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Digital Assessment: Canvas and Turnitin

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Assignments, online marking and feedback

Online assignments are set up through Canvas. There are two main types of assignment tool, Canvas or Turnitin. Deciding which to use will depend on your Learning Outcomes, and your choice of marking tools. The University has agreed the Online Submission and Marking Principles governing the submission of assessments through Turnitin and Canvas.

Canvas Assignment Versus Turnitin Assignment

The table below outlines the various functionalities in Turnitin and Canvas assignments. 

The type of assignment you choose will determine which marking tool you will use.

Feature 

Turnitin Assignment 

Canvas Assignment 

Originality Check 

Yes - How to use in a Turnitin Assignment 

Yes - How to use in a Canvas Assignment  

Group Assignments 

No 

Yes - Canvas Group Assignments 

Online Marking Tools 

Yes - Feedback Studio 

Yes - Speedgrader 

Comment libraries 

Yes - QuickMark Guidance 

No 

Peer Assessment 

Yes - PeerMark 

Yes - Peer Review Assignment 

Multiple File Submission 

No 

Yes - by default students can submit multiple files to a Canvas Assignment using file upload.   

Submission file size 

100mb Instructions for students to reduce file size 

5 GB 

Anonymous Marking 

Yes - Turnitin Assignment Set Up (Canvas Orientation) 

Yes - Canvas Assignment Set Up (Canvas Orientation) 

Double Blind Marking 

No 

Yes 

Student Preview 

No 

Yes - Canvas Student View 

Recommendations

Our recommendation is to use Canvas Assignment for a better student experience, unless markers require QuickMark comment libraries for marking as these are only available in Turnitin. Where possible, we recommend that you agree at School-level what assignment type will be used for which requirements.  

It is crucial to always mark in the correct tool for the assignment type: one of the most common issues seen is assignments marked in the wrong tool, which causes problems for the assessment workflow, and creates inconsistency for students trying to find their feedback.

Canvas Assignments - Marked with Speedgrader

Please find a list of resources available below for Canvas assignments marked with Speedgrader.

Canvas Orientation Course

Training

LTDS Guide

Turnitin Site

Canvas/Instructure Site

Turnitin Assignments - Marked with Turnitin Tools

Please find a list of resources available below for Turnitin assignments marked with Turnitin tools.

Canvas Orientation Course

Screencast

Turnitin Site

LTDS Guide

Managing Grades and Releasing Feedback

Managing grades and releasing feedback outlines workflows for Canvas/Speedgrader and Turnitin marked assignments. 

When notifying your students that their marks and feedback are available, we would recommend sharing the URL link to the assignment in your communications. This will take students directly to their assignment so that they can access their feedback quickly and efficiently. You could also share the student guide to Accessing your Assignment Feedback via Canvas for more information.

NESS Information and Guidance provides information on how to transfer grades from the Gradebook to NESS, as well as NESS Training Videos provided by the Student Progress Service. 

Identifying Students when Anonymous Marking is used

It is possible to switch off anonymous marking temporarily in the Canvas Assignment settings to use the Gradebook to verify which students have or have not submitted to an assignment. This may be for record keeping or to contact students who have not submitted.

The anonymous marking setting in the Turnitin Assignment settings cannot be changed. Revealing individual student names in the Turnitin inbox cannot be reversed. 

To temporarily switch off Anonymous Marking for an Assignment,  it must be done in the Canvas Assignment Settings and then follow the Canvas Guidance for applying Anonymous marking to an Assignment to;  

  1. Un-tick ‘Graders cannot view student names’ in the Canvas Assignment Settings.
  2. Complete the required action (e.g. send a message to students who have not yet submitted from the Gradebook).  
  3. Tick ‘Graders cannot view student names’ in the Canvas Assignment Settings to reapply Anonymous marking. 

Moderated Assignments

What is your moderation workflow? 

Assignments can be moderated in Canvas. The most appropriate approach depends on how the marking and moderation are being done. See the drop-down menus below.

Single Marked Assignments in Canvas
  • Each assignment submission is marked by one marker. 
  • The moderator checks all or a sample of the marked submissions. 
  • This can be achieved using a standard Canvas or Turnitin Assignment. 
  • The moderator needs Teacher access to the Canvas course. They can access all of the marked submissions and view all of the marker’s comments. If required they can change a student’s grade in Canvas SpeedGrader or the Turnitin Assignment Inbox. 
  • Any change to the grade will be recorded in the Gradebook history. Note that there isn’t a download option for the Gradebook history. 
  • If the moderator needs to record any notes this can be done by adding a Notes column in the Gradebook. Notes are included if you download data from the Gradebook.
Double Marked Assignments
  • Each submission is marked by two or more markers. 
  • The moderator decides the final grade for every submission. 
  • This can be achieved using a Canvas Assignment with the Moderate tool, details can be found on the Double marking with Canvas Wayfinder 
  • Double blind marking  is possible using the ‘Graders cannot view student names’ setting. 
  • The moderator needs Teacher access to the Canvas course, and needs to be selected as ‘Grader that determines final grade’ in the assignment settings. 
  • Once they have decided the final grades the moderator releases them to the Gradebook. 
  • The record of the markers’ grades and the final grade can be viewed by the moderator, or by any member of staff with Sub-Account Admin access to the course. 
  • If the moderator needs to record any notes this can be done by adding a Notes column in the Gradebook. Notes are included if you download data from the Gradebook. 
  • The full workflow for double marked assignments is explained in the Double Marking with Canvas Assignments Wayfinder.

Supporting Students with Digital Assessments

Student unable to submit 

It is not possible to submit a file on behalf of a student for either a Canvas or a Turnitin Assignment.  If a student is experiencing problems submitting an assignment contact the IT Service Desk via NU Service. 

Guidance for students on how to submit assignment on the Academic Skills Kit pages.

Feedback for Students 

Information to support students on Accessing Student Feedback is also on the Academic Skills Kit pages.