Generate Originality Reports | Determines when the originality report is generated: • Immediately, first report is final: Students get a report right away, and can't resubmit. • Immediately, can overwrite reports until due date: Students can resubmit and view new reports until the due date. • On due date: Reports are generated only after the assignment's due date, preventing early access to the report. |
| Allow students to view originality reports | Choose whether students can see their own Turnitin originality reports. Allowing students to view reports can be a valuable learning tool. |
| Exclude bibliographic materials | If checked, Turnitin will attempt to exclude text found in bibliographies, references, or works cited sections from the similarity index. |
| Exclude quoted material | If checked, Turnitin will attempt to exclude text within quotation marks from the similarity index. |
| Exclude small matches | Allows you to exclude matches that are below a certain word count or percentage from the similarity report. For instance, excluding matches less than 5 words might remove common phrases. |
| Submission to Repository | Determines where student papers are stored: • Standard paper repository: Papers are added to Turnitin's global database for future comparison. This is the default and recommended for preventing future plagiarism. • No repository: Papers are checked but not stored. Use this if students are submitting drafts or if privacy is a concern. |
| Compare against | Select the types of sources Turnitin should compare submissions against (e.g., student papers, internet content, journals, publications). |
Step 6: Set Due Dates and Availability Dates
- Due Date: Specify the date and time when the assignment is due.
- Available From/Until: Set the window during which students can access and submit the assignment.
Step 7: Save and Publish the Assignment
- Click "Save" to save your assignment settings without making it available to students, or "Save & Publish" to save and immediately make the assignment visible and accessible to students.
Once published, students will see the assignment in their Canvas course, and when they submit, their work will automatically be sent to Turnitin for plagiarism review, generating an originality report that you can access from the Canvas SpeedGrader.
