Does Gradescope Check for Plagiarism?
With the evolution of digital learning platforms, ensuring academic integrity has become crucial. Gradescope, a platform gaining attention in the education sector, raises a vital question: Does Gradescope check for plagiarism?
Understanding Gradescope’s Anti-Cheating Measures
Yes, Gradescope does include features that help in detecting potential cases of plagiarism. It is an online assessment platform designed for educators to streamline the grading process. It offers various tools not only for assessment but also for upholding academic integrity:
- Similarity Detection: Utilizing machine learning algorithms, Gradescope can compare student submissions and spot similarities, which might indicate instances of plagiarism or collusion.
- Access Log: It records the specifics of student assessment access, such as start and end times and the duration spent on each question. Such data can aid in identifying potential collaboration or external help.
- Proctoring: Gradescope integrates with third-party proctoring services like ProctorU. These services monitor students during exams, using webcams and microphones to catch any suspicious activities.
Note: Gradescope does not track students’ browsing history during exams.
Code Similarity Tool
For programming assignments, Gradescope offers the “Code Similarity” tool. This tool doesn’t automatically tag content as plagiarized. Instead, it highlights the similarities between different students’ code submissions. Here’s how it functions:
| Steps | Description |
| 1. Review Similarity | Located under the “Statistics” section, this option allows the instructor to initiate a similarity check. |
| 2. Language Selection | Instructors select the programming language relevant to the assignment. Only specific languages are currently supported. |
| 3. Starter Code Upload | Allows for the uploading of template files or starter code. Similarities with this code are ignored during the check. |
| 4. Similarity Report | Once generated, this report displays pairs of student submissions with high similarity metrics. Instructors can delve deeper into these pairs for a side-by-side comparison. |
Compatible programming languages
Currently, Gradescope Code Similarity can only review the following languages for similarity:
C, C++, C#, F#, Go, Java, JavaScript, Matlab, MIPS, ML, Python, and R.
Conclusion
While Gradescope offers tools to maintain academic honesty, it’s essential to understand their scope and limitations. No technology can fully eliminate cheating, but platforms like Gradescope, combined with vigilant educators, can make a significant difference. As Gradescope continues to evolve, we can anticipate even more features catering to both educators and students’ needs, ensuring a fair academic environment.
FAQs
1. What plagiarism checker does Gradescope use?
Gradescope uses Turnitin as its plagiarism checker. Under the Turnitin umbrella, Gradescope’s tools emphasize authenticity, combined with efficient, unbiased, and consistent evaluations for various assignment types, including paper-based problem sets, computer code, and engineering diagrams.
2. Can Gradescope detect copy paste?
Yes, Gradescope allows instructors to see submissions to specific questions in sequence. This sequence-view feature makes it easier to identify submissions that are identical, which can be a red flag for copied answers. While it’s not a formalized feature, it acts as an undocumented bonus for educators.
3. Does Gradescope have a similarity checker?
No, Gradescope does not offer a “similarity check” for essay tasks uploaded directly onto the platform. If instructors require a similarity report, they can either utilize their account on turnitin.com or create a Turnitin assignment on Moodle using the Moodle-Turnitin integration.
4. Can Gradescope catch cheating?
Gradescope has several mechanisms to detect cheating. One notable feature is similarity detection, wherein Gradescope employs advanced algorithms to identify overly similar student answers. The platform can also detect instances where students might have copied answers from online sources.
