Assignments

Recording in-class presentations for assessment

Assignments, Blackboard, Panopto, Training /
Three people: one with a camera recording the person in the centre. the third person holds a director's megaphone.

Recently we have seen an increase in queries about recording student presentations for assessment. As ever, a Blackboard submission that uses Panopto is the best option for student submissions. However, what about recordings for presentations in-class? There are a couple of options available.

Manual recording

This is the method that most staff have used historically. Many schools have their own video cameras, and staff can borrow these to record the student presentations and share with external examiners via OneDrive or SharePoint. Recordings can either be stopped after each student, or one long recording can be made, and the timestamps noted for external examiners.

The advantage of this process is that it’s relatively straightforward and easy for staff to implement. Most schools have cameras to borrow, most often via PAS teams or Technicians, and extracting the videos and sharing by OneDrive or SharePoint is fairly simple.

The disadvantages are that using OneDrive relies on the sharer being available for the duration of the moderation process. If that person is on annual leave or sick, any issues with the files or sharing process are difficult to resolve. If the sharer leaves the university altogether, their OneDrive account will be taken down, and the recordings could be lost.

Video files could be uploaded and located in a SharePoint site, to allow all members access. We recommend contacting Digital Services for support with SharePoint. However, sometimes External Examiners can encounter issues accessing links and content in SharePoint too.

Using Panopto

As an alternative, we have designed a workflow to record via Panopto within your Blackboard module. The tutor is logged in and the recordings sit in a private area within the Blackboard space.

The advantages of this process are that the recordings will be held within the Blackboard module, meaning that any member of staff, including external examiners will have access, without the students being able to see them. The steps are contained in one process, with little follow-up. The process can work from any room, even those without Panopto video recording, although this will require a webcam.

This approach is quite versatile and can meet the needs of a range of assessment approaches. If you would like to know how to do this, please sign up for our training session on Wednesday 29th April, 13:30-14:30. You can book a place via iTrent under Learning, and selecting the type ‘Technology Enhanced Learning’.

If you have any questions, please email us at TEL@worc.ac.uk

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Turnitin Tips for Tutors – Student Queries

Assignments, Turnitin, Ultra /

Turnitin Support for your Students

As promised, here is a follow up blog post for Academic staff, focused on troubleshooting potential student queries and information about how to signpost issues to TEL.

The TEL Unit have a Turnitin help page for students, which tutors are welcome to share. The page contains resources and FAQs for common issues:

Turnitin Student Support and FAQs – Technology Enhanced Learning Unit

5 Student Turnitin Problems and Solutions:

  1. Turnitin will not open due to an error message or internet connectivity:

If an error message appears or Turnitin fails to load up, this is usually due to browser or internet problems. Please signpost students to TEL tel@worc.ac.uk for support. Or to our Turnitin Student Support page. (Students need to ensure ‘third-party cookies’ are enabled for the Blackboard VLE https://worcesterbb.blackboard.com for Turnitin to open correctly. We recommend Chrome or Mozilla Firefox browsers.)

It is helpful if students provide us with a screenshot of the issue, if possible. However, if the due date is imminent, tutors can choose to accept an email copy of their student’s assignment and submit on behalf of the student instead.

  1. The submission point will not open or displays an error message – due to the ‘Open in New Window’ setting being applied:

For some devices, if the Turnitin assignment submission point is set to open in a new window this can prevent access. For this reason, the default option in Blackboard is for Turnitin not to open in a new window for students. If you have added the ‘Open in new window’ setting, we recommend unticking this choice, by using the Blackboard three-dot menu for the Turnitin submission point:

  1. A student cannot make a Late Submission to the original point:

The Late Submission setting allows students who have not been able to submit ahead of the due date and time to make one late submission in total. If a student has accidentally submitted an incorrect version of their assignment, either before the due date has passed or afterwards, it will only be possible for students to make a further late submission if a tutor intervenes. Tutors can contact us at TEL for support, as there are workarounds if you would like the student to have the opportunity to make another normal late attempt.

We have advice for the different types of Late Submissions in our Turnitin manual – for normal Late submissions, Resubmissions or Mitigating Circumstances.

