TBers,

When the TB group talked about the world wide web based tool know as
Turnitin, we focused on the issue of trying to use it as a teaching tool
rather than as a punitive tool.  (Turnitin as you may recall is the anti
plagiarism tool on the web.) Given this, I thought you would find a recent
testimonial about it interesting.  Below are comments from a History
professor at SUNY Oneonta, Dr. Hendley:

Start snip:

First, I wanted to thank you again for your help in getting my courses set
up on www.turnitin.com <http://www.turnitin.com/> . I used it for four
History courses in Spring 2003. All four of my courses had research essay
assignments and it helped cut the amount of plagiarism cases by about a
third. Best of all, the web site forced students to think more seriously
about citation and presentation of evidence. Even in the papers I graded
with no plagiarism problems there was much more attention to using footnotes
and quotations and following proper format. I had about 140 students last
term and found grading a large number of assignments less burdensome as a
result of turnitin.com. I would like to use the web site again in the
future. Please use my name if funding for the site is ever questioned!

end snip.

These comments are used with Dr. Hendley's permission.

Mr. James B. Greenberg
Director Teaching, Learning and Technology Center
Milne Library
SUNY College at Oneonta
Oneonta, New York 13820

email: [log in to unmask]
phone: 607-436-2701

"Ignorance is curable, stupidity lasts forever"