INTRODUCTION
Turnitin© is a web based service from iParadigms, LLC. It is offered to educators at all levels for a fee based on use. The Turnitin.com© web site is designed to accept and analyze the text of papers submitted to it for plagiarism. Turnitin.com© does this by comparing the text of the submitted paper to the text of known documents that are internet based.
TASK
Your task is to write one (group produced) handbook for high school teachers that will help them better understand Turnitin.com© and use this service wisely.
RESOURCES
Turnitin.comThis is not an all inclusive list. Consider it just a small start.
CONDITIONS
The form that the final document takes is immaterial as long as it can be judged as a useful tool for the intended audience.The document size should approximate 25 written pages.
All claims, etc. need to be backed up by valid research or verified sources.
All documents produced need to be handicapped accessible.
All documents produced need to respect the rights of the owners of copyrights, trademarks, and patents.
Possible areas of investigation:
What is plagiarism and why is it becoming such a concern in the past few years?What are some statistics on plagiarism? (You might start with MTU)
Can Turnitin© (or others like it) decrease the incidence of plagiarism?
What are major problems with Turnitin.com©?
How can teachers be wise users of Turnitin.com©?
How exactly does Turnitin.com© work? and how can this understanding help us become better interpreters of the Turnitin.com© results?
What are some good Turnitin.com© anecdotes? what are some bad?
What does the future hold with respect to plagiarism and plagiarism tools?