  1. A Student has submitted the wrong assignment to the submission point by mistake:

When the recommended settings are applied, if the due date has not yet passed, students can resubmit as many times as they wish up until this time. There is no need to remove a submission, as a new submission will overwrite the incorrect document. The previous incorrect version will not be compared for similarity checking.

However, if the due date has passed and a student has already submitted, they will not be able to make a further late submission (as described above). Students are not able to remove a submission themselves but module leaders can assist. Please feel free to contact the TEL Unit if you would like advice as a tutor.

Sometimes a student may have accidentally submitted an incorrect assignment to the wrong module, as well as to the correct submission point – If this has happened, please contact TEL tel@worc.ac.uk. Both module leaders will need to be made aware if the due dates have passed. If the submission points are summative, there will be a high similarity score match for self-plagiarism. (Self-matches could later be filtered out using the ‘Exclude Sources’ button by tutors: Originality Report.)

  1. Students cannot resubmit, but the due date has not yet passed:

We recommend checking the option Generate reports immediately (students can resubmit until due date) has been chosen. (This option also allows students to view similarity reports before the deadline is reached.)

Unfortunately, it is easy to accidentally select a different choice here, due to the use of a drop-down menu. It is possible to alter this Optional Setting in Turnitin, by selecting the cog in the top right-hand corner. Please see our Checking or Changing the Settings guidance.

If Academic staff or students need any support with Turnitin, please do not hesitate to contact us at TEL tel@worc.ac.uk.

Turnitin Tips for Tutors – Student Queries Read More »

PebblePad Support for Students and External Assessors

Assignments, PebblePad /
PebblePad Logo 2025

The TEL Unit (Library Services) provide support for PebblePad, a personal learning system that is used for portfolios and practice assessments. All staff and students have their own account which can be used for recording personal development and continuing professional development activities. The TEL Unit offer training and support with PebblePad, this can range from student orientated workshops, advising staff at a departmental level, or 1:1 advice for PebblePad users. 

At this time of year, we are aware that many students are using PebblePad while out on placements. We would like to make sure staff and students know where to get help with PebblePad by sharing some handy troubleshooting tips. We recommend tutors should be the first point of contact if a student experiences any PebblePad problems, but the TEL team are always happy to assist from a technical point of view.  

  • Students can contact the TEL team by email tel@worc.ac.uk for direct support -TEL office hours are Mon- Fri, 9am to 5pm. 

External assessor shares: 

Often students need to share their submitted PebblePad assignment with a placement assessor outside of UW.  

  • After students share in this way, external workplace assessors will be able to see an ‘Assessor’ view of a workbook / ePortfolio, to complete the sections they need to edit. (Likewise, students will see parts which they can only edit in their view.)  
  • UW Academic Tutors who have access to a workspace can view students’ submissions from their managers dashboard (so external assessor shares are not required).

External assessor PebblePad emails: 

  • If assessors have any problems finding PebblePad emails, they can contact TEL tel@worc.ac.uk for further support, or students can do this on their behalf.

Editing Issues and the new External Assessor Dashboard: 

  • If a student has accidentally made an incorrect type of share, they can remove this by using the trash can option. – Most often these are ‘with people’ shares, which will give a ‘read-only’ like view of a workbook or ePortfolio. PebblePad have helpful instructions to delete ‘with people’ shares: Share an asset with people | Learners – Using PebblePad : Help Hub 
  • If a workplace assessor can log into their External UW PebblePad account, and an external assessor share has been successful – they should be able to see an assessor’s view under ‘Items shared for assessment’. This will be visible from their external account dashboard: External dashboard | Externals – Using PebblePad : Help Hub 

If there are any other technical PebblePad problems, Students or External Assessors can contact TEL, using the same email address which their UW PebblePad account is linked to, along with all the relevant details. 

If assessors have any issues viewing an external assessor share link, or accessing their External UW PebblePad account, assessors and students are welcome to send a message to us at TEL: tel@worc.ac.uk  

PebblePad logo

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Turnitin Tips for Tutors

Assignments, Turnitin, Ultra /

With the semester well underway we thought it would be useful to share helpful advice for common Turnitin queries. Staff are welcome to contact us at TEL tel@worc.ac.uk, for any technical assistance with Turnitin issues. Whether you need a hand with settings, information about rubrics and grading, or if your students require help with a problem.

