Introduction
The way Turnitin integrates with Blackboard has been updated and Turnitin LTI Assignments have superseded Turnitin Direct Assignments. You can read more about the change here.
Many 2023 Blackboard papers will initially contain copied links of old Direct Assignments. Such links in the great majority of papers (i.e. S1, S2 or FY) shouldn’t be used and we recommend carefully deleting them. Doing so will clean up your paper’s Grade Centre, avoid confusion and ensure they aren’t rolled-over again.
Checking Turnitin Direct Links
Before deleting a Direct Assignment link please first click ‘View Assignment’ to check its status. You’ll see one of the following:
(A) ‘Recycle Turnitin Direct Assignments’ Message Displays
In this case we recommend you don’t click the blue ‘Recycle’ button, since the new Direct assignments that will result shouldn’t be used, and should be deleted.
Note that seeing this message after clicking any Direct Assignment link in your paper means that all of the Turnitin Direct links in that paper are unrecycled proto-assignments, not actual assignments. In this case, all Turnitin Direct links in the paper can be deleted without further checking.
Tip! As the link to be deleted is a copy of the link to an actual Turnitin Direct Assignment in a past Blackboard paper, you may want to view the settings of that source Direct Assignment if recreating it as LTI Assignment). To do so, please locate and open the Assignment in the source paper: if you could encounter any problems doing so please contact ITS Digital Learning.
(B) The Submissions Inbox Successfully Loads
If the Direct Assignment’s Inbox loads, determine whether any submissions are listed:
- NO submissions listed
In this case, deleting the assignment is advised. If the Assignment is one you intended to use, you may wish to create the replacement LTI Assignment first. That way you can refer to the old assignment’s settings while configuring the new. - SOME submissions listed
In this case, don’t delete the assignment! You can make it Unavailable if wished. If it is still Active and you want to continue to allows submissions after the end of March 2023, please contact ITS Digital Learning and we will be pleased to assist.
Deleting Turnitin Direct Assignments
Simply however the mouse pointer over the assignment’s link in Blackboard, click the down-arrow and select ‘Delete’. This will delete the associated Grade Centre column, along with the assignment link.
Turnitin Help for Teaching Staff
■ Turnitin’s ‘Blackboard LTI 1.3 Instructor’ support pages are your primary source of information on Turnitin LTI Assignments and Feedback Studio.
■ Supplementary ITS Digital Learning pages may assist Otago staff adapting to Turnitin LTI in our Blackboard environment.
