In a previous blog post from 2016, we provided some clarity on V1 and V2 of the Turnitin Integration for Brightspace Assignments – and we want to take the opportunity to continue to clarify and provide additional instructions on how to enable V2.
First, let’s explain the differences between V1 and V2 at high-level:
Turnitin Integrations for Brightspace
There are 2 versions of Turnitin that integrate with the Brightspace Assignments tool:
Version 1: Also referred to as “Legacy” or “API”
- Integrates via Brightspace Assignments (GradeMark and Originality Check, not PeerMark)
- Co-developed with Turnitin (2009 – 2015)
- Currently in Maintenance
- Planning for End of Support (EOS) and then End of Life (EOL)
Version 2: Also referred to as ‘Enhanced LTI Integration”
- Integrates via Brightspace Assignments (GradeMark and Originality Check, not PeerMark)
- Co-developed with Turnitin
- Actively developed and maintained solution
- Recommended for use in Production
While there is still no End of Support or End of Life milestone determined for V1, it is highly recommended to make the transition to V2 as soon as possible. D2L and Turnitin will be communicating an EOS and EOL date for V1 as soon as possible (this will be within 2019).
Which Version am I using?
The easiest way to confirm is to create a new assignment folder.
- If there is an Originality Check option in properties, you are still configured for version 1
- If there is a Turnitin tab, then you are configured for version 2
Version 1 – Notice the Originality Check Option
Figure: Version 1 of Originality Check.
Version 2 – Notice the Turnitin Tab
Figure: Version 2 of Originality Check.
Updates to Version 2 released in July 2018
For those of you using Version 2 of the Turnitin integration for Brightspace – we’ve made things better.
D2L, in close alignment with Turnitin, released the following features and functionality within the Brightspace Assignments Tool in July 2018:
- Instructors can now enable GradeMark without Originality Check in Brightspace (for those that want to only use the annotations/commenting and grading in GradeMark and do not want to see Similarity Scores/Similarity Report)
- All dates are now managed in Brightspace - removing the need for instructors to manage dates in Brightspace AND Turnitin
- Automatically transfer Grades and Feedback to Brightspace as draft (optional enablement)
- UI changes that give instructors a clear understanding of where they are in the grading process within the Brightspace Assignment Summary page, with visual icons indicating if a grade has been provided (or not) or if feedback has been provided (or not).
- Students will have a visual indication if feedback has been left in GradeMark (not just an indication if a grade has been provided) – this is an exciting update for instructors who use assignments for Formative Assessments (where grades are not required)
- More streamlined options for the course copy process
- Group Projects work!
Why did this happen?
We heard you! Based on your feedback via PIE as well as direct engagement with our Support and Product teams, we gathered your feedback and implemented these changes with your needs in mind. Turnitin and D2L are committed to ensuring your success by providing you an easy-to use and streamlined user experience.
What do I need to do next?
If you are already using V2, the updates have already been applied automatically – so there is nothing for you to do to take advantage of these new features and functionality. Make sure to check out the Turnitin administrator documentation on the Brightspace Community for new config variable options you can set up.
If you currently using V1 and now want to transition to V2? See below!
Enabling the updated V2 Turnitin integration for Brightspace
Note: If you had V1 enabled already, do not disable it – that is needed to ensure that old assignments can still be seen.
The updated integration of Turnitin within the Brightspace Assignments tool is easy to enable but does have a few steps that need to be followed. This document will outline how to get started. As a reminder, the LTI version will never be automatically enabled, you will need to enter account details for it to be active.
The integration can be used for specific courses, so if you are currently using V1 and are not ready to expose the updated V2 integration to users, or want to test with a few courses first, you can easily do so.
Considerations:
- Assignments can only have one version of the integration
- Courses can have assignments with different versions of the integration
After V2 is enabled
- Assignments that used V1 will still have access to past results
- Assignments using V1 will continue to use V1
- Enabling Turnitin for an Assignment will cause it to use V2
Obtaining V2 Account from Turnitin (also referred to as an LTI Account)
Turnitin uses different accounts for the V2 and V1 integration. You do not need to worry about added licensing, as Turnitin has indicated that as you adopt the V2 version, student licenses will move over. This will be a natural transition as accounts expire in the V1 account and are used in the V2 account.
The first step is to contact your Turnitin representative and let them know you are moving to or evaluating the V2 Integration. As with the V1 account, you will be asking for three pieces of information:
- Account Id
- Shared Key*
- URL
Note: always treat Shared Key as a password and do not share with anyone.
Planning
You will need to plan the level of integration you are starting with. It is recommended to enable the integration for test course(s) to ensure your account is functional and you have all the steps completed.
If you are new to using Turnitin within Brightspace, or are transitioning from V1 to V2, the planning is the same with the exception of the HasPlagiarismPrevention variable (see more below).