5 Staff Turnitin Problems and Solutions:

  1. How to Check or Change the Settings:

Ahead of students submitting their work, we recommend checking your Turnitin settings for individual submission points. If you are a newer member of staff, you can refer to our Submission Point guidance. New or existing staff can contact the TEL Unit for any Turnitin training needs.

  1. Changing the due date and time:

Certain Turnitin settings are greyed out once a submission point has been created. It is possible to change the due date and time in Blackboard instead: Checking or Changing the Settings

  1. Anonymous Marking:

Anonymous Marking is an optional setting which can be applied up until the first student submission attempt. Unfortunately, after students have begun to submit, it is then not possible to add this setting. If there is time, you could instead create a new submission point to allow students to resubmit anonymously.

If you need to reveal a student’s name in an anonymous assignment, please see our Turnitin Guide: Academic Integrity

  1. Turnitin Rubrics:

We have the following instructions for creating Rubrics and for Exporting and Importing Rubrics: Exporting Rubrics. Once created rubrics belong to an individual user’s account, so the only way to share a rubric is through exporting them as a .rbc file. If Rubric (.rbc) files need to be available for different staff members to use in Turnitin, these could be saved in a central location to store securely, and make them easily accessible to course teams. (Such as a SharePoint site – in case of staff absence, or if a staff member later leaves the University.) Please be aware that .rbc files will not open in other applications; just Turnitin. So, the files can only be stored, but not opened or viewed elsewhere.

  1. Similarity Report Queries:

We have guidance for Similarity reports in Turnitin, Submission Point – which includes our recommended ‘Similarity Report’ settings, the default ‘Compare against’ settings and how to ‘Exclude assignment template’ (if you have used one) from similarity matches.

‘Optional Settings’ in Turnitin allow you to choose to store papers in the ‘Standard paper repository‘ if this is a summative assessment, or ‘Do not store the submitted papers‘ if it is for formative use. When papers are stored in the ‘Standard Paper repository’, this means they are held in the ‘Global Turnitin Repository’. With the recommended assignment settings, students can view their similarity reports after each submission attempt, however, on the fourth submission they will need to wait 24 hours for the next similarity report to generate. Shortly after the due date and time has passed, Turnitin will run an additional ‘collusion check’, comparing all students’ submissions for the assignment.

For interpreting Similarity matches our TEL Turnitin guide gives an overview: Originality Report. This includes how to:

  • Use the ‘Exclude sources’ button,
  • Re-add sources back in
  • Or how to alter filters for an assignment by adjusting thresholds to run a ‘New Report’ – if needed.

The Turnitin integration in the VLE uses the Feedback studio, ‘Classic’ similarity report view: Turnitin Online Guide: Navigating the Similarity Report – Turnitin Guides.

Please feel free to contact TEL tel@worc.ac.uk if you have any questions about similarity report anomalies. If required, TEL can also contact Turnitin UK directly.

*A note about Self-Plagiarism matches in the VLE: Turnitin is designed to find matches for self-plagiarism for Turnitin assignments held in different Blackboard modules, but self matches are normally automatically filtered out for different submission points within the same Blackboard module.

Our main TEL Turnitin resources and support pages are:

Staff:

Students:

We will send out a follow up Turnitin Blog post later this semester, which will focus on common student queries that academic staff may encounter. It will include extra troubleshooting fixes and information about where to sign-post students for further technical advice from TEL. Please continue to contact TEL tel@worc.ac.uk with any staff or student Turnitin problems.

Turnitin Tips for Tutors Read More »

December 2025 Assignments Information and TEL Opening Times.

Announcement, Assignments /
Snowflake close up - Adobe stock By Almahyra
AdobeStock By Almahyra

With Midwinter approaching we wish to inform staff of our Christmas opening times.

Our offices will be closed, from 4 pm on Tuesday 23rd December 2025, and will open again on Monday 5th January 2026.

If any of your students have assignments which are being submitted over the Christmas period, or at the close of day on the 23rd December, please be aware that we will not be able to provide support during this time.

We kindly ask staff to ensure they plan accordingly so that alternative support is available for students if they have any technical problems. We recommend that staff members:

  • Establish a clear plan for assisting students with any submission issues.
  • Communicate this plan to your students in advance, emphasising that the TEL inbox will be unmanned while the University is closed over the Christmas break.

