

And this data isn’t restricted to the work we do on computers. The new law permits Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to access, without permission, data about our internet use patterns - from the sites we visit to the search terms we use. On April 3, 2017, Donald Trump signed into law a bill overturning Obama-era protections for internet users.

The internet is increasingly a privately-owned public space. And yet they are complicit in the abuse of students by corporations like Turnitin. All institutions that, in theory, have critical thinking as a core value in their educational missions. While students who use Turnitin are discouraged from copying other work, the company itself can strip mine and sell student work for profit.įor this bait-and-switch to succeed, Turnitin relies upon the uncritical adoption of their platform by universities, colleges, community colleges, and K12 schools.
#Turnitin com student software
Plagiarism detection software (PDS), like Turnitin, has seized control of student intellectual property. Audrey Watters, “ Education Technology’s Completely Over”Ī funny thing happened on the way to academic integrity. Perhaps they retain a copy of the file on their computer but with learning analytics and plagiarism detection software, they still often find themselves having their data scanned and monetized, often without their knowledge or consent. Students often find themselves uploading their content - their creative work - into the learning management system.
