Search the knowledge base
Frequently Asked Questions
Click on a question below to reveal its answer.
- Who do we contact for Turnitin issues?
If you experience any problems with submitting assignments to Turnitin, please contact the WIT Moodle helpdesk by email at moodle@wit.ie or by telephone at 051 834114.
Depending on the nature of the problem, we may need permission from the lecturer on the particular module before we can make any changes.
- As a staff member, how do I sign up for a Turnitin account?
There is no need to sign up for a separate Turnitin account as you automatically have an account when you are assigned as a lecturer to a module in Moodle. With 'Edit Mode' switched on in your module select 'Add an Activity' in the correct module section. Then select the Turnitin assignment activity and complete the settings and Save. All participants on your module can now submit work to that Turnitin activity up until the Due Date that you have set.
The support staff at the SETU Centre for Technology-Enhanced Learning (CTEL) are on hand if you require assistance to complete this task.
Please email moodle@setu.ie, telephone 051-834114 or call to the helpdesk in Room FTG29 in the Flexible Teaching Building on the main campus.
- Are there training materials for students using Turnitin?
All training materials are available at the Turnitin.com website.
Please note that the only option available to students is the Originality report.
Turnitin currently accepts the following file types for upload into an assignment:
- Microsoft Word™ (DOC and DOCX)
- Corel WordPerfect®
- HTML
- Adobe PostScript®
- Plain text (TXT)
- Rich Text Format (RTF)
- Portable Document Format (PDF)
- OpenOffice (ODT)
If you have a Moodle query or need technical support or advice, please send an email to moodle@setu.ie. We operate a helpdesk from Monday to Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
If you have a password issue, you will need to send an email to the computer services team at computerservices.wd@setu.ie.
If you have a registration issue, please contact the registration team at registration.wd@setu.ie.
- When assignments are uploaded to Turnitin do they become part of the Turnitin database?
If the lecturer selected Use repository when setting up the assignment, then the assignment will be part of the Turnitin database. This is necessary if you want other assignments to be compared to this assignment. Please note that the copyright for the assignment still rests with the author.
If the lecturer selected No repository when setting up the assignment, then the assignment will not be part of the Turnitin database.
When draft submissions are allowed prior to the due date, the comparison of submissions within the same Turnitin Assignment link will not take place until after the assignment due date passes. This means that similarity to your classmates’ work will not show in the Originality Report prior to the due date.
Reports are regenerated by Turnitin at the due date and therefore the percentage similarity may change at this time.
For example, students may notice an increase in similarity after the due date if an assignment template has been used. In a situation where students have used template text such as table headers or report sections, these sections of text will only show as matches within the class group after the due date has passed, and will probably increase originality percentages for the whole class group.
Likewise, if two or more students have included the same piece of text, Turnitin will display the existing external database matches prior to the due date; but once the due date passes these student papers will also match against each other.
- How long does it take for Turnitin to check an uploaded paper?
It takes approximately one hour to check for an assignment when first uploaded. Please note that results may be returned quicker than one hour depending on the volume of users.
It can take up to 24 hours to return results after the first three submissions. This policy is in place by Turnitin to avoid people making minor changes and continually resubmitting their assignment as opposed to understanding plagiarism and how to reference correctly and ensuring their assignment is correctly referenced before submitting.
When draft submissions are allowed prior to the due date, the comparison of submissions within the same Turnitin Assignment link will not take place until after the assignment due date passes. This means that similarity to your classmates’ work will not show in the Originality Report prior to the due date.
Reports are regenerated by Turnitin at the due date and therefore the percentage similarity may change at this time.
For example, students may notice an increase in similarity after the due date if an assignment template has been used. In a situation where students have used template text such as table headers or report sections, these sections of text will only show as matches within the class group after the due date has passed, and will probably increase originality percentages for the whole class group.
Likewise, if two or more students have included the same piece of text, Turnitin will display the existing external database matches prior to the due date; but once the due date passes these student papers will also match against each other.
