Grammar Checking in TurnItIn Assignments

Even if you're not teaching a writing course, writing is an important component of many courses.  To help you provide constructive feedback on your students' writing, we have added the ETS e-rater grammar check software to GradeMark on TurnItIn. When creating a TurnItIn assignment, you'll have the option of enabling this feature, which will scan each submission for grammar errors and mark those errors in the GradeMark interface.

One strength of the GradeMark interface is its flexibility.  That same flexibility extends to the e-rater software:

• Choose which types of errors to be detected (e.g., usage or spelling)
• Dismiss e-rater comments on a case-by-case basis or dismiss entire categories of comments
• Add your own comments to each error to tailor the feedback to your students

E-rater also links to a grammar handbook, so students can read an in-depth explanation of each error and how to avoid it in the future.

The e-rater software is no substitute for a careful evaluation, but the comments provided by it provide an easy way to begin the process of providing feedback.  For information on setting up the e-rater feature and how to use it, see this guide on the Moodle Training Course.