Student Support Resources

We have useful Resources online for Student Support, which includes assignment submissions processes and FAQs to troubleshoot common problems:

Staff Support

Staff members can also find help and guidance on the following main pages for the systems we manage. While we are unavailable, please feel free to continue to message us, and we will reply on our return to the office:

In the coming days, please still contact us with any queries you may have. You can message us directly at tel@worc.ac.uk.

On a personal note, the TEL Team would like to wish all staff and students a wonderful Christmas break, and we hope you enjoy the festive period. We look forward to collaborating with you in the new semester, next year.

Warmest regards,

The TEL Unit

December 2025 Assignments Information and TEL Opening Times. Read More »

September Support from TEL

Assignments, Blackboard, Panopto, PebblePad, Training, Turnitin /

As the first semester gets underway and new colleagues join the university, we thought it would be helpful to signpost where and how staff can access support from the Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) Unit. Whether you’re exploring new digital tools or seeking guidance on best practices for online learning, we’re here to assist.

Online Support Resources

  • Our TEL Tools page provides an overview for staff of the main technologies used to support learning, teaching and assessment at the university.
  • Our Support Resources page links to a range of online guides, manuals and instructional videos for both staff and students. You will be able to find support for the Blackboard VLE (including Class Collaborate), Turnitin, PebblePad and Panopto. You can share suitable links from our student support pages with your students. For example, you can choose to include the most appropriate student resources within your module content: Adding Links

Our TEL Blog:

Staff members are welcome to subscribe to our Blog posts. These keep staff updated about recent changes to the VLE and its’ integrations and also provide handy hints or tips for using our suite of Learning Technologies. We have included some blog highlights below, from last year, which are helpful to refer to early on in a semester:

Additional help and training:

We run staff training sessions through the year. Our workshops are included in Staff Development / iTrent bookings. In addition, our team of Learning Technologists are available for departmental or small group training sessions for staff. So, if you or your colleagues have any Learning Technology training needs, please do get in touch. Also, if you have any questions or queries about the systems we manage, please contact us at TEL tel@worc.ac.uk.

September Support from TEL Read More »

New Recommended Panopto Assignment Process

Assignments, Blackboard, Panopto /

We have listened carefully to feedback from both staff and students regarding Panopto assignment submissions, particularly around challenges with the submission process. In summary, the main issues raised are:

  • The submission process is not always straightforward, and some students struggle to complete it successfully.
  • The student experience varies across devices, with MacBook users finding the process particularly difficult and encountering limitations in available features.
  • The existence of multiple submission routes can create confusion.

In response, we have reviewed the situation and decided to standardise the recommended process so that all Panopto submissions follow one clear, simple workflow. This approach is designed to ensure consistency and ease of use for all students, regardless of the device they are using.

Going forward, we recommend that video submissions are created as a PowerPoint presentation with Cameo voiceover, saved as an MP4, and then uploaded to Panopto. This method is more straightforward and relies on familiar tools, making it far simpler than Panopto’s browser capture. PowerPoint is a tool that is available to all students as part of the free Office 365 subscription through the University. Should you as the course tutor wish to stipulate a different method of video creation, such as using Camtasia, this is your choice. The main point is that the video should be created first and then submitted.

While this workflow has always been an available option — particularly for students experiencing difficulties — some tutors have raised concerns about academic integrity. To address this, we consulted with the University’s Academic Integrity Tutors, who have confirmed that this process fully meets academic integrity requirements.

Please read the guidance on using Panopto with PowerPoint.

To set up a Panopto Video submission, please follow the guide. This part of the process will be unchanged from last year.

If you have any questions, please email me at a.bright@worc.ac.uk

Andrew Bright

Interim Head of Technology Enhanced Learning

New Recommended Panopto Assignment Process Read More »

Turnitin Originality Reports in Blackboard Assignments

Announcement, Assignments, Blackboard, Turnitin /

It is now possible to generate Turnitin originality reports for standard Blackboard assignments. This allows staff and students to view originality matches directly within Blackboard while still using the standard Blackboard grading and feedback tools. (Turnitin Feedback Studio for grading is not currently supported). This may be useful if you would like to have one submission point for marking with Blackboard but need a Turnitin originality check, or track multiple attempts.