- Is an assignment that receives a high similarity rating plagiarised?
An assignment that receives a high similarity rating indicates that the data contained within the assignment is similar to other sources (books, other assignments submitted worldwide, websites, databases, etc) checked by Turnitin. When you click on the score it will take you to the Turnitin website. The score may be broken down into smaller pieces of text which add up to the overall score.
If you have a Moodle query or need technical support or advice, please send an email to moodle@setu.ie. We operate a helpdesk from Monday to Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
If you have a password issue, you will need to send an email to the computer services team at computerservices.wd@setu.ie.
If you have a registration issue, please contact the registration team at registration.wd@setu.ie.
- Does Turnitin check against newspaper articles and books?
If the lecturer selected the option to check against newspaper articles and books when setting up the assignment, then the assignments will be checked against newspaper articles and books that are available online.
This site provides extensive detail on originality reports and how they can be interpreted by staff and students: https://guides.turnitin.com/01_Manuals_and_Guides/Instructor_Guides/Turnitin_Classic_(Deprecated)/Interpreting_the_Similarity_Report
- Are there training materials for staff using Turnitin?
Detailed instructions for using Turnitin can be found at the Turnitin.com website here.
Please ignore the parts about Migration and Enabling Turnitin Plagiarism activity settings. These do not apply to Moodle.
Please email the Moodle helpdesk at moodle@wit.ie or call 051-834114 if you would like have any specific questions about Turnitin or attend one of our drop-in or specialised training sessions.
- Who will show the students how to use Moodle?
Students will be shown how to log into Moodle and access module areas as part of induction. However, they will not be shown how to use all features of Moodle as this may be overwhelming for the students. In addition, different lecturers use Moodle in different ways so the lecturers are really best placed to show the students how to use Moodle.
This quick guide will help students to navigate around the site and avail of the various resources.
- I share a module with other lecturers - can this still be accommodated in new Moodle?
You can share a module with other lecturers if you are timetabled to teach the same class group together. Alternatively, we can create a separate area for each of you in Moodle.
Please send an email to moodle@wit.ie requesting to have your module set up as a seperate area or to be added to the same area in Moodle as your colleague(s).
- How do I upload a profile picture in Moodle?
Some lecturers and students don’t like to display their own picture but still want something other than the default image. Alternatively, you can upload a picture of some memorable scenery, etc. This user guide details how to upload your profile picture.
- Can I view my timetable on Moodle?
Timetables are not available in Moodle. Student lecture timetables are available online at http://studentssp.wit.ie/Timetables/POSTT.aspx. Staff timetables are available at http://studentssp.wit.ie/Timetables/lecturerTT.aspx.
- Can I link a number of modules with different CRNs for a combined lecture?
You may be teaching a combined group of students from different programmes with different CRNs but would like them all to see the same content in Moodle. Simply send us a list of the CRNs that you would like to link/combine.
We will then create a common module area in Moodle that all students in this combined group can view. This will avoid the need for duplication on your part. Our email address is moodle@wit.ie.
- Why should I use a Wiki in my module?
Wikis are a simple, flexible tool for collaboration. They can be used for everything from simple lists of web links to building entire encyclopaedias. As an example, Wikipedia is the largest wiki in the world. In your own class it’s important to have a plan for your wiki so students know how it fits in with their learning. If it’s an individual wiki, will they be graded? Is it simply a staging area for group work that will be submitted as assignments later? Will you let the students be completely responsible for the work? How will you deal with offensive content? The great advantage of a wiki is that all edits are clearly visible and reversible.
- What is Diigo?
Social bookmarking is a method for Internet users to organize, store, manage and search for bookmarks of resources online. Two of the more popular bookmarking services available are Diigo and Delicious. Tagging is a significant feature of both of these social bookmarking systems, enabling users to organize their bookmarks in flexible ways. Click here to learn how to set up a Diigo account.