2 Systems for online coursework submission and marking

Overview

The University has two systems that can be used to collect coursework from students online, mark the work online and provide feedback and provisional marks online. One system is called Turnitin and the other is called Blackboard Assignment. Both systems also have a ‘built in’ originality checking (possible plagiarism) function. Both systems integrate with the Blackboard Grade Centre which means that any feedback and marks entered whilst marking coursework online will be accessible via the Blackboard Grade Centre. 

The University has two systems because each offers some advantages over the other in certain circumstances.

University policy has now changed and requires that Originality checking option is made available to students to view for all assignments on all modules, whether it is Blackboard Safeassign or Turnitin. 

Feature comparison

The core features of each system are summarized in table 1 below. Check this document for a full comparison of features. 

If a coursework is marked online then the feedback entered, whether in-line (i.e. on the text of the work) or general/summing up feedback or rubric based feedback (by completion of an online rubric), is automatically recorded and accessible to students via Blackboard. This is the case whether Turnitin or Blackboard Assignment is used as the coursework submission system.

If coursework is marked on paper, or coursework is a performance or in-class presentation for example, it is still possible to provide marks and feedback online via the Blackboard Grade Centre if so desired.

Both Turnitin and Blackboard Assignment have apps that support the marking of submitted work on tablet devices. Check this page for guidance. 

This guide will provide an overview of online marking, including options for the provision of feedback, in both the Turnitin and Blackboard Assignment systems. It will also provide advice on how to provide online feedback to students if coursework is not marked online.