Feedback Studio Saves Teachers Time, Upholds Academic Integrity at Palmerston North Boys' High School

Challenge

Palmerston North Boys’ High School wanted a solution that would enable them to go paperless but also support their school values of integrity. There had been suspicions of academic misconduct, and Des Waters, Director of e-Learning and Head of Biology, says they incorporated an academic integrity requirement into the search for an expansive solution.

Waters says, “We thought, ‘Well why don’t we do something with academic integrity and make sure that it’s meeting our school values of integrity and honesty?’” Additionally, PNBHS wanted to address preparing their students for life beyond Palmerston, whether it be employment or university.

Results

Palmerston North Boys’ High School integrated Turnitin Feedback Studio with their existing Moodle platform to great success. Feedback Studio has successfully deterred plagiarism, improved student outcomes, and saved teachers time.

In addition, Feedback Studio has upheld the academic integrity of its student body with its unique offering. Waters says, “Feedback Studio saves assignments in a database so they can’t use their siblings’ in future years. Students understand if they [plagiarize], they’re going to get caught and actions have consequences.”

PBNHS measures student learning outcomes with internal tests moderated externally with department reviews. Waters says, “The scores definitely show an upward trend. The boys’ marks are getting better and their writing is better and they are citing more. We are seeing a [tangible] improvement in our grades.”

Moreover, Feedback Studio has been widely adopted throughout campus, with 80% of staff utilizing the software, including history, maths, social sciences, and the sciences, in addition to the English department. He says that even the P.E. department instructors are, according to Waters, “massive champions of Feedback Studio because they have to write essays on food and nutrition and movement. So they run all their stuff through Turnitin.”

Likewise, students appreciate Feedback Studio. “They don’t ask,” says Waters, “‘Can I have my marks back?’ if you’re using Feedback Studio. So it takes away all of that angst as well.”

90% of assignments in the school are being marked using Turnitin, and according to Waters, Feedback Studio “saves teachers time, we’re not flipping pages, and you’re not having to go look up whether someone has used someone else’s ideas by typing it into Google. It’s all done for you. The time saved is great. It’s significant.”

Learn more about Feedback Studio at turnitin.com/products/feedback-studio