It is important to understand that Turnitin is controlled by two types of configuration variables: account details and control variables. The above describes how account details control whether new folders would be V2 or V1 Turnitin enabled. The next section will describe the control variables.
Account Details for Legacy
- d2l.3rdParty.Turnitin.AccountId
- d2l.3rdParty.Turnitin.SharedKey
- d2l.3rdParty.Turnitin.URL
Account Details for LTI
- d2l.3rdParty.LTI.Turnitin.AccountId
- d2l.3rdParty.LTI.Turnitin.SharedKey
- d2l.3rdParty.LTI.Turnitin.URL
Control Variables
- d2l.3rdParty.HasGradeMark
- d2l.3rdParty.HasPlagiarismPrevention
- d2l.3rdParty.HasPeerMark (future)
- d2l.3rdParty.HasERater (legacy only)
Setting Account Details
Setting all three detail variables for either V2 or V1, is what is required to configure an account at an organizational unit level. This will typically be at the Org level or OrgUnit for specific courses.
i.e.
- d2l.3rdParty.Turnitin.AccountId = 123456
- d2l.3rdParty.Turnitin.SharedKey = *********
- d2l.3rdParty.Turnitin.URL =
V1 Accounts V2 Accounts New Folders are ... Existing Legacy will … Org level none Legacy work normally Org level test courses LTI in test courses, legacy everywhere else in the Org work normally Org level Org level LTI everywhere work normally off Org level LTI everywhere not work off test courses LTI in test courses only, otherwise off not work
Control Variables
For controlling V1 Turnitin and the V2 integration, the variables are shared with two exceptions. For the purpose of testing and configuration the HasPlagiarism detection is the primary control. The other variables control subsets of functions within the integration.
Note: All variables are under d2l.3rdParty.Turnitin but are shortened below for readability.
Variable Scope Affects HasPlagiarismPrevention Controls visibility and function of all Turnitin components. Can be set at OrgUnit for limiting access and testing. V1 and V2 HasGradeMark Controls visibility and function of GradeMark. V1 and V2HasERater Controls visibility of ERater settings. V1. (V2 ERater settings are accessed in Turnitin settings pages) PaperViewRequestEmail Controls where Paper View email requests are routed V2.
Mapping roles to IMS roles
LTI usage in Brightspace via V2 requires that you tell us how your organization roles map to the IMS (standards committee overseeing LTI) roles. In most cases, this is as simple as letting us know which roles will be managing Assignments folders and which will be submitting to them.
- Roles submitting assignments need to be mapped to Learners.
- Roles creating and managing assignments need to be mapped to Instructors.
Note: To set IMS role mappings, you need to visit the IMS Configuration page. From the Admin Flyout, it's in the Organization Related section.
Figure: The IMS config page - org related.
Here is a simple configuration:
Figure: Example of a simple configuration.
Testing your Turnitin V2 Account
Once you've completed the setup for a course, or the organization, it's time to test the integration:
- Control variables set and account details
- Instructor IMS role configured
- Account valid and network connection
- Student IMS role configured
Testing control variables and account details
As your instructor user, go to your test course and the Assignment tool.
Figure: Example assignments in the Assignments tool.
Create a new Assignment folder.
LTI is enabled properly when you see the Turnitin tab:
Figure: The Turnitin tab for assignments.
If you see the check box like below on the Properties tab instead, then the course offering is V1 enabled and account details should be checked again.
Figure: The Properties tab for a folder.
IMS Mapping
When navigating to the Turnitin tab, if there is a warning like below, the role is not mapped to 'Instructor' in IMS Configuration.
Figure: The Turnitin tab for a submission folder.
Account and Network Connection
Selecting to Enable Turnitin will launch an LTI request to Turnitin to create the assignment. This normally takes a few moments and will time out if it does not complete with 180 seconds. There are other reasons why the call may fail so note any errors that occur. For example, Turnitin requires titles to be more than 2 characters long.
Once complete, the setup button to manage Turnitin settings will be enabled. Successfully launching to view settings on Turnitin confirms setup is complete. Remember to save the properties on this tab.
Student IMS Configuration
The last step is to visit the Assignment folder as a student and submit a file for processing. To test the integration, use a detectable file such as text, PDF or MSWord. Return to the instructor login and monitor submission views. Normally the file will be processed within a few minutes. A response with 10 minutes is typically expected.
If students are not IMS mapped to Learners, submissions will be in an error state such as below. You can go correct the IME mappings and then click the re-submit button (icon next to the warning symbol) to test.
Figure: A dialog stating that an originality report could not be generated.
Otherwise, seeing In-Progress, and then a report means you've setup Turnitin successfully.
Figure: Turnitin Similarity Report showing a generation in progress.
Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) is a proposed standard for passing user, organization, and course information between learning management systems (Tool Consumers) and learning tools, such as wikis, simulations, assessment tools, protected content, etc. (Tool Providers).
Figure: A similarity report with a 100% match.
