The Discussions tool is a collaboration area for instructors, teaching assistants and students. Students can post, read, and reply to messages on different topics, share thoughts about course materials, ask questions, share files, or work with peers on assignments and homework.
Discussions Terminology
| DISCUSSIONS TERMINOLOGY | |
| Forums | Forums are used to group discussion topics. |
| Topics | Topics are used to group messages. A topic may be a question or the introduction of a new concept. |
| Messages | Messages are the individual posts to a topic. |
| Thread | A thread shows a series of replies to the same message. A message thread consists of the original message and any replies to either the original message or to a posted reply. Messages can be viewed as threaded or unthreaded. |
Turnitin recently introduced an AI tool designed to assist instructors in detecting AI-generated content in student submissions. This tool potentially analyzes writing styles and may detect anomalies that could possibly indicate the use of generative AI. However, while this technology represents a significant step forward, caution is advised in its application. It’s important to recognize that the tool is not infallible and may not catch every instance of AI-generated content. Instructors should not rely on the AI tool to detect AI generated content, but rather, use it as one of several strategies in a comprehensive approach to uphold academic standards and encourage genuine student learning and creativity.