It is easy to enable this new functionality with your Blackboard assignments.

To do this, when setting up a new assignment, in the Additional Tools section, click the Enable Turnitin option:

'Enable Turnitin' option shown in red box, within the Blackboard menu options

The integration will load, and you can then toggle the Enable Turnitin switch to the On position.

'Enable Turnitin' sliding toggle button shown below Originality Report in the Assignment Settings.

Select your Turnitin options as usual. Choose the Standard Paper Repository for summative work, or Do not store the submitted papers for formative. Select sources to check, and select the Similarity Report options as needed. Finally, click the Save button to finalise these settings. You can always return to these settings to update later if required.

Originality Report Menu settings are shown - displaying the different tick box options which are available.

When you return to the Additional Tools section in the Assignment Settings, you should see that Turnitin has been enabled:

Image of 'Turnitin enabled' to show how this looks when turned on and the 'Save' button to apply the chosen Turnitin settings.

Once papers have been submitted and processing is complete, staff and students will be able to view the originality report by clicking on the originality percentage button:

An example of an assignment with the 'originality percentage button' highlighted in a box, in the top right-hand corner.

The Originality report will then load in a new tab using the updated Turnitin interface:

Example of an originality report using the updated Turnitin interface. The assignment appears on the left hand side. Then the 'sources' / similarity matches are in a column on the right hand side of the page. A 'filters' option is at the top of the sources list.

Turnitin Originality Reports in Blackboard Assignments Read More »

Assessments in the Blackboard VLE

Assignments, Blackboard, Panopto, PebblePad, Turnitin, Ultra, Video /

Choosing assignment submission tools within Blackboard Ultra.

It can sometimes be difficult to determine which is the best submission tool to use when creating assignments for your students in Blackboard.

We have the following advice and guidance for lecturers to help with your choice. We recommend different tools depending on the assignment needs and have submission workflows which your students can follow.

The flowchart below summarises the most suitable assignment software for each submission type:

Assessment flow chart -Essay/Report: Turnitin; Group, Exam/Test, Blackboard tools: Blackboard assignment; Portfolio/Practice assessment: PebblePad; Audio/Video: Panopto

Our Blackboard Ultra Manual includes instructions for the different Assessments within the VLE and how to provide Grading and Feedback.

Turnitin Assignments

Turnitin is most appropriate for word-based assignments or those which contain a large amount of text. Submissions can be checked for originality against the global database.

We have a Turnitin staff manual and a recent Turnitin assignments blog post, which includes all relevant links and tips for tutors.

Blackboard Assignments

If large files, multiple files, zip files, or files which contain mostly imagery, need to be uploaded for an assessment – a Blackboard assignment can be used to manage submissions.

Please see our Blackboard Ultra Manual: Learn Ultra Assignments.

Panopto Assignments

If students are creating video or audio, for example, as part of a presentation – a Blackboard assignment which uses the Panopto integration is normally most useful.

We have a Panopto manual for Staff and a helpful blog post for tutors with further advice: Panopto Assignment Submission Points

PebblePad Assignments

The Ultra VLE manual includes information about PebblePad Assessments. If you require support with PebblePad, please contact the TEL Unit tel@worc.ac.uk.

We also have student FAQs for common PebblePad queries.

If you have any questions or would like to speak to one of the team about upcoming assessments, you are welcome to contact us at tel@worc.ac.uk.

Assessments in the Blackboard VLE Read More »

Marking Panopto Assignments in Blackboard Ultra

Assignments, Panopto, Ultra, Video /

With marking season upon us, many of you will be marking Panopto assignments, so we thought it would be useful to share a little tip based on staff feedback.

You will notice that, when marking Panopto assignments, the video displays a little differently in Blackboard assignment view, which can result in the student’s face obscuring part of the slide that they are presenting. You also don’t automatically see the transcription as you did in the old system.

If you find this view difficult to use, you can open the traditional Panopto view by clicking on the arrow in the video control bar.

Although you will still need to add your grade and feedback in the Blackboard assignment view, opening this link will allow you to watch the video uninterrupted, as well as being able to view captions.

If you have any further queries, please contact us at TEL@worc.ac.uk

Marking Panopto Assignments in Blackboard Ultra Read More »