JumperGirl's school started using Turnitin this year. The service has been subject to much debate recently in the academic blogosphere, most noticeably at Kairos
and Cyberdash
Writing at Composition Southeast, Sharon Gerald has some great thoughts, pro and con, on the use of such systems. I particularly liked the list of "worst practices".
Like grammar checkers, plagiarism detection services are unreliable. They should not be the only way that plagiarism is dealt with in student writing, and they should not be used as a means of creating less work for the instructor. Used correctly, plagiarism detection services do require time and attention on the part of the instructor.
Previous writings on Turnitin
Plagiarism Detection Goes Commercial
Plagiarism Today
Cheating or Collaborating?
I just came across an absolutely eye-opening article with tons of proof. I had no idea how much Turnitin violates students' rights.
The Well-Known Secret about Turnitin.com
Posted by: Dan | Thursday, October 19, 2006 at 12:36